Friday, January 16, 2015

BENI OURAIN MOROCCAN RUG

The Beni Ourain is a Moroccan rug, and is one of the hottest trends in home decor.  Designers love to use it because of its versatility and its ability to add depth and texture to a design.

The Beni Ourain "tribe" in Morocco is made up of 17 different Berber tribes that live in the Atlas Mountains.  Many raise sheep at the higher elevations.  The sheep produce excellent high grade wool which goes into the beautiful rugs made by the Beni Ourain tribes. Certain tribes have preferred colors.  Natural dyes were used exclusively in Morocco until the mid to late 20th century. The true vintage and mid-century Beni Ourain rugs are sophisticated and simple - which makes them sought after by the top designers and consumers all over the world.

Patterns usually consist of brown and black lines or abstract shapes against a white or cream background.  Other designs are the Ancient Berber alphabet, geometric designs similar to Navajo-Native American patterns.  Most do not have a border.  Some have fringe and others don't.

The Beni Ourain rugs were used by the most renowned mid-century modern designers such as Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Aalto, and Charles and Ray Eames.  Shag carpets were extremely popular during this time, and the Beni Ourains were a step up from the average shag because of their sophisticated nature.  

From a design perspective, this rug is impressive because it really is a neutral but still adds depth and texture to a room.  This Moroccan treasure can easily be transported into any room no matter what style.




































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