Beni Ouarain, Mrirt or Kilim: Which Berber Rug Should You Choose?
The name "Berber rug" covers very different pieces, born in distinct regions and traditions. Before choosing a pattern or a colour, it helps to know which family of rug suits your room, its use and your habits. Here are the three main families in our selection.
The Beni Ouarain: generous softness
Originating in the Middle Atlas, the Beni Ouarain is recognisable by its thick wool, long pile and brown or black geometric patterns on a cream background. It is the ultimate cosy rug: you want to walk barefoot on it. It excels in living rooms and bedrooms, where comfort and warmth come first. Its generous pile, however, needs a little more care and is less suited to high-traffic areas or dining rooms.
The Mrirt: dense elegance
Also from the Middle Atlas, the Mrirt shares the Beni Ouarain aesthetic with tighter knotting and a shorter pile. The result: a finer rug with a velvety softness and excellent durability. Often plain or decorated with tone-on-tone patterns, it discreetly dresses contemporary interiors. Its lower pile makes it a good choice for a study, an entrance or under a table.
The Kilim: graphic lightness
The kilim is flat-woven, with no knots and no pile. Lighter and thinner, it rolls up and moves easily, and is very simple to care for. Its geometric patterns, often more colourful, bring a graphic touch to a room. It is the ideal rug for a dining room (chairs slide without catching), a hallway, a kitchen or a holiday home.
In short
- For the comfort and cosiness of a living room or bedroom: the Beni Ouarain.
- For refined softness in a room that sees a lot of life: the Mrirt.
- For a dining room, a hallway or an easy-going touch of colour: the Kilim.
- For an unusual space or precise dimensions: made to measure.
There is no wrong choice, only rugs that suit your way of living more or less well. Nothing stops you from combining them, either: a Beni Ouarain in the living room, a kilim in the hallway, and your home tells one single story.