Knight Moves: lulu and georgia

Rug purchases often make people wince because high price tags aren't uncommon. And with pets and kids, many aren't willing to put anything too precious or expensive on the floor because it will surely see abuse. If the budget allows, I will always argue that high quality, hand-knotted wool rugs are amongst the toughest textiles out there...there's a reason why decades-old antique Persian/Turkish rugs are still alive and kickin'. They are tough as nails. But, those kinds of rugs can cost tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars and for most folks finding something that is durable and affordable is the real key.

Well, durability is certainly a relative factor and I won't bore you with my long-winded thoughts on the matter right now. The gist of my spiel is to buy woven or knotted natural fiber rugs. As far as composition goes, avoid viscose/poly, and other synthetics and for construction, I'm not a huge fan of tufted or hooked options. Flatweaves are all the rage these days because they are so cheap, but keep in mind that they may take some time (or ironing) to lay flat and depending on the weight, you'll probably need to rig something to the corners so they don't curl up.

And with those points made, let's move on to sources for affordable rugs. Here are some of my favorites, beginning with Lulu & Georgia. L&G is a darling web boutique that carries a wide selection of fabulous and inexpensive rugs. I especially love the ones by Alix Soubiran (the first one shown below) and these other picks:

Two of my other favorite sources are actually kids' retailers! Despite their juvenile focus, both The Land of Nod and RH Baby & Child stock some rather modern and/or sophisticated looking styles. Land of Nod is definitely more punchy and fun while RH offers more muted, low-key looks...