Rug Culture | Behind The Brand

There really isn’t anything that brings comfort and adds personality to a room like a beautiful rug. Rugs add warmth to a space, they offer a touch of luxury and can either add colour or depth to a room depending on the rug you select. No one knows this more than the team at Rug Culture. Established more than ten years ago, the team at Rug Culture sure do know a thing or two when it comes to rugs (the fact that they have the largest collection of rugs in Australia only confirms this). If you’re looking for a quality, stylish and affordable rug for your home, whether that be for your interior or outdoor space, we’re sure you’ll find what you’re looking for after browsing through their extensive range of rugs. With that in mind, we recently spoke with Andrea, the Marketing Manager from Rug Culture, who shares a bit of background to their company, why they believe mood boards are crucial in the design process and her advice when it comes to choosing and cleaning your rug.

How did Rug Culture and Unitex come to be?

I love the story of how our business came to be. Unitex started out as a Persian Rug boutique in Northbridge, Sydney in 1992 by our Director Ali Nejadiran. As Ali started sourcing rugs for his clients, he realised that there was an opportunity to service the industry with unique handmade rugs, sourced from his homeland in Iran. Soon enough, his children joined the business, and the range grew to also include contemporary collections from all over the world. The company continued to blossom and is now Australia’s leading distributor.

Rug Culture was born 10 years ago and is home to our extensive rug collection which can be purchased via our incredible retail partners. With our family at the helm of our beautiful brand, a lot of love goes into our range planning and new season launches. We’ve been doing rugs for a long time, and we do them well!

What rug trends have you noticed lately?

Curves are definitely in, along with clean neutral tones and warm textures. Shag rugs also seem to be making a bit of a comeback!

Which rug fibre is best for a high-traffic space at home?

Heat set polypropylene is the way to go! It’s a robust fibre, doesn’t shed and cleans easily.

Why do you think mood boards are a crucial step in the design process?

Mood boards allow the user a cohesive insight into a space. They allow the user to create flow, to curate their palette and textures, and ultimately visualize the final outcome of a room before committing to physical pieces of furniture and décor.

“A rug defines and encapsulates a space by adding warmth, texture and ambience”.

– Ali Nejadiran, Director of Rug Culture/Unitex

What is the best way to care for your rugs?

It completely depends on the fibre and manufacturing method, but a general rule is to vacuum gently, and avoid rubbing the pile whilst cleaning. It is also recommended to rotate your rugs to give them even wear over time. Each rug is different, so I would recommend checking the care label on your rug before attempting to clean. 

What would your advice be to someone who isn’t sure about which size rug would work best in their space?

I would start by checking out our Rug Care Essentials guide which provides lots of tips on selecting the right sized rug for your space. My biggest tip is to go larger when it comes to rugs. A larger rug will create a sense of space in any setting whereas a smaller rug will make the room feel smaller.

What do you love to see Style Sourcebook users create with your products?

We love seeing all the creativity the Style Sourcebook community has to offer. It’s interesting to see how varied the styles can be, when the same rug is used in different mood boards.

A photo from Rug Culture's latest showroom in Alexandria, Sydney

“Whether you want to make a statement or create a sense of calm, a rug is the perfect way to express your style. Rugs not only adorn spaces aesthetically, they are also functional, adding warmth, comfort and cosiness.” 

– Ali Nejadiran, Director of Rug Culture/Unitex

A photo from Rug Culture's new Alexandria showroom

What do you love most about having your products available on Style Sourcebook?

We love the fact the Style Sourcebook community has access to our products and can use the platform to help bring their visions to life. 

Are there any exciting projects, ranges or collaborations that Rug Culture/Unitex has recently released or are you currently working on that you’d like to share with our audience?

We’re so excited to have just launched our stunning new showroom in Alexandria, Sydney. This beautiful space has been designed to inspire our design community and showcases our full Rug Culture Collection. We are now taking trade appointments.

In other news, our 2021-2022 Collections are launching in the coming weeks, and we can’t wait to start sharing all the newness! 

You can view all of Rug Culture's products available on Style Sourcebook here.