Spot the difference: carpets, rugs and dhurries

Sorry to burst your bubble but a carpet is not a rug and a dhurrie is not another word for a rug. Often, these three terms are used interchangeably, even by industry professionals.

We spoke to Ayush Choudhary, MD, Cocoon Fine Rugs to learn how to tell a carpet from a rug from a dhurrie. “For starters, a floor covering that is applied wall-to-wall is commonly called a carpet, while rugs are area specific and movable. Dhurries are of Indian origin, and basically refer to floor coverings that are flat-woven,” he explains. He breaks it down further.

What’s a Carpet?

1. They are commonly made from wool, jute and synthetic fibres like nylon, polyester, olefin and acrylic. They are generally machine-made.
2. They are pasted to the floor and require professional installation.
3. Although relatively inexpensive, large volumes are used for wall-to-wall installation.
4. It requires a fair amount maintenance and cleaning.
5. You will find them in hospitality and commercial spaces such as hotels, airports and offices. Homes in colder regions of the world also opt for carpets.

When do You Call it a Rug?

1. Area rugs are typically used to mark and highlight a certain section or space.
2.  Rugs are usually made of wool, silk, jute, coir, cotton and synthetic fibres. They can be hand-knotted, hand-tufted or even machine-made.
3. Their designs are intricate and detailed and involve textural interplays of different kinds.
4. They take longer to create. Some rugs take as long as a year or more!
5. They’re more expensive than carpets but comparatively easier to maintain.

What Makes it a Dhurrie?

1. They are typically made of cotton or jute. Sometimes, one might find dhurries made of wool too.
2. Their designs are simpler and even lean towards a tribal aesthetic.
3. They’re generally less expensive than rugs and quicker to make too. It usually takes one to two months.

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