Persian or Turkish? How to choose

People ask us this every day on the showroom floor, usually while standing between a Persian medallion and a Turkish one, unable to choose. The good news is there's no wrong answer. Both traditions produce rugs that will outlast the room they're bought for. The difference is in the feel, and once you know what to look for, your own eye will tell you which is yours.

Persian rugs: fine, floral, formal

Persian rugs are woven in Iran, the home of the craft. Their signature is the curved line: flowing vines, rounded medallions, and dense floral fields drawn with real delicacy. The finest Persian designs pack an astonishing amount of detail into a small space, so up close they read almost like embroidery.

Choose Persian if you love a traditional, layered look, or if you want a single showpiece rug that anchors a formal lounge or dining room. Our Persian range runs from 700 reeds up to 1500, so you can have that classic look at an accessible price or step up to heirloom density.

Turkish rugs: bolder, softer underfoot

Turkish designs lean on geometry and symmetry. You'll see stronger medallions, clearer borders, and, in the modern ranges, genuinely contemporary patterns: scattered discs, erased florals, even abstract, painterly surfaces. The pile tends to feel soft and full underfoot.

Choose Turkish if you want something a little more relaxed, or a modern design that works in a minimal room. Our transitional Turkish pieces, in greys and silvers, are the easiest rugs in the shop to place because they behave almost like texture rather than pattern.

The rug you keep is the one you'd still choose in ten years, not the one that matched the cushions.

A simple way to decide

• Traditional room, warm colours, want a centrepiece? Lean Persian.
• Modern room, neutral palette, want calm? Lean Turkish.
• Not sure? Bring a photo of the room and the light it gets, and we'll narrow it to two or three.

Whatever you choose, the same rules of quality apply: a denser weave, honest materials, and a design that still pleases you long after the newness wears off. If you'd like to see the two side by side, that's exactly what the showroom is for. Browse the collection to start, or read our guide to reeds and knot density next.