Luxury Wool Rug Guide for Boho Interiors

1. How our rugs are made

Our current launch collection is hand tufted. A cotton canvas is stretched taut on a vertical frame, the design is drawn onto it by hand in chalk, and an artisan works a hand-held tufting gun through the canvas from behind, punching loops of wool through one colour at a time.

Once the field is filled, the reverse is coated with a latex seal to lock every tuft in place, and a cotton backing cloth is glued and stitched over it. The face is then carved with hand shears — this is where the pattern gains relief and definition — washed, sun-dried, and finished with a hand-bound edge.

Hand tufted vs. hand knotted vs. machine made

Hand tufted is worked by hand with a tufting gun. Denser and plusher underfoot than a machine rug, far faster to make than a knotted rug, and the reason a hand-made wool rug can be affordable at all.

Hand knotted ties each knot individually onto a warp — months of work, no latex, and several times the price.

Machine made is woven on a power loom, usually in synthetic fibre. Cheap, uniform, and flat by comparison.

2. Why New Zealand wool

Our current wool pieces use 100% New Zealand wool in the pile. It costs meaningfully more than local or blended wool, and here is what that buys:

Whiteness. NZ wool is naturally very pale, so dyes land clean and true. Pastels in particular are almost impossible to achieve on a yellower fleece.
Resilience. A high crimp in the fibre means the pile springs back instead of matting down under a coffee table leg.
Low shed after settling. Longer staple length means fewer loose fibre ends once the initial settling period is over.
Natural soil resistance. Wool's lanolin makes dry soil sit on the surface rather than bond to the fibre, so vacuuming actually works.
It is naturally flame resistant and biodegradable at end of life.

3. Choosing a shape

Shape does more work than pattern in a room. Use it deliberately.

Shape	What it does	Best in	Avoid when
Rectangle	Reinforces the architecture. Reads as calm and resolved.	Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, hallways — anywhere with a strong furniture axis.	The room is already very boxy and needs softening.
Round	Breaks up hard lines and pulls the eye to a centre point.	Under a round table, in a reading nook, in square rooms, in entryways.	You need to cover a large rectangular seating zone — a round rug will leave awkward corners.
Organic / abstract	Acts as a sculptural object rather than a floor covering.	Layered over a larger neutral rug, beside a bed, in a corner you want people to notice.	It is the only rug in a formal, symmetrical room — it will read as an accident.

You can filter our entire catalogue by shape from any collection page — the shape filters sit alongside the collection filters, so round, rectangle and organic are always one click away.

4. Placement, room by room

Living room

The single most common mistake is a rug that is too small. The rug should sit under the furniture, not float in front of it.

Best practice: all legs of the sofa and chairs on the rug, with 45–60 cm of rug visible beyond the furniture.
Workable: front legs only on the rug. This is the standard compromise in Indian and European apartment living rooms and it looks deliberate, not cheap.
Wrong: a small rug centred under the coffee table with all furniture off it. It shrinks the room.
Leave 30–45 cm of bare floor between the rug edge and the wall so the room still breathes.

Bedroom

Run the rug under the lower two-thirds of the bed so it extends 60–75 cm past each side — that is where your feet land.
In smaller rooms, two runners flanking the bed work better than one undersized rug.
A round or organic rug on one side of the bed, near a chair, softens a very rectangular room.

Dining room

The rug must extend at least 60 cm beyond the table on all sides so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out.
Match the rug shape to the table shape: round rug under a round table, rectangle under a rectangle.
Choose a shorter, denser pile here. Long pile and dining chairs do not get along.

Entryway, balcony and terrace

Small rectangles and rounds both work. Keep the pile short so the door clears it.
On a covered balcony or terrace, a wool rug is fine — but bring it in during monsoon or heavy weather. Wool holds damp, and damp plus a latex backing is a bad combination.

5. Layering & styling

Layering is the fastest way to make a room look considered rather than furnished.

Put a large neutral base underneath — jute, sisal or a flatweave — and set a smaller patterned wool rug on top at an angle.
Keep a clear hierarchy: one piece is the pattern, the other is the texture. Two patterns fight.
Our organic shapes were designed for exactly this — they read as objects on top of a base rather than as a second floor covering.
Echo one colour from the rug somewhere else in the room — a cushion, a ceramic, a throw — and the whole scheme locks together.
Boho styling that actually works with our palette: a woven pouf, one large trailing plant, macramé or a wall rug above, natural cane or rattan, and unbleached linen. Restraint is what keeps it from tipping into clutter.

6. Displaying a wall rug

Wall rugs are textile art, designed for display rather than foot traffic. The safest hanging method depends on the finished piece’s shape, backing and weight, so we confirm the suitable approach for each order before dispatch.

Choose a dry indoor wall away from prolonged direct sunlight and moisture.
Wait for the installation guidance supplied with your piece before drilling; wall construction and finished weight determine the right fittings.
Support the piece evenly and never suspend it from the pile or fringe.
Position the centre of the piece at roughly eye level — about 150 cm from the floor. Above a sofa or console, leave 20–25 cm of clear wall between the furniture top and the rug bottom.
For larger pieces or uncertain wall construction, use an experienced art or textile installer.

7. Living with mirror rugs

A mirror rug is a bevelled mirror set into a hand-tufted wool frame — a wall piece, and our most labour-intensive category.

Use the installation method confirmed for the finished weight and your wall; professional installation is recommended for this glass-and-textile piece.
Never lie one face-down on a hard floor. Rest it on the wool face, on a soft surface, if you must set it down.
Clean the glass with a barely-damp microfibre cloth. Never spray glass cleaner — it will wick into the wool bezel and stain it.
Position it where it reflects something worth reflecting: a window, a plant, a lamp. A mirror facing a blank wall is wasted.

8. Spiritual living pieces

Our Spiritual Living range is wall-focused textile art created to bring symbolism and a contemplative focal point to an interior.

Choose 2×3 ft for a quiet corner or compact wall, and 2.5×4 ft for a stronger feature-wall presence.
Keep a safe distance from candles, incense, moisture and prolonged sunlight.
Support the piece evenly; never hang it from carved pile or fringe.
Follow the installation guidance confirmed for the individual design, backing and finished weight.

9. Rug pads

Use one. It is the cheapest thing you can do to extend the life of the rug.

Stops the rug creeping and rucking underfoot.
Cushions the pile against compression, which roughly doubles its working life.
Allows air to move underneath, so no damp gets trapped against the backing.
Cut the pad 2–3 cm smaller than the rug on every side so it never peeks out.
On hardwood, choose natural rubber or felt-and-rubber. Avoid cheap PVC mesh — it can react with a floor finish and leave marks.

10. Care in brief

Vacuum weekly, beater bar off or on the lowest setting.
Expect light shedding for four to eight weeks. It stops.
Blot spills immediately, from the outside in. Never rub.
Never soak a hand-tufted rug — the backing is latex-sealed.
Rotate 180° every six months.
Keep out of prolonged direct sun.
Professional dry clean only.

Read the full Care & Maintenance guide →

11. Ordering custom

Every design in the catalogue can be made to any dimension and, within reason, any shape. Custom work is quoted per square foot and adds one to two weeks.

Measure the space and note the two dimensions that matter most — usually the seating zone or the walkway clearance.
Photograph the room. It genuinely helps us advise on proportion.
Send both to us on WhatsApp or at craftaraliving@gmail.com.
We come back with a recommended size, a price, and a lead time.
On approval we start the frame and send you progress photographs.

Request a custom quote Rug size guide