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How to Choose a Colorful Rug by Construction and Room
Start with how the rug is made, because construction decides how it feels and which rooms it suits. The pile rugs and patchwork rugs are usually softer underfoot than the kilims and kilim patchwork, which have no pile. Thickness depends on the type, not on whether there is a pile, so check it on each listing. Goat hair kilims suit hallways and entryways better than bedrooms. The guide below compares the four types, then the rooms each one suits.
Color note. A rug is listed as multicolor when its design has three or more colors, not one or two dominant ones. In patchwork, the color comes from pieces of different rugs sewn side by side. In kilims, it is woven into the stripes and motifs. Recycled kilims get their colors from yarn taken out of older rugs.
Choose by Construction
Patchwork
Older hand-knotted wool rugs are often dyed first, then cut into pieces and stitched together, with fabric on the back covering the seams. The edges are overlocked, with no fringe, and the rugs are about 0.31 in (8 mm) thick. The listed age, 30 to 80 years, refers to the rugs the pieces were cut from. Browse all patchwork rugs.
Kilim patchwork
These are stitched together from pieces of chaput kilims (rag kilims woven from strips of fabric), Anatolian kilims and thin plain-woven textiles, then backed with fabric. There is no pile, and most are 0.35 in (9 mm) thick. The pieces are 30 to 70 years old.
Flatwoven kilims
Flatwoven kilims have no pile, and most are 0.16 to 0.24 in (4 to 6 mm) thick. The group includes Oushak kilims (20 to 30 years old), Moldovan kilims, goat hair kilims and recycled kilims. Two types are thicker. The Herki kilim runners are 0.31 to 0.39 in (8 to 10 mm) thick and 40 to 80 years old. A few recycled kilims woven on a hand loom are 0.59 in (15 mm) thick and were made within the last five years. Browse all kilim rugs.
Hand-knotted pile rugs
These have a wool pile on a cotton foundation. The Oushak rugs here are 10 to 20 years old. The Herki pile runners are 40 to 60 years old and about 0.39 in (10 mm) thick. A group of pile rugs was woven within the last five years; each listing shows that rug's age range.
Where a Colorful Rug Works
Underfoot note. Goat hair is coarse and can prickle bare feet. If a door has to swing over the rug, compare the gap under the door with the thickness on the listing.
Living room
More than half of these rugs are between 6x8 and 8x10, and 7x10 is the most common size, about one in five. Choose a size that lets at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on the rug. For a larger seating group, browse 8x10 rugs.
Dining room
Chairs need about 24 inches of rug beyond the table on every side so they stay on the rug when pulled out. The kilims and kilim patchwork have a flat surface with no pile. Most kilims here are 0.20 to 0.24 in (5 to 6 mm) thick, and most kilim patchwork 0.35 in (9 mm). Our dining room rug guide covers table sizes.
Hallway and entry
Most runners here are Herki kilim runners, woven by women of the nomadic Herki tribe in the Hakkari region of southeastern Turkey. They are flatwoven in wool on a cotton foundation with natural dyes, 40 to 80 years old and about 2'7" to 3'8" (80 to 111 cm) wide. There are also patchwork runners, Herki pile runners and a few Anatolian and recycled kilim runners. Browse all lengths in runner rugs.
Bedroom
For bare feet beside or at the foot of a bed, the pile rugs and patchwork rugs are the more comfortable choice. Keep the goat hair kilims for rooms where shoes are worn. Our bedroom rug size guide shows where to place the rug.
Common Questions About Multicolor Rugs
Are these rugs all wool and hand-knotted?
No. About a third have a hand-knotted wool pile: the pile rugs and the patchwork rugs. The rest are mostly flatwoven kilims and kilim patchwork, with no pile, plus a few hand-loomed Oushak rugs. Most are wool and cotton. The exceptions are goat hair, in the goat hair kilims and some recycled kilims, and hemp, in a few kilims. Each listing gives the material.
How close are the colors to the photos?
Each listing shows that rug, and its color is checked against our stock records when it is photographed. On the pile rugs and patchwork rugs, the pile leans one way, so the same rug can look lighter from one end and darker from the other; some photos show the lighter side. Kilims have no pile, so this doesn't apply to them. Your screen settings and the light in your room can also change how a color looks.
Are any of these rugs new?
Some are. A group of pile rugs, the thick recycled kilims and the hand-loomed Oushak rugs were woven within the last five years. Most of the others are 30 years old or more; on patchwork, the age refers to the pieces. The listed age is not a condition grade, so check each rug's photos for wear.
Is a colorful rug hard to decorate with?
No. A colorful rug usually becomes the focal point of the room and sets its palette, which makes the rest easier to choose. Pick one of the rug's colors and repeat it elsewhere in the room, in a pillow, a throw or a piece of art, to tie the room together.
How should I clean a multicolor rug?
Blot a spill right away with a clean, dry white cloth, without rubbing. Leave all cleaning to a professional rug cleaner, including after a spill; this goes for the kilims and patchwork rugs too. Don't machine-wash or soak a handmade rug at home. Our rug care guide covers vacuuming, sun, moisture and storage.
What if the rug doesn't work in my room?
Contact us within 14 calendar days of delivery and we'll send return instructions. Read the refund policy for the conditions before you order.
Related Rug Collections
For one main color, see red and burgundy rugs, blue rugs or beige and ivory rugs. For every color in one place, browse area rugs.
