Oversized Rugs

Do people walk into your home and exclaim "What a mansion!"?
Joking aside, some houses have really really large rooms. Sometimes it's hard to keep them from feeling empty and cold. Luckily Oriental Rugs come in more than just the standard sizes. Here at Main Street Oriental Rugs, we have an entire section of our selection dedicated to oversized handmade carpets. They are available in nearly any design, from kashan to kazak.

If you already own an oversized oriental rug, you might find it difficult to keep your rug looking nice and clean. We're happy to offer our cleaning and repair services for any rug of any size. That way, even your largest rug is eligible for a professional cleaning and repair.

Vegetable Dyes: Traditional Coloring Methods for Traditional Rugs

Vegetable Dyes are just what you'd think they are: coloring products that originate from certain plants, and are devoid of synthetic materials and techniques. You might wonder why one would prefer to use vegetable based coloring products when there are also great synthetic ones that are more durable and cost effective. The answer to this question is an interesting one. The usage of synthetic dyes simply provides too many colors for the weaver to use. A traditional weaver was limited in color choice by the selection of plants that could be used to create different dyes at the time. This resulted in all classic rugs existing within the same general color palette. This palette is one of the things that makes up the identity of the oriental rug.

This Hamadan has been dyed with Vegetable Dyes

Vegetable dyes are collected from plants, such as from the roots of trees, sage, and walnuts. Chemical dyes are synthesized in a factory. That's not to say that chemical dyes are bad. In fact, that's far from the truth. Are there places for chemical dyes? Definitely. Chemical dyes are used in clothing, as well as in many more modern rug designs. Most people, however, agree that it is best for hand woven rugs to continue using vegetable dyes. The limitations and challenges associated with using natural materials are part of the art that is rug weaving. In the same way that one may prefer a hand painted version of a masterpiece to one that has been reproduced, vegetable dyed rugs are generally preferred.

The World's Finest Rug

Have you ever wondered what the world's most fine rug looks like?

Well, here it is.

This rug, named for the city Persepolis, happens to be the most finely hand-crafted oriental rug in existence. It has 4265 knots per square inch. To put this into perspective, 300 KPSI is considered fine. This masterpiece took 3 master-trained oriental rug weavers over 14 years to weave.

You won't find this rug in our collection, of course, but this rug signifies the kind of inspiration that is brought about by oriental rugs. Three weavers were dedicated enough to sit down and weave this over the course of 14 years. Now that's dedication.