In the world of oriental rugs the age of a rug can only be placed into four main ranges. This is because the exact year when the rug was woven is impossible to pinpoint. Also age means money, consequently many descriptive terms have evolved over the years, especially on the retail level. The main four ranges that you may hear are.

Antique     100 years or more

Old            40 to 99 years

Semi-old  20-39 years

New          0-19 years

The reason new oriental rugs and carpets can still be classed as new even after 10 years or more is because of the length of time handmade rugs and carpets can take to reach the western markets. The best advise it to always seek a reputable dealer and accept that the age of your rug is at best approximate.

The one thing you can say about a Persian rug, apart from it being beautiful, is this is a feature that needs the right surroundings to be truly appreciated. The rest of the room often pales into insignificance once you lay an oriental rug on the floor. Still, you could always decorate the rest of the room and base it around the rug so they work in harmony together. Here’s our take if you want a few ideas, read our article about decorating a room for a Persian.

• Choose appropriate colours: Persian rugs are bold enough on their own so you don’t have to be brash with the colours on the wall. Keep the colours neutral, white walls look stunning with Persian rugs, they make the room feel light and airy, it’ll seem bigger and make a showcase feature out of the rug.
• Try to coordinate: If you decide you want a little colour on the walls look for shades that’ll compliment the rug. For example, if your rug has a large degree of red and blue in it why not paint your walls grey? They’ll look chic, provide the room with a boutique feel and still show off the rug in the best possible way.
• Avoid heavily patterned curtains: Don’t ‘crowd’ the room with heavily printed curtains, the chances are they’ll clash with the rug. Stick with a trendy look and try plantation shutters or wooden Venetian blinds instead. Paint them white and they’ll look amazing as window accessories but won’t take the shine off your rug.
• Combine neutral sofas with coloured cushions: If you have a cream or oatmeal sofa suite find cushions that match the colours in the carpet. They’ll compliment the Oriental rug and tie the sofa in with the theme without being overstated.
• Keep it minimal: If you really want your rug to be the feature of the room opt for the minimalist look and cut back on other furniture items. Sometimes less is more when it comes to interior design so keep it simple and make your rug the feature with the wow factor.

Buy a Persian rug and this is one feature that you want to be on show at all times. Say you had to put the rug into storage for a short while though, suppose you were moving home or were renovating your property and you wanted to keep the rug protected, how would you look after the rug whilst it was out of sight? This guide gives you a few tips about rug storage and it’ll help you keep a Persian in perfect condition. • Give the rug a clean: Before you place the rug into storage give it a good clean and that will remove dust and dirt particles that could be hiding in the fibres. Never pack a rug away before you have cleaned the fibres, dirt can fester and leave marks in the carpet. • Spray the rug with an insecticide: Use a specialist insecticide that’s kind to carpet fibres and protect the rug from moths, beetles and other pests that like to feast on fibres. Use a non-staining product that won’t damage the fibres in the carpet, get advice from a rug supplier if you have any trouble finding a good repellent. • Carefully roll the rug: Don’t fold the rug, simply roll it for short or long-term storage to prevent crease marks from appearing in the fibre. Just leave the rug where it is with the fibre facing upwards and begin to roll it into a ‘tube’ shape until all you can see is the backing. • Wrap it in plastic: Use coloured plastic if possible to prevent light from filtering through and completely cover the rug from end to end. Secure the plastic into place with masking tape and make sure you fix down any flapping sections. • Store off the floor: Place the rug in a cool, dark room where you can control the light levels. Don’t leave it on the floor, carpet beetles could attack the pack, so place it on a shelf if you can, or raise it off the floor by resting it on a couple of objects. • Check it: If you are storing your rug for the long term take a look at it once a month or so. Unwrap it, unroll it and look for signs of infestation, hopefully everything will be fine and you can wrap it back up again.

Keep out of strong sunlight: Sun is the natural enemy of rugs. place your rug in a conservatory or a very sunny room and the colours will fade in time. Don't place heavy furniture on the rug: Indentations caused by heavy furniture items can be hard to remove. Weight distribution cups can be purchased to place under the feet of your sofa or table. Regular cleaning helps. Keep your rugs in great condition by giving them a good shake or you might want to beat them outside to remove dirt and debris if you prefer. Light vacuuming can also clean rugs just be careful you don't damage the fringes. Stain removal: If you spill something on your rug deal with it straight away by placing a piece of kitchen towel on the spill to absorb the fluid then gently sponge the area clean. If in doubt contact your rug supplier or specialist oriental rug cleaner for advise.  

Forget all those other home features, a new rug is all you need to add a little glitz to your home. Find a rug that fits and everything else just falls into place, you can base your whole decor around a feature rug. This article examines how to select a feature rug for your property and gives you tips on ways to make the most from your new purchase. Where are you going to put the rug ? Work out which room you want to display the feature rug. This could be your hallway for example or possibly the main living area where you rest and relax most of the time. Make a decision on where you are going to place the rug and once you know, think about the size of the rug that you require. Fill the space Size is everything when you are choosing a new rug. Buy something that's too big and it'll swamp your room, buy something that's too small and it'll look lost in it's new surroundings. Take accurate measurements of the room where you want to place the rug to make sure you get the correct size. Handmade rugs rarely come in standard sizes, so some compromise is usually necessary. Don't come up short If you are placing furniture on a rug like a coffee table make sure the rug protrudes at either end. Furniture looks best placed in the middle of the rug and you might want the rug to extend so it slots neatly under the legs of a sofa at each end. Just make sure there's plenty of the rug on show when you are coordinating it with items of furniture and don't sell the room short.

You will find many Oriental rugs and carpets contain the woven signature of the weaver. The importance of this is usually over stated by dealers and customers alike. A quality rug or carpets will speak for its self and many very fine handmade rugs and carpets remain unsigned. Make sure the Oriental rug or carpet you are interested in is signed within the main body of the carpet and not protruding out onto the fringe as this is a sign that the signature of a famous weaver could have been added at a later date. Some famous signatures you may come across in Persian rugs and carpets are, Sarafian from Isfahan and Habibian from Nain.

The Persian town of Senneh is now known as Sanandaj, and is located north-west of Hamadan. Senneh is a Persian Kurdish weave and gives its name to the asymmetric Persian knot. Senneh has been famous for its finely woven rugs and kilims for over two hundred years. Many fine examples of fine Persian Senneh rugs and carpets can be found in London's Oriental rug and carpet warehouses.

Rugs and carpets have been produced in the Persian village of Joshagan for several centuries. Joshagan is situated just north of the famous Persian city of Isfahan, but rugs and carpets manufactured by the people of Joshagan are more a kin to rugs and carpets from the Hamadan region. The characteristic Joshagan design of a series of lozenges scattered evenly across the field which often include stylized flowers is instantly recognizable, but is also used by the nearby village of Mei Mei. Rugs and carpets from Mei Mei are known in the trade as Mei Mei Joshagan, but there are generally not as fine or as highly prized as original old Persian Joshagan rugs and carpets. An authenticated 18th century Persian Joshagan rug can be found in the Victoria & Albert museum London.

If you want to buy the best quality Oriental rugs and carpets at wholesale prices where do you go and who will advise you. David J.Wilkins Oriental Rug Brokers is a small family business that has been guiding their customers around London's wholesale Oriental rug warehouses for over 35 years. Joined in 1990 by his son Alexander the company became a truly family concern. Customers have the opportunity to see a vast range of handmade Oriental rugs and carpets of the highest quality. You will always obtain the right price, eliminating the need for farcical bargaining, in which the customer rarely comes off best. We have Oriental rugs and carpets at prices to suit most pockets and we can arrange for you to view your selection in your own home with no obligation to buy. So please call Alexander to have a chat or to make an appointment to visit London's Oriental rug warehouses.

There is no precise way to analyse the quality of a oriental rug, However there are a number of attributes to look out for that will give you some indication. The factors are knots per square inch, colour, design, materials used and condition. With knots per square inch be especially careful with antique oriental rugs and carpets as some not so fine tribal and village Pieces can be worth a fortune. My advice would be to always seek expert help when assessing oriental rugs and carpets.