Decorating Guides
Textile Textbook: Go Crazy for Kilim
Learn all about one of the trendiest textiles on the market
Kilims are a special class of woven rugs that date to fourth- or fifth-century Persia. Other Middle Eastern and North African countries such as Morocco also weave their own kilim styles. Loomed like a tapestry, the rugs are relatively flat-faced and do not contain a pile — that is, plush raised fibers that feel soft underfoot — which makes them a bit more delicate than other types of rugs. Kilims typically feature stripes intermingled with geometric patterns and come in a wide variety of colors and hues. Today kilims are used not only as floor coverings, but also in upholstery, pillows and fashion items.
Kilims and similar flat-woven textiles such as dhurries can be an affordable alternative to pile rugs because their fabrication is generally faster and easier than, for example, hand-knotted rugs. Machine-made kilims will naturally be less expensive than indigenous handmade varieties, but it can be difficult to differentiate the two just by looking.
Flat-woven rugs tend to slide around easily, so be sure to layer a non-slip rug pad under your kilim to avoid a trip hazard. Without a high pile to hide dirt and debris, kilims may drive neatniks crazy with their tendency to broadcast spots and stains, so if you fall in that camp, consider choosing a saturated and heavily patterned style.
In the hands of a skilled upholsterer, a prized kilim can be repurposed into a striking piece of furniture. These thick woolen textiles make a stiff and durable upholstery fabric, but keep in mind that they’ll be most effectively used on relatively flat, linear surfaces, like a simple ottoman or a chair seat.
In this photo, we see how one aficionado of handicrafts has paired Uzbek suzani pillows with kilim floor cushions. Often, it takes a well-trained eye to discern Persian kilims from the woven wool textiles of native Central, South and North Americans, as they have similar weaves and patterns.
While kilims and their Native American counterparts were traditionally used for applications as diverse as saddle covers and winter bedding, today you’ll see them in Western households as accent pillows and rugs. Beautiful handmade pillows by rural women’s co-ops and international artisans are a great way to bring these goods into your home.
Though the artwork in this home is decidedly Western, the addition of a kilim-covered ottoman hints that a modern-day explorer lives here. Exotic touches like the ottoman and pillows add dynamism to the formal traditionalism of the room and set the tone for late-night storytelling over a snifter of cognac.
This Moroccan-themed nursery exhibits a host of kilim patterns, from the striped pillows to the diamond rug to the seat cushion and throw. Since most kilims traditionally feature the color red, they can easily be mixed for a creative, layered look. The addition of an accent color, all against a white backdrop, amplifies the impact.
Hung as a tapestry-like window covering, the kilim in this photo complements the emerging “Jungalow” style, described by Los Angeles-based designer Justina Blakeney as “creative reuse, personalization, vivid colors, bold patterns and lots and lots of plants.” Jungalow is “tropical and bohemian, very vintage and very cozy. It’s about bringing the eclecticism of nature and the wild indoors.”
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