Rag rugs as art

As a company specialising in rugs, we’re forever researching the different ways to use them in decorating – that’s why our Pinterest board How To Put Rugs In A Room is jam packed! And why we have a file specifically for the creative uses of Boucherouites.

Boucherouites are a relatively recent style of Moroccan rug dating back to the 1960s when the country’s farming and cattle breeding industries declined and society became urbanised. Instead of being made from traditional wool, they are woven using recycled materials such as scraps of old clothes and cotton – which explains their nickname, Rag Rugs – and the women making them, rather than following earlier traditions of incorporating colours and motifs in keeping with their tribes (as passed down by their parents), began inventing their own new patterns, colourways and motifs. This greater freedom of expression has resulted in rugs which, in our opinion, are more like unique pieces of art.
And so to the nature of today’s post: Boucherouites as works of art.

Part of the reason that Boucherouties work so wonderfully as wall hangings is because their often small sizes perfectly mimic conventional paintings and pictures – happily, they come without the hefty price tag of original art. It’s also because they tend to be so vivid and highly textured, as well as the fact that having them on the wall makes them far easier to paw (we do).

In this room, the wall-hung Boucherouites add a necessary focal point of dense colour to the neutral room. Try also hanging a Boucherouite as a headboard above your bed (placed horizontally for double and kingsized beds). This makes the whole experience of sitting up in bed to read a far more cosy and cocooning affair.

Fancy being more inventive with your Boucherouite? Check out the interior of London boutique Browns Focus as styled by Faye Toogood’s design company Studio Toogood. Densely-coloured Boucherouites are reimagined as seat upholstery which, in the all-white interior, pops out to make a statement. The seat, which is quite uptight and sculptural, is far more inviting thanks to the textile finish and again, having rugs at this height makes them easier to touch (are we alone in having this urge?)

It’s a great idea, and because Boucherouties are quite inexpensive, an easy update to copy if you need your sofa reupholstered. Team with similar on the floor  to bring more depth of pattern and a sense of continuity to your room, just like Studio Toogood has.

Find more ideas and examples of these pieces as works of art in the home in our Boucherouites file.

Finally, please do share in the comments here, if you have any other ideas on how to feature these rugs in the home – we love learning about how creative you are.