About Moroccan Rugs

Moroccan rugs are made using techniques passed down from mother to daughter for generations, long before they were ever written down. Two main methods define most of our collection: hand-knotted pile weaving and flat weaving.

In pile weaving, wool is knotted by hand, row after row, directly onto the vertical warp threads. Each knot is tied and cut individually, which is why a single rug can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete, depending on its size and knot density. This technique produces the thick, plush pile associated with Beni Ourain and Middle Atlas rugs.

Flat-woven rugs, or kilims, are made by interlacing the weft thread directly through the warp without knots, creating a thinner, reversible textile often decorated with bold geometric patterns.

Color is just as much a part of the craft as the knot itself. Traditionally, wool was dyed using natural pigments drawn from the surrounding landscape — henna and pomegranate skin for warm reds and oranges, indigo for deep blues, walnut husks and bark for browns, saffron for yellow. The wool is washed, hand-spun, then dyed in large pots before it ever touches the loom, and left to dry in the sun, a step that gives natural dyes their soft, slightly uneven character. Many weavers still choose their palette this way today, while others work with quality synthetic dyes to achieve brighter, more consistent tones without changing the handmade process itself.

Moroccan rug trends have shifted many times over the decades, moving between regions, colors and markets as taste and demand evolved. Long favored in local households and by early collectors, rugs from the Middle Atlas and Rabat gradually gave way to the vividly colored weaves of Taznakht and the Glaoui region, driven first by a taste for the exotic, then by tourism and export trade through the 1970s and 80s.

A quieter period in the mid-1990s, shaped by industrial competition and changing tastes, was followed by a striking shift toward the Beni Ourain rug in the 2000s — its neutral palette and minimal pattern aligning perfectly with the era's modern, minimalist interiors. The 2010s widened the spotlight to Mrirt, Azilal and Boujad rugs, fueled by social media and the growing popularity of Scandinavian-inspired decor.

Today, the market values authenticity as much as aesthetics. Vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces, bold Mrirt-style designs and a renewed appreciation for color reflect a broader shift toward storytelling, individuality and made-to-order pieces — exactly the spirit behind every rug in the Dlala collection.