Q: What is Flokati?
A: Flokati is a unique wool shag rug made exclusively in Greece. It is a traditional product and has been made for over 1500 years. It is hand woven, and immersed in water until the yarn swells and creates the unique flokati shag effect. It is then sun dried.
Q: What is the difference between the flokati and a sheepskin rug?
A: Flokati is made from wool yarn, a sheepskin rug is an actual pelt or skin/hide from a sheep. Please note that all rugs made from animals on our store are after-market products. No animals are killed to make rugs. Flokati is cushiony, but sheepskin is a fur and much softer to the feel.
Q: What about Tibetan Lamb and other wool shag rugs?
A: Tibetan Lamb, is another animal skin rug. It is even softer than sheepskin and very silky. Our other wool shag rugs are made in a similar fashion to traditional flokati. Machine tufted wool shag rugs are still immersed in water to produce the swollen flokati shag effect, but they are made on a machine run loom. Our modern weave is hand made and made in the traditional way except that it has a poly fiber yarn backing for superior stain resistance and durability consistent with our customer's modern active lifestyle.
Q: The color description says it is "off-white" but the photograph looks pure white. How do I tell what the color is?
A: We describe the color absolutely with care to be as accurate as possible as to the actual color of the material. However, lighting and texture has a big influence on how that color is perceived by the viewer. We cannot of course account for differences in your computers graphics display and monitor settings, so it is important to consider the written description of the color as being accurate. Pleae note that all our photographs are taken in daylight balanced conditions. In those same conditions, the item should have the same appearance in your home. However, afternoon sunlight is reddish, incandescent lights are reddish, flourescent lights are greenish. This will have an effect on the appearance of any rug. Shag material is soft, and not reflective. Light also casts shadows on shag material in a random way. So this is very important to consider when making your choice. Soft goods and shag materials are very light sensitive.
Q: I want something soft but I don't want an animal product in my home, especially a real hide.
A: We recommend our extensive line of faux fur rugs, which are entirely synthetic, hypoallergenic, machine washable and whle they are extremely soft and luxurious contain no animal products whatsoever.
Q: Where do your cowhides come from, and how do I know if what I'm buying is good quality?
A: All our hides are chromium tanned from Brazil. These are recognized the world over as being the best cowhides available. These are soft, pliable, do not shed and will last a lifetime with proper care. There are a lot of hides on the market from other areas, including Mexico. Please remember that the quality of the tanning is not apparent when the hide is new, but it will have a profound effect on it's longevity and appearance over time.
Q: I want a special custom rug. What can I look at for that purpose?
A: We offer custom Flokati in all weights, colors and any size. We also can make custom sheepskin rugs and Tibetan Lamb's wool rugs. In addition, we have Area Rug Collections which feature Runners which can be ordered by custom length.
Q: What is the difference in these 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 kilo flokati rugs? What does this mean?
A: Flokati rugs are typically marketed by indicated the weight in wool per square meter. In practical terms, it simply means more or less material in the same area. This influences the thickness of the rug, and also the density of the pile. A 4.0 kilo flokati has twice as much material as a 2.0 kilo flokati, so it is thicker, the yarn is thicker, and it is denser with the pile tending to be more upright.
Q: How do I decide what weight to choose?
A: Budget is the first consideration. If budget is not a consideration, then look and use vary between these weights. A 4.0 kilo rug is very ostentiatios and will generally be a decor item on in it's own right. It's a bit high to put much furniture on, and will not fit under a door if it has to be opened over the rug. A 2.0 kilo rug is still very nice, but it is more practical to put furniture over and generally a door will open over it.
Q: What about color in Flokati? What do you recommend?
A: Please remember that a high quality flokati rug can last 25 years or more with moderate traffic. It will most likely outlast your decor several times over, so be sure the color is something you will be happy with for a very long time. We always recommend the natural white as it is very neutral and goes with anything, unless there is a real pressing need for a particular color.
Q: I want to try and match the color of my rug with my couch? Can you send samples?
A: We do have samples of flokati and depending on availability of other materials as well. However, please note that flokati is a soft good. The nature of the shag is that light and shadow play unevenly across the surface. Even if it is exactly the same dye standard color as your couch, it will not look the same. It is not reflective, and is very light sensitive. We never recommend trying to match colors.