Home Décor: Elegant and Timeless Flokati Rugs
Flokati rugs may look like your everyday run-of-the-mill shag carpet, but when you feel their softness underfoot and you experience their impeccable durability and ability to stand the test of time, you will see why they have been a popular style of area rug for years. Flokati rugs have been around for centuries. They originated in Greece, but were not always used as rugs. Flokatis were also used as beds and as warming shawls for shepherds and other field workers. Today, the majority of Flokati rugs are actually made from New Zealand wool, despite their Greek origin.
The process by which Flokati rugs are made is quite remarkable. They are woven and sewn from long-haired lambs’ wool, and then they are held under intense water pressure for hours or even days. The result is that when the rug is hung to dry, the pile (the lamb’s wool) has unraveled due to the pressure, and so it becomes very fluffy and full. The pile for a Flokati rug generally is between one and six inches, and the higher the pile, the higher the price tag. Flokati rugs are great for cold winters because they are so warm. Stepping onto a plush, thick Flokati rug on a cold winter’s morning will be much better than stepping onto a cold, bare wooden floor.
Finding Authentic, High-Quality Flokati Rugs
If you are interested in purchasing a Flokati rug for your home, there are a few things to keep in mind. For one, you should do your research to make sure that the rug you are planning to purchase is made from 100% lambs’ wool. Some cheaper styles that imitate the Flokati look use polyurethane in the base of the rugs, and these knock-offs are not to be mistaken for authentic Flokatis. The best Flokati rugs on the market today are the ones made from New Zealand wool and woven in Greece.
Flokati rugs are great decorative touches for the home; they aren’t just glorified shag carpets a la the 1970s. They come in an array of colors because they can be dyed, but the natural tones are off-white and grey (the natural colors of lambs’ wool). While you can find cheap imitations at many department stores for less, high-quality authentic Flokati rugs are generally between $1500 and $2000 for a 9’x12’ size rug that is 4000 grams per square meter. The weight and the pile height of a Flokati rug are proportionate – the higher the pile, the heavier the rug. Generally, Flokati rugs are between 1200 and 4000 grams per square meter of wool.