Beni Ourain refers to rugs woven by a tribal group of the Berber peoples. They live nomadicly in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, mainly Morocco.
The wool of these rugs is washed, but not dyed. It's hand-combed, hand-carded and loosely spun, creating a fluffy fibrous yarn.
The weavers then hand knot the rug and trim to a high pile that reminds us of mid-century shag.
High pile exudes an off-white ivory natural look with a bright white overtones. Geometric patterns in wool dyed dark gray to charcoal to black are the trademarks of Beni Ourain rugs. They are fabulous neutrals and have been for at least a century.
Nowadays they make for a great textural contrast in the mid-century modern style, just as they did in the sixties.
