What Is a Modern Oushak Rug? History, Features & Styling Tips

The modern era finds with it a return to tradition, with the values of aesthetics and a homely coziness witnessing a revival. The need for a blending of contemporary efficiency with the authenticity of the past garners more attention than ever from design professionals, and in the snug world of rugs, the answer lies in the popular ‘Modern Oushak Rugs’!

History of the Modern Oushak Rug

These rugs are a result of the long traditions of wool-only rugs, from Oushak, Turkey, adopting values from across the world as the local artisans spread their art with their travels. Their rich story of artistic development flows throughout history!

• Ottoman Origins: Oushak was one of the primary hotspots for style and quality carpet production during the period of the early Ottoman Empire. They were initially used by nomadic weavers for their own personal use, but by the 15th century, found fame the world over for their exceptional wool and natural dyes.
• European Symbol of luxury: During the Renaissance period, as the mainstream priorities shifted towards aesthetics and class, Oushak rugs became a symbol for luxury. This led to a shift in design philosophies, as the rugs now featured more European patterns like sharp stars and medallions. They were also featured in the paintings of popular artists like Hans Holbein and Lorenzo Lotto, which gave them their other name, Holbein and Lotto Carpets!
• 19th Century Re-emergence: After a brief stint of carpet production being moved to European makers, the undeniable quality and beauty of the Turkish rugs returned to the markets in the 19th century. These brought with them a blending of tribal and Persian styles, with bright colours like red and blue interwoven with coarser knits.
• Modern Day Market Leader: The age-old hand-knotting technique of tying the yarn around warp, where each knot brings about a splendid color and design, is more valued today than ever before. These rugs display a softer, more neutral palette with grays and pastel hues, lending more versatility to them. Their making process, which takes weeks, ensures that the Turkish rugs last more than a lifetime!

Features of the Modern Oushak Rugs

With time, these originally Turkish rugs have adapted to various styles, themes and colour patterns, while still retaining their original values of soft textures and clear colour schemes. Modern Oushak rugs deliver the needs of the modern day with their hand-dyed, washed, naturally soft fibre, and provide not only dimension, but a story to any room they call their home!

• Designs that Never Go Old: These rugs feature timeless designs, blending soft and vibrant colours with abstract, sometimes telling motifs which make for a strong opening to any design strategy.
• First Choice for Interior Designers: These rugs are often the centerpiece of a room’s feng-shui, as not only are they designed to face the brunt of the wear-and-tear of any piece of furnishing, like constant stomps and spillage, but their colours can also determine the theme or ‘vibe’ of any room.

• Versatility: These modern-traditional rugs are designed seemingly to go with any kind of flooring you can name. Their rich history lends to the rich variety of colours and patterns, weaving in and out of regional knitting strategies as seamlessly as the threads of the carpet itself.
• Durability: Beyond simply the use of higher quality, more resistant materials, the Turkish hand-knotting technique makes for denser, more robust rugs than their machine-made kin. They also rely on thicker yarn and looser weaves than other regional rugs, making them softer on the feet yet more abrasion-resistant. Even their colours resist fading under indoor lighting due to the use of vegetable or high-quality synthetic dyes!
• There’s One for Everyone: Authentic modern Oushak rugs feature large simplistic patterns and detailed motifs, yet come in a variety of modern colour schemes to ensure that every market has exactly what it needs! This foundation also lends itself to contemporary customisation, as you can find the exact colours and patterns you wish to showcase in other areas of your room decor, perhaps the logo of your favourite team or simply your favourite colour scheme!

Styling Tips for Modern Oushak Rugs

Modern Oushak rugs are by nature designed to meet all your needs, be it aesthetics or durability. However, simply having an all purpose solution to your decor requirements can fall flat without good planning. Thankfully, these are easy to solve!

• Choose the Right Size: These rugs are designed to be the centerpiece of your room’s motion, while also being pleasing to both the eyes and the feet. As such, try to find a rug which covers the room just enough, so that the front legs of your seating rest on the wool. It is also advisable to leave around 8-12 inches of visible flooring around the edges of the rug, to create a ‘framed’ aesthetic.
• Consider Your Palette: The most modern rugs feature soft colours like sage greens, faded blues and pastels to create a soothing, warm feeling. However, this can lead to a room feeling too neutral, especially in cases where other furnishings do not provide enough colour variation. In such cases, consider buying Oushaks with muted terracotta, dusty rose, or faded gold accents for warmth without overwhelming the eye.
• Layer and Depth: Layering an Oushak by placing it over a natural jute or sisal rug can create an incredibly striking visual, while also serving several logistical benefits. This set-up helps immensely in maintaining the durability of the fine modern rug, as the layers distribute friction and accordingly the wear and tear between them. Just remember to leave around 7-8 inches minimum of the bottom rug visible, which will make the visual intentional and very, very stylish!

Thus, the rich history of an initially regional tradition, which today dominates the markets due to all its qualities and fame, can be adapted into your own home very easily! Follow these rules, as not only will they make you as knowledgeable as any connoisseur, but you’ll also be more than capable of finding the right Oushak rug for all your aesthetic and comfort needs!