We live in a world which needs more and more fast, economic and durable solutions to all our problems. History has showed us that we are capable of reinventing ourselves for the sake of comfort and speed, yet a the same time we still need to feed our spirit and thought to satisfy our vision and our touch sense. We need ergonomic houses which consume less but please more and yet we still want that personal warm and the feeling of belonging when we come home from a hard day's work. For all of those reasons, the modern man invented the Karastan Oriental rug, which is the magic balance between the technology of the 20th century and the traditional craftsmanship of the Oriental rug weavers.



The first Karastan Oriental rug was 'born' in 1928, on April the 8th at 2:02 a.m. It was the beginning of brand of carpets and rugs which literally last forever. When the Marshall Field's company invented, after 7 years of working, the first powered loom that could really imitate the hands of a seasoned master weaver they probably didn't realize that they had worked a miracle. In a few years the whole system was perfected to the most insignificant detail. The loom could weave or tuft the carpet, the materials used were impeccable (New Zealand wool, silk etc.), skein-dyed yarns - it was fast, more accessible and of extremely high quality.

To prove that their carpets could rival any hand-made rug, they tested a large piece of Karastan Oriental rug at the World's Fair in Chicago in the 1930's. Instead of showing it as an exhibit, they asked the people to come and literally walk on it as much as they wished, and whenr the carpet was filthy with stains and footprints, they started to clean half of it. The result was astonishing, the difference was clear - there was a vivid contrast between the brand-new-looking half and the other which was horribly stained. Since then they have been assigned the title of "The wonder company of America", understandably, of course. The test was repeated a few years later, this time 9 million people walked on a Karastan Oriental rug and history repeated itself; it will surely keep repeating it, because Karastan seems to reinvent itself periodically.

Karastan has passed from the first, axminster loom, to other, more sophisticated and more efficient looms, it has also improved the material used, the techniques and the pattern. Nowadays there are considerable collections of Karastan Oriental rugs which will meet even the highest expectations, the most exigent tastes and the most strict artistic requirements.

Diversity is the key to success and Karastan Oriental rugs are available in a wide range of designs, in rich colors, pale or bright, with elegant contrast and gracefully shaped patterns. They are warranted for 20 years for manufacturing defects and with proper care they moths and insects will never touch them. Most certainly, a Karastan Oriental rug is the much-needed detail for the house of the 21st century man.