Rug Blog!

The saga of gorgeous Karastan area rugs began in a North Carolina mill during the 1920’s. Marshall Field & Co. created an exciting and innovative product that really was a revolution in the industry—machine-made oriental rugs. Specifically, the first Karastan rug came off the loom at 2:02 p.m., April 8, 1928. The company’s  goal was to make high-quality rugs at affordable prices, and if you know anything about modern Karastan area rugs, you’re sure to see they’ve really lived up to that mantra. These elegant new rugs were almost impossible to distinguish from the highly expensive, imported rugs.

They were introduced by Wanamaker’s New York department store in 1928 and the brand was born. At the time, the advanced manufacturing process was referred to in trade papers as “Mystery Rugs”. To shed some light the “mystery” for the public, Karastan created a large version of its Kirman pattern for the 1933 World’ Fair in Chicago. But instead of putting it in a glass display, Karastan invited attendees to walk on it. More than 5 million people left their footprints, spills, and food stains all over the rug. They cleaned half the rug so people could truly witness it’s recovery. They then became known as “The Wonder Rugs of America”.

We've talked a lot on this blog about how karastan area rugs and carpets are an eco-friendly choice for home decorating. That's because it means a lot to us that our product is helping reduce the carbon footprint on our planet.

This week we thought we'd identify some of the natural, sustainable materials that might be found in your karastan area rugs. In addition to cotton and wool, there are some exotic plants that lend their fibers to protect the environment and your feet.

Bamboo is one of the best renewable resources, as it grows very quickly. Where an oak tree takes 120 years to grow to maturity, bamboo can be harvested in three.

Jute is a type of plant fiber grown in India, Bangladesh and China. The thread created from jute is quite strong, and it is among the cheapest of natural fibers available.

Seagrass is an entirely aquatic marine flowering plant. It grows in large meadows in areas of shallow water.

Sisal comes from a cactus plant called Agave sisalana that grows in Africa and Brazil.

Karastan area rugs are eco-friendly, hard-wearing, lost lasting, and now you know how exotic they just might be!

This is a love letter to Karastan carpet. It begins with a promise we made ourselves. When we bought our old house, our credo was that we would be present, appreciative of the past, mindful of tomorrow. We committed that every improvement we made would be responsible environmentally, even if it cost more or took us longer.

Well, it took a long time. Some parts of the process cost a lot of money. It was not always easy to appreciate, say, the previous owner's love for birds as pets, when all the scraping away of bird...eh, guano, still didn't eliminate the smell from the floorboards of what we planned to use as our nursery. By the time we were sure it was gone, the floorboards were pretty beat up, and so were we.

Then we discovered Karastan carpet. Made from a renewably sourced polymer, produced with readily available agricultural materials, not to mention beautiful--this was not the shag carpet of our childhood. Plus, we found it online at a pretty incredible discount.

Our feet are happy, too. There's a lot less crying over splinters with Karastan carpet in the house.

Green’s the buzz word of the moment, and it’s no secret that the greener, the better. If you’ve already gone green in lots of ways – you reject plastic bags, use energy efficient light bulbs, recycle your cans, use solar-powered water – consider going green with your home décor as well.

One of the most obvious ways to create a healthy and green environment is to get rid of any synthetic plants and flowers (which collect dust) and bring in real greenery, which can cleanse the air you breathe. Choose lilies, Chinese bamboo or rubber plants, which have glossy leaves that are easy to wipe clean.

Choose natural fabrics wherever possible to decorate your home. Many Karastan area rugs are made with recycled, sustainable and biodegradable materials such as corn-based polymers and carry the CRI Green Label Plus certificate. Wool carpeting is another environmentally friendly option.

For curtains, stay away from polyester and synthetic materials; choose thick organic cotton or 100% linen draperies. Wool plaids, silks and hemp also make good materials for draperies. In the bedroom, stick with cotton sheets or sheets made of bamboo – you’ll be amazed at how luxurious they feel!

When you need to clean your carpeting flooring, be kind to your health and the environment by using homemade cleaners such as vinegar or bi-carbonate of soda to remove stains, rather than toxic detergents.

Think rugs are only for libraries, sitting rooms, television rooms and bedrooms? Think again. Karastan area rugs are practical in all rooms of the house, including the kitchen.

Kitchen rugs can be rectangular, oval, circular or square-shaped and are an inexpensive way to add some color to one of the most-used spaces in your home.

Rugs are usually placed under the kitchen table or in the sink or dishwasher area to cushion your feet when you’re standing while cooking or sitting and dining. Kitchen rugs are useful in that they can prevent dent marks from appearing on cork or vinyl tile flooring if a knife or other sharp object is dropped and can soak up spills and prevent slips.

Always make sure kitchen rugs are made of a resilient and durable material since they’ll receive a lot of foot traffic; a rug made of polypropylene fibers is a good choice. Choose kitchen rugs that are machine washable so they can be easily washed if stains happen, and make sure rugs have a good rubber backing so that they stay firmly in place and don’t cause trips or falls.

Area rugs will collect dirt and dust, so make sure you vacuum them regularly or just give them a good beat and shake outside.

Want some new carpet but don’t want to make a big ecological footprint? That’s where Karastan carpet comes in.

Many Karastan carpets allow you to live green because they’re produced using eco-friendly practices and are made with recycled and sustainable materials like recycled rubber, wool and renewably sourced polymers. Karastan's woven wool carpets have renewable and biodegradable qualities and are naturally hard-wearing. Karastan carpets are CRI Green Label Plus (GLP) certified and contribute to LEED points, so they improve the comfort as well as the health of your home - and the environment.

Karastan SmartStrand carpet is made from renewably-sourced, readily-available agricultural materials such as corn-based polymers, DuPont Sorona, so it's good for the environment and good for you. Karastan SmartStrand is eco-friendly while also tough, durable, naturally stain-resistant, beautiful, and soft and comfortable underneath your feet. SmartStrand carpets are made using 30% less energy than regular carpet and less CO2 emissions occur during production.

For a fantastic range of eco-friendly Karastan carpeting flooring at warehouse prices, check out Boro Rug today.

Carpet, area rugs, vinyl or laminate? So many carpeting flooring options to choose from. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each.

Carpet is one of the most popular flooring choice and represents the “fifth wall” in the house. The possibilities are almost unlimited when it comes to colors, styles and textures. Carpets are easy to care for, provide sound insulation, and act as an insulator against heat and cold. Carpet is safe, durable, comfortable, and can even improve indoor air quality by trapping potential allergens.

Area Rugs add an element of warmth and softness to any room. Area rugs are highly versatile and can serve to unify or separate rooms. Rugs add color and vitality to spaces and may be hand-knotted or machine-made. Whether it’s an Oriental or Persian rug, a classic French check rug or a contemporary animal-print rug, area rugs are sure to lend personality to your room.

Vinyl and Laminate flooring looks great, is easy to clean and maintain, and is highly durable with scratch resistant, fade resistant, and water resistant properties. Vinyl tile flooring offers numerous design possibilities and replicates the beauty of wood, stone, ceramic, metals and other natural materials.