When you’re decorating your home on a budget, the expense of handmade rugs may seem higher than machine-made rugs. However, you’d be surprised at how little the difference might actually be, especially over the long term. If you’re decorating your home or office or already own a handmade rug, you should know these three things:
- There are handmade rugs available for almost any decorating budget. When you think “handmade,” you might think “overpriced” as well, but there really are affordable options. Origin, size and material can all affect price. Oriental silk rugs imported to the Phoenix area may come at a higher price than wool area rugs from India, for example. And, of course, large 8×11 area rugs will be more expensive than a smaller 7×9 area rug. If you know what price range you have to work with, talk to the rug experts at Alyshaan and they can show you what will fit both your budget and your style.
- Rugs that are handmade will last longer than their machine-made counterparts. In this modern age, we tend to think of the work of machines to be superior to a human’s handicrafts, but quite often the reverse is true. While machines are excellent at producing a standardized product, a person making something by hand is willing to take the time and follow traditional methods. When a rug is hand-knotted, every knot is thoughtfully put in place using high quality materials to create a design that can never be exactly replicated ever again. The tension placed in each knot will vary slightly, which is what makes each piece unique. This attention to detail and handcrafted quality means that these area rugs will stand up to the test of time and can often be repaired and cleaned.
- Handmade rugs will grow in value over time. Much like any other piece of art, a well-made rug that is kept in good condition will eventually be worth more than you paid for it. Of course, this doesn’t happen quickly — most very valuable rugs are decades old at the very least. But machine-made rugs have no hope of gaining value like handmade ones do. Like most mass-produced items, they will likely lose value over time.
Handmade rugs add style to any room and can tie disparate decorative elements together when placed with careful consideration. If you really want to walk on art, there is a handmade rug waiting for you, no matter your budget.
