Rugs

The rug industry began in in United States when the first carpet mill was opened in 1791. Other carpet mills soon opened and the carpet industry was born. Rugs were a spin off of the carpets, but most of the rugs at that time were handmade. Marshall Field was the first to copy the style and look of hand-made carpets by modifying a carpet weaving loom to work backwards. The loom made the machine-made rugs look and feel like the expensive handmade Persian rugs that were so popular with the shoppers and soon, the rugs made by Field were introduced to the buying public in 1928.

The rug company that made the first handmade loom-woven rugs are still doing business today, in Georgia. Alexander Smith, Bigelow and Karastan are divisions of the Mohawk Industries. The city that is known around the world for making rugs and carpets is Dalton, Georgia a small place that is situated in the North Georgia mountains and it began as a struggle. In the late 1800s, Dalton began making carpets and rugs that rivaled some of the handmade, hand-knotted rugs that were being made by the skilled craftsmen in other areas of the country. Since those early days there was a commitment produce the rugs that has now made the North Georgia hills an area that is committed to the carpet and rug industry.

There are several different types and styles of rugs to choose from, the type of rug is determined by the region that it made it. Even though not all rugs named after a particular type came from that particular region of the country. If a rug design or type that come from a specific region is very popular and recognizable, rug makers from other regions will adopt that same name because of the look of the finished, not necessarily because it came from that place. Here is a list of some of the most popular rug types and styles.

• Gabbeh - This is a style that became popular in Iran and the style is copied all over the world.

• Tabriz - Also from Iran, the Tabriz style of rug is extremely well known and rug makers do no hesitate to copy it.

• Medina - Turkey is the originator of the Medina handmade Oriental rugs that are so popular with the shoppers.

• Imperial - From China, the Imperial rugs are as the name describes, large, elegant rugs with a majestic look.

• Kashmir - India make the Kashmir style rugs that have a busy, elegant design on a dark background.

• Tree of Life - These rugs have a design that resembles the Tree of Life.http://www.arearugfacts.com/understanding_rug_names.php