Have you ever wondered how we find and choose our gorgeous rugs here at Trader Trove? Well... we've written a little blog that covers everything! At TT we generally have a selection of Beni Mguilds, Beni Ourains, Kilims, Oushak rugs, & Boucherittes, also known as rag rugs! So we thought we'd give you a little insight as to what the difference is between each kind of rug and more!
"Knowing the origin and story behind the items we choose to wear and fill our homes with adds another level of connection and appreciation." 
In the beginning Avalon (founder of TT) reached out to a few different suppliers in the regions of Turkey & Morocco. "I've visited both of these countries through my travels and knew the feeling I had when I was there and wanted to bring that dreamy feeling of adventure, culture, and curiosity to the space." After taking a few risks and trying a few different suppliers. "I now use one main supplier in Morocco who knows my taste. Their team work directly with the Atlas tribes and other women in and near Marrakech. Producing beautiful new rugs and sourcing rare and vintage one offs."
When procuring these textile gems, "I operate most of the time from a 'feeling' I see the photos and immediately know which ones will fit, as each piece stirs something inside of me. (I'm not always on point though ha ha)".
Beni M'Guild Rugs: For the Berber of the Beni tribes who made them, they were more functional in winter months serving as one of the main forms of warmth and insulation in their homes. The Beni M'guild region in the western Middle Atlas of Morocco can be quite harsh in the winters months. Woven by the women on a vertical loom they tend to have simple geometric designs running down or across the carpet with a background of red, brown, white or sometimes blue.
Beni Ourain Rugs: The neutral tones and elegant, stripped-down geometry of Beni Ourain rugs makes them one of the most loved. There are endless contemporary spinoffs of the style made known by the Beni Ourain, a network of nearly two-dozen individual tribes in the Middle Atlas region. “Woven from undyed, natural wool, the field is largely cream and the decoration is picked out in delicate lines of a henna-like brown,” F.J. Hakimiansays of the stylish textiles, whose darker-toned lines are traditionally woven with undyed wool from black sheep.
Turkish Kilim Rugs: Kilim, a word of Turkish origin, denotes a flatwoven and pileless textile, whose many variations share a common heritage and are practiced all across Turkey, the Balkans and throughout the Arab world. Because the resulting weave is lightweight, these rugs are well adapted for use in the hot summer months and are happily embraced by Moroccan tribal weavers.
Oushak Rugs: Ushak (Oushak) are known for the silky, luminous wool they work with. The dyes tend towards: cinnamons, terracotta tints, gold, blues, greens, ivory, saffron and grays. Antique Oushak carpets tend to be coarsely woven on a wool foundation with a wool pile, and are distinctive in both pattern and color palette. The designs of Oushak rugs and carpets are typically based on geometric motives with central medallion drawings, smaller all-over medallions or scattered sprays of vine scroll and palmettes. They are also famed for the grand, monumental scale of designs. Today, Oushak rugs are highly desirable and decorative for elegant room settings.
Boucherite: Who would guess such a fun-looking carpet was the result of serious social and economic changes? Boucherouite (from the Arabic bu sherwit, meaning “a piece torn from pre-used clothing”) emerged along with the transition from nomadic herding to modern forms of employment, which has made wool harder to come by. Initiated in the Central Plains by the Beni Mellal and Boujad, eventually this practice gained acceptance by even the most remote tribes in the Middle and High Atlas regions.
"I believe the energy of a space and how you feel when you are part of it is equally as important as how it looks to the eye. Creation is human expression and the rugs we stock in Trader Trove are the epitome of this process and truly are works of art."
Click HERE to see our latest rug collection.
Information sourced via "A comprehensive guide to Moroccan and Turkish Rugs" by Megan Cipollini, Semikah Textiles Blog and our very own Avalon Baben founder of Trader Trove.
In the beginning Avalon (founder of TT) reached out to a few different suppliers in the regions of Turkey & Morocco. "I've visited both of these countries through my travels and knew the feeling I had when I was there and wanted to bring that dreamy feeling of adventure, culture, and curiosity to the space." After taking a few risks and trying a few different suppliers. "I now use one main supplier in Morocco who knows my taste. Their team work directly with the Atlas tribes and other women in and near Marrakech. Producing beautiful new rugs and sourcing rare and vintage one offs."
