Lusting after: Beni Ourain rugs

I am currently green eyed for Beni Ourain rugs, and I think one would be just perfect in my new kitchen/diner/sitting area. They have been used by designers for years, but recently they have been popping up in magazines, design blogs, and in the in the homes of the cool and chic more and more often. You would be forgiven for thinking that they are a modern creation, with their contemporary dichromatic colours, abstract patterns and robust creation. But they are in fact hundreds of years old.

In the deepest depths of the Atlas mountains of Morocco,  the Beni Ourain tribe used the skills passed down from their grandfathers, and their grandfathers’ grandfathers to create rugs from the thick, long and curly wool of the Berber sheep to keep warm and protect themselves from the harsh elements.

Today, they are used more to keep our feet warm, and to look delicious in our homes.

Images from: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

If you would like to get your hands on one, you can import them from Morocco, take a look on eBay or if you can’t stretch to the pricey tag you will expect to find on a original Beni, then Loaf, John Lewis, and Pottery Barn have created their own versions of an affordable Beni Ourain rug.

I can’t wait till my building work is finished and I can get a Beni in my life!