Empress Orient's carpet expert Barbara Buffington shares tips
on buying and caring for the perfect area rug
An area rug can enhance a room in many ways-by adding color, defining furniture arrangements, providing a soft touch underfoot and uniting diverse elements.
According to Barbara Buffington, owner of Empress Orient, importer and distributor of handmade wool-silk and wool carpets from Nepal, homeowners need to consider size, quality and care when purchasing a decorative rug.
Our carpets are much more than home decor pieces. They are lasting family heirlooms that, with proper care, will last for generations, added Buffington. These useable works of art are easily rolled up and transported when you move, and, on a price-per-square-foot basis, offer more versatility and charm than any mass-produced carpet.
Do your research before buying a carpet, she said. With the proper knowledge, you will select a rug that will add elegance and value to your home and provide years of enjoyment.
Buffington's 2 TOP TIPS for selecting the perfect carpet for any room
Determine Size
Size does matter. Too large a rug will dwarf its surroundings, while too small a rug will get lost in the room. Buffington said the carpet should complement the scale and proportion of the room.
Rugs are one of the smartest ways to define space. For example, placing a rug beneath a table and chairs is ideal for creating a smaller space within a larger area. Rugs can also unify the decor within a spacious room, providing transition to a surrounding area.
Most dining room tables, for example, require an 8-foot-wide area rug. To determine what size rug you need, measure the length and width of the table and add at least three to four feet to these measurements. The chair legs shouldn't fall off the rug when people are seated at the table or pulling away the chairs from the table to sit down.
When considering a rug for an entire room, Buffington said you should leave an equal amount of flooring exposed as a border on all sides. If that is not possible, try to ensure the borders on parallel sides of the rug are equal.
For many rooms, an 8- by 11-foot carpet works quite nicely, she added.
Inspect Quality
Today, there are many choices of natural or synthetic fibers. Wool is considered to be the superior fiber because of its dyeability, durability, softness and easy care.
It's important to remember this simple rule of thumb: the higher the knot count, the greater the quality of the rug, Buffington added. The more knots per square inch there are, the longer the rug will last.
The craftsmanship of a carpet is evident in the knot count. For instance, a 3-foot by 5-foot carpet with 80 knots per square inch (172,800 knots per carpet) requires about one month to hand knot and finish while the same size in 100 knots (216,000 knots per carpet) takes 40 to 60 days to complete.
Once a carpet is purchased, regular vacuuming is one of the best ways to care for it, according to Buffington. When vacuuming, pass over each area several times from different directions, and avoid high-powered vacuum attachments that can pull threads away from the backing.
She said spot cleaning could be done with a mild nondetergent liquid, such as NutriClean by NutriMetics, and recommended professional cleaning for larger areas or deep cleaning.
Buffington said spills should be blotted with a clean white cloth as soon as possible, working from the outside edge inward to prevent the spill from spreading.
Additionally, rotate or reposition the rug every six months to avoid repetitive wear and balance any fading from light.
The Magic of Carpets
A trip to Nepal eight years ago inspired Buffington to purchase several carpets and a chance suggestion led to her first carpet imports. The collection has now grown to more than 200 hand-knotted carpets comprising four distinct lines:
I was originally attracted to the unusual designs, the colors and the density, recalled Buffington. Some of the carpets I now handle are up to 100 plus knots per square inch as in the silk-and-wool rugs.
Buffington's Empress Orient has earned the exclusive distributorship of its Designer's Choice line of carpets as well as the silk-wool line from the manufacturer in Nepal for all of Ontario and the western provinces of Canada. The Designer's Choice line boasts geometric designs in vibrant, saturated tones. At 80 knots per square inch in 100% highland Tibetan wool, they are densely knotted, yet soft and durable. The silk-and-wool carpets have a background of wool, while the design, knotted in silk, shimmers in the ever-changing light.
The majority of our carpets have been produced in five small factories owned by one family in Nepal - without ever using child labor, Buffington said. This family has been in the carpet business since 1970, and three generations have been involved with designing and manufacturing all their rugs.
Empress Orient caters to residential homebuyers and specialized commercial projects, including custom orders. One of the business' most enchanting assets is its waterfront location, offering personal service and a relaxed, gracious environment in which to select and purchase carpets.
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Empress Orient is the importer and distributor of handmade wool and silk and wool carpets from Nepal. Catering to both residential sales and specialized commercial projects, including custom orders. Shipping available worldwide. VISA accepted.
