Where should I place a runner carpet?

These elongated textiles suit narrow domestic spaces such as hallways, corridors and entryways where floorboards require softening. They also function effectively alongside long dining tables or beside bedroom furniture. Because corridors experience frequent foot traffic, selecting a piece with a dense wool pile ensures the textile maintains its structure and appearance over decades of daily use.

How do I care for an older wool carpet?

Regular gentle vacuuming without a rotating brush roll prevents dust and grit from settling into the wool pile. Professional cleaning by specialists in antique textiles ensures the natural dyes remain stable. Keeping the carpet away from direct, harsh sunlight protects the natural dye colours from fading unevenly across the length of the runner.

What is the difference between knotted and flat-woven pieces?

Knotted carpets feature a plush pile created by individual yarn strands tied to the warp threads, offering a thicker and softer underfoot texture. Flat-woven pieces lack this pile, consisting entirely of interlocking warp and weft yarns that create a smooth, thin surface. Both methods produce durable floor coverings, though kilims and flat-weaves are lighter and easier to lift for cleaning.

How can I tell the origin of a tribal runner?

Regional origins reveal themselves through specific design motifs, colour palettes and structural techniques. Persian, Caucasian and Anatolian weavers each employed distinct geometric symbols or floral arrangements characteristic of their specific villages and nomadic groups. Examining the materials used in the foundation threads and the style of the edge finishing provides further clues to the geographic source of the weaving.