Berber rugs

A Berber rug is a rug made using the traditional hand-knotting techniques of North Africa’s Berber people, typically in wool, with a dense pile and bold geometric or diamond patterns. Our guide to Berber rugs goes into more detail on their history and how to spot the real thing.

“Berber” covers a few distinct regional styles. Beni Ourain rugs are the best-known — an ivory or cream background with bold black diamond or line motifs, originally woven by tribes in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Mid Atlas Berber rugs favour bolder, more colourful tribal patterns, while Berber Mid Atlas vintage rugs mix traditional patterns with the charm of age and use.

Yes — a well-made wool Berber rug is one of the more hard-wearing rug types you can buy. The wool is naturally stain-resistant and springs back under furniture, so it keeps its shape well even in busy rooms like living rooms and hallways.

Some shedding is normal in the first few weeks of a new wool Berber rug — it’s a natural characteristic of rugs made from wool, and does not affect the rug’s quality, durability or beauty. Regular hoovering with gentle suction, without a rotating brush, and occasional gentle brushing will help remove loose fibres and keep your Berber rug looking its best over time.

Hoover regularly with a recessed brush head, blot spills straight away rather than rubbing them in, and call a professional rug cleaner for anything that’s already staining — scrubbing at wool can push a mark in deeper rather than lift it out. Rotating a Berber rug occasionally also helps it wear evenly.

Rugvista’s range runs from small Berber rugs around 76 x 114 cm up to extra large Berber rugs of 250 x 350 cm, plus long runners for hallways and corridors. A small or medium size suits a bedside spot or reading corner, while a large or extra large piece anchors a living room seating area — our rug size guide has more on matching a size to your room.

Bedrooms and living rooms are the classic fit, since the deep wool pile feels warm and soft underfoot exactly where that matters most. A flatter Berber design also holds up well in a hallway, though it’s worth keeping shoes off it and shaking it out regularly so dirt doesn’t work into the pile