Oval Rugs

Oval rugs: soft lines for angular rooms

An oval rug is the rarest of the common rug shapes, and that is exactly where its appeal lies. Living spaces consist almost entirely of straight lines: walls, doors, cupboards, sofas. An oval breaks up that severity without reordering the room completely the way a round rug does. It keeps a long axis and so continues to follow the direction of the room, while rounding off the corners.

That makes the oval shape a good choice when a room is furnished very rectilinearly and a softer element is missing. It is practical in circulation areas too, because there are no corners to catch on or to curl up over time.

Where an oval rug works particularly well

• Beneath oval and round tables: the rug shape takes up the shape of the table, which reads more calmly than a rectangle under a round top.
• In the bedroom: beside the bed or at the foot end, an oval gives warmth underfoot without repeating the strict line of the bed.
• In hallways and entrance areas: a long oval leads through the space and forgives sloping walls better than a rectangle.
• In reading corners and children's rooms: the soft outline marks a zone without dividing it off harshly.
• In small rooms: because the corners are absent, an oval looks visually lighter than an angular model of the same size.

Choosing the right size

The same ground rules apply to oval rugs as to angular ones, only in relation to the long and the short axis. Beneath a table, the rug should extend about 60 to 70 centimetres past the table edge on all sides, so that the chairs stay on the surface when they are pushed back. In front of a sofa it should be at least as wide as the piece of furniture itself.

Measure the free floor area rather than the whole room. Because the shape narrows towards the ends, an oval looks smaller than a rectangle with the same measurements. When in doubt, go one size up. If no standard size fits, many models can be made to measure.

Oriental or modern

Oval rugs appear in both sides of our range, though in a smaller selection than rectangular formats. Our oval Oriental rugs are hand-knotted individual pieces in which the pattern has been drawn specifically for the curved outline. That is more demanding to knot than a rectangle, and one of the reasons this shape is rarer.

With the oval modern rugs, the shape itself comes first: quiet surfaces, discreet textures, restrained colours. Our Oriental rugs and modern rugs give an overview of the whole range.

Other shapes compared

If you are wavering between shapes: round rugs set the strongest contrast to an angular room and work best where they stand free. Runners are the choice for long, narrow routes. Square rugs suit compact, roughly square floor plans. The oval sits between round and rectangular, and is the compromise when a round rug would be too dominant and an angular one too strict.

Material, pile and care

Most of our oval rugs are made of wool. It is hard-wearing, repels dirt naturally and feels warm. In hand-knotted pieces, cotton forms the foundation that gives the rug stability and lets it lie flat. Low pile is the easier choice to care for in circulation areas, while high pile brings more comfort to rooms that see little traffic.

With oval rugs, pay particular attention to the edge: it is longer than that of a rectangle of the same area, and therefore more heavily worked. Regular vacuuming, lifting stains at once with clean water and turning the rug once a year keep the shape in good order. Professional rug cleaning is worth arranging every few years, depending on how hard the rug is worked.

Advice and showroom in Hamburg

Because oval rugs are rarer, a conversation is especially worthwhile here. Morgenland Rugs is a family business in Hamburg's Speicherstadt. In our rug consultation we work out together whether an oval is the right decision for your floor plan or whether another shape carries it better. If no existing size fits, we can tell you about made-to-measure rugs. In our showroom you can judge the effect of the shape in person, which is hard to convey through a picture where an oval is concerned.

Common questions about oval rugs

Does an oval rug suit an angular room?

Yes, and that is precisely where it works best. It takes the hardness out of rectilinear furnishings without giving up the orientation of the room.

How large should an oval rug be?

Choose it a little larger than a comparable rectangle, because the shape narrows towards the ends and therefore looks smaller.

Why are there so few oval rugs?

The shape is more demanding to produce, because the pattern has to be matched to the curved outline. The selection is therefore smaller than for rectangular formats.

Are oval rugs available in special sizes?

Special sizes are possible on request. Tell us the two axis measurements of your floor area and we will check what is possible.