Steeped in tradition yet minimal by design, a handcrafted Beni Ourain rug could bring together an entire room with its rich history and tactile beauty. Each rug is handcrafted in Morocco by the women of the Berber tribe with soft, neutral palettes which make it a perfect addition to any room it graces. If you’ve never heard of these rugs, here’s some of its history and why you may need one of your own.

Beni Ourain rugs were first introduced to modern interior design by a furniture designer who began using them to highlight his pieces, but they’ve been adorning homes in the Atlas mountains for centuries. They were originally made for utilization as sleeping mats, blankets, or furniture coverings but their traditional, timeless beauty is undeniable and they’ve found their way into modern design once again.

Each Berber rug is crafted by brushing and hand-spinning sheep wool onto looms, where the strings are knotted with another by hand to create the tapestry that makes up the rug. The color of each rug base ranges from bright white to a soft cream and typically has a contrasting stripe pattern throughout, usually a dark brown or black. Patterns on Berber rugs can be geometric patterns or plain lines and the color of these is achieved using only natural dyes found in the immediate region they’re made. Each rug and its pattern is individual to the person crafting it so no two rugs are alike, adding to its allure.

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