How to Pick Your Dream Moroccan Rug

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: Picking a Moroccan rug is like picking a piece of art. When your heart makes a flip, you know you’re picking the right one! 🙂

wool rug from Baba Souk

More Than Floor Covering

I’ve had tons of discussions with clients only to realize picking a Moroccan rug is not like picking another rug. The size might be a bit off from the exact size you wanted, but that’s not the point. You’re buying art, and the extra inch won’t change anything. Moroccan rugs are bought with the heart.

Moroccan rug modern design by Baba Souk

Embracing Imperfections

The rug is not perfectly straight? That’s why it looks handmade and has character. When buying your first Moroccan rug online, I totally get it could be daunting, and I’m here to help! My favorite sport is helping you pick the rug of your dreams. But if you had a major crush on a rug and keep coming back to look at the pictures EVERY DAY, then you can be 100% sure it’s the one 🙂 Don’t overthink it because you know what’s going to happen right? It’s going to sell out, and your heart will be crushed. I hate that!

Cotton vs. Wool: Decoding the Textiles

A question I get often is: what is the difference between cotton rugs and wool rugs? If you’re not familiar with textiles and fibres, it can be hard to tell in the pictures.

Moroccan rug cotton colourful kids pink baba souk

Cotton is fun!

Cotton rugs are made out of recycled cotton swatches. They are leftover fabrics from clothing factories (what a cool way to recycle fast fashion waste right?) They feel like thousands of small pieces of t-shirt fabric. The hand feel is quirky and fun to walk on. Kids love to walk on them, and babies are amazed by the myriad of colors and textures. While I can’t say they are soft, they are not harsh either. They are super heavy (about 8kg for a 5×7′! So they feel thick and deluxe, they won’t slip either. The best word to describe the hand feel is: fun! Read more tips and care instructions, right here.

colourful cotton rugs, kids bedroom, baba souk

Luxurious Wool

Moroccan wool rugs are a completely different story! The hand feel is soft and cozy. They are without any doubt the comfiest thing you’ll ever step on. Sumptuous and thick, they really feel deluxe! If you’re trying to give a cozy, warm, and comfortable feel to a space, this is it; you need a Moroccan wool rug!

beni ourain rug, white wool, black dots, baba souk

Choosing Joy Over Practicality

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is you don’t buy a Moroccan rug for its practicality, you pick it because you’re in love with it and it brings you joy! I’ve had clients picking the safer choice only to be disappointed about why they didn’t go with the colorful option they loved so much.

We can help you pick 🙂

That being said, I know it sometimes can be so hard to pick, especially if you’re in love with 5 rugs! I know, haha! I’m always here to help over email. Just send me a picture of your room and a list of your favourite rugs; I’d be happy to give you some guidance.

Visit Us!

If you prefer real-life shopping you can also visit us! We have a showroom located in Montreal in the HOMA district. We are open to the public every Saturday, and you can also book an appointment any day of the week, just email us to schedule it. You can click right here for our warehouse address.

Additional Resources

Read this room-by-room rug guide to figure out which rug goes better in each room of your home. Are you wondering how to care for your Moroccan rugs? Explore our tips and tricks right here.

pink wool carpet, baba souk

Customization Options

You’re in love with one of our rugs, but you need a larger or smaller size? We might be able to make a custom rug just for you! We work directly with a team of artisans in Morocco, and we create many custom rugs for our clients. Get in touch with your special request, and we’ll do our best to make your dream rug happen!

Why I love Moroccan rugs so much

If you’ve made it through here, you know I think Moroccan rugs are artworks. I love art, and I love color. They bring joy and inspiration into our home. I love homes that spark smiles and have personalities. But, moreover, I adore their quality. They are durable and made to last a lifetime. I’m very sick of the throwaway culture, and I feel it’s very worth it to invest in a piece that will stay beautiful for years to come. Both for our wallet and also for our planet!

Stories Behind Baba Souk

If you’re curious and wondering why I, a Canadian woman, am selling Moroccan rugs, click here to read a bit more about my love story with Morocco and its handmade artisanal products.

Much love,
Steph

PS: Follow us on Instagram for more inspiration!

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Finding the Perfect Moroccan Rugs – Room by room guide

Hey hi, I’m Stephanie, Baba Souk’s founder 🙂 Over the years, I’ve been testing Moroccan rugs everywhere around my home and the homes of many clients and friends, I’ve learned A lot! I’d like to share what type of Moroccan rugs work best for different spaces around the home.

Moroccan Rugs for Nurseries and Kids’ Bedrooms:

a Baba Souk rug in the kids bedroom
This is the most fun place to have Moroccan rugs. My absolute favourites for kids’ bedrooms are our cotton carpets! First of all, they have joyful colors and patterns that are just perfect for kids’ decor. The thing that I really love is that they are super versatile. So they’ll be adorable in the nursery but will continue to work as your kid’s decor changes over the years!

moroccan rugs fro the kids bedroom by Baba Souk

Another thing is that they are easily washable. Juice spill? Just spray on some Shout spray or OxiClean, and you should be good! If you have a big laundry machine at home, you can wash it with cold water and hang it to dry, or my favorite, wash it in your backyard with the hose or, even better, a pressure machine, it works very well. I own one that I’ve probably washed 30 times by now. It still looks great. They are really made to last. Have a look at this page for all our tips and tricks on how to care for your cotton rugs.

small Moroccan rugs for kids

This is an example on how you can use a small 2’x4′ cotton rug right beside a crib or a transition bed like this cute cat bed.

The only other rug that I really think is perfect for a nursery is our famous Funfetti rug. Yes, it’s a little less easy to maintain, but I mean, HOW CUTE?

wool rug with colorful dots from Baba Souk

Living Room Rug Recommendations
This room is a little trickier because let’s be real – it depends on whether you have Little tornadoes and furry friends – or not!

If you are two grown-ups, I would not hesitate to recommend a Beni Ourain rug. The comfort is unmatched. They are perfect for low-traffic living room and could not be prettier or cozier. Every time I’ve added a Beni Ourain rug to a space, it instantly made it cozy and warm. So I highly recommend it if this is what you’re looking for.

Moroccan Rugs, 4 Sizes Available – White wool & Black Dots

On the other hand, if you have a messy family like mine or a dog with dark hair, I prefer to be honest with you; you might want to avoid a white rug! Over the years, I found that our colorful wool rugs are very good with busy families. They still have that coziness, but the colors make them easier to maintain.

colorful Moroccan rugs from Baba Souk

Master’s Bedroom Top 3 Rug Picks:
#1 The Marigold Rug: I personally have a Marigold rug in my bedroom (Yes, my husband loves it too!) My toddler loves it even more; it’s super cozy to sit on, and he loves to read books right on it. I love the look and the soft feeling under my feet. I’ve paired it with soft pink bedding, golden yellow bedding, and lilac bedding – They all look good.

#2 Classic Dots: A super fun twist on the classic Beni Ourain rugs, this wool rug is luxurious, cozy, and it has something sassy about it! It would turn any boring bedroom into a very fun cozy atmosphere. The great thing is that it could be paired with almost any bedding, so you can keep the rug and switch up the bedding for a fresh look.

white wool rug and black dots from Baba Souk

#3 Checkers: If you prefer cotton, I highly recommend the pink checkered cotton rug. It can be made in the size you need. The look is super cool. Your husband doesn’t like pink? Don’t worry, we can have it made especially for you in almost any color. Send us an email to discuss colors; we’d be happy to make the rug of your dreams come to life 🙂

The Best Kitchen Runner
I’ve tested a bunch of rugs in my kitchen. While the cotton rugs work well, the easiest to care for are our Baba Souk machine-washable kitchen runners. What a revelation! We really couldn’t find cool kitchen runners that were durable, water-absorbent, easy to care for, and fun! So we had to create our own design. We adore it, and we’ve been getting the best reviews from our clients. I own one in my kitchen, and I have two young boys; they are messy little people, and I think I must have washed my runner 100 times! It’s in perfect shape. I’m amazed every time I wash it; I can’t believe how good it looks after 1 year of very busy family life.

kitchen runner rug, machine washable from from baba souk

kitchen runner rug, machine washable from from baba souk

If you don’t like pink, don’t worry; we plan on adding other color combos soon.

Our Famous Baba Souk Bath Mat
We wanted to create a very cute, machine-washable, water-absorbent, and easy-to-care-for bath mat. After lots of sketching and testing, we decided to have our own Baba Souk design made in India in a small Fairtrade factory where they can easily duplicate the bath mat and keep the price reasonable. We are planning to create more bath mat designs, but this one has been popular from day 1.

bath mat from baba souk

It is very cute, and the colors are soft and fun; it goes well with all sorts of bathroom decor. It hasn’t lost its popularity; we sometimes struggle to have enough inventory, so if you want it and it’s in stock, grab it!

If you have any questions about ordering a rug from our website, please visit our FAQ page or don’t hesitate to email us for personalized assistance; we’d love to help and give you advice and recommendations; it’s our jam 🙂

If you need styling and home decor inspiration, visit our Instagram.

-Stephanie

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Moroccan Rugs: A Love Story

I’ve been obsessed with Moroccan rugs since my first visit to Marrakech back in 2011! My husband was born and raised in Marrakech; I was just visiting his family for the first time and just fell in love with everything handmade! I wanted to bring back so many things for myself and then realized he knew many artisans. That’s when the idea sparked. I created Baba Souk in 2012 with a mission to offer the most exquisite rugs and home decor accessories, aiming to turn your home into a colorful place of joy and happiness, one rug at a time!

Sorting through Piles of Rugs

I love to go through piles and piles of rugs and handpick the most amazing ones. I’ve always been the type of girl who finds the best dress at Winners or the coolest piece of vintage clothing. What can I say? I love to find gems! Now, after more than 10 years in this business, we’ve also developed great relationships with artisans. This enables us to create our own Moroccan rug designs. As a former clothing designer, this is my jam, and I’m having fun with the process, despite all the obstacles and challenges that come with creating and crafting our own rug collection.

Durability Meets Sustainability

I love Moroccan rugs for so many reasons, but one of the main reasons is their durability. I’m very sick & tired of our throw-away culture, I’m done with cheap stuff that stays nice for only a couple of months! It’s irritating and it’s very bad for our planet. Yes, buying an expensive rug can be daunting, but when it’s gorgeous and you know it will last for at least a decade, you know it’s the right choice, especially for our planet.

My Personal Faves – Moroccan cotton rugs

colourful morrocan rugs

Did you know our cotton rugs are made of leftover fabric scraps from clothing factories? Yes, you’ve read correctly, there are tons of fast-fashion clothing factories in Casablanca, and the fabric scraps from factories are recycled into rugs! This always blows my mind! Each little piece of cotton fabric is hand-knotted to the weft of the carpet creating colorful patterns and the most fun texture. Babies and kids are usually mesmerized by our cotton rugs and love to step on them!

As a designer, I love to use them in kid’s bedrooms. The cool part is they’re very versatile! They will adapt to your kid’s decor for many years to come. They’ll look super cute near a crib, then switch up the decor and make it work for bigger kid decor, a teenager, and yes, even an adult! Their versatility is remarkable.

moroccan rugs cotton baba souk

Our cotton rugs are easy to care for; you can wash them in the machine or with a water pressure machine in your backyard using cold water and laundry soap. Learn all about our best tips for taking care of your rug right here.

Classic Wool Rugs – Timeless Comfort

Our Beni Ourain rugs are what we love to call our classic rugs. They’re super cozy, 100% wool rugs that will never go out of style. Characterized by white wool and black lines or diamonds, I’m sure you’ve seen them before. The sad part is that they have been knocked off by all the big retailers. But it’s easy to tell when it’s not the real thing. Moroccan rugs are hard to duplicate because they are 100% handmade. A machine-manufactured rug is just too straight, too white, too shiny, and has so much less appeal. Our handmade Moroccan rugs are the coziest thing you’ll ever step on. Super thick and hand-knotted with luxurious wool, they are definitely superb.

moroccan rugs wool beni ourain

Top Choice for Architects and Designers

Known to be architects’ and designers’ top choice, these minimalist rugs are made to last a lifetime. I love to use these classic rugs in the bedroom as they bring so much coziness to a space. They’ll make your room feel warm and inviting while keeping your toes happy when you hit the ground first thing in the morning.

Dotted Wool Rugs – A Fun Take on the Classic

The dotted wool rugs are a fun take on this classic. They have a feminine edge that makes them super-designed with a touch of sassy! We love to use the dotted rugs in the living room; they will jazz up any decor. They’re also beautiful in a bedroom. The Funfetti rug is a rug we created with baby nurseries in mind. They are EXTRA cute!

Moroccan Wool Rugs, beni ourain rug with black dots

beni ourain rug with colourful dots

Colorful Wool Rugs – Art in Every Yarn

Our colorful handmade wool rugs are considered pieces of art. The beauty of their color gradient is hard to explain with words! As much as we try to take the best picture we can, they are so much more amazing in real life! Each and every rug is absolutely unique. If you fall in love with these one-of-a-kind rugs, grab it! I’ve had so many disappointed clients who have been eyeing the rug and imagining it in their homes. Then when they’re finally ready to grab it, it’s gone! I know how disappointing it can be. These gradient beauties are impossible to replicate and add an artistic touch to your home. However, they sell out fast, so don’t hesitate if you find one you love.

 

moroccan rugs colourful wool baba souk

Customizing Your Moroccan Rug

We make lots of custom rugs for our clients. Sometimes clients fall in love with a particular rug and can’t find the size they need. Or they’ve had their eye on a rug, and now it’s sold out! Their heart sinks, and they want this exact rug (I’ve told you to grab it fast! haha). We also work with designers who are looking to create a unique rug or need to incorporate a special color in the design. We love to create the rug of your dreams! If you’re interested in creating a custom rug, please email us and provide some details about the rug you’re considering and the size you require. We’ll get back to you with feasibility, pricing, and lead time.

Introducing Baba Souk Rugs

After years of attempting to replicate our own rugs through Moroccan artisans, I realized that the artisans face significant challenges in the manufacturing process due to their lack of proper equipment. Their work is 100% handmade and purely improvised and artisanal. We finally decided to start making our own designs of machine-washable bath mats and machine-washable kitchen runners in India. It turned out to be a beautiful compromise. It’s still a fair trade product as we work with a small manufacturer and make sure to pay them fairly, and treat them with respect and kindness. We still care a lot about the product quality and aim for durability. I personally test the rugs at home with my kids, wash them a ton of times and make sure they’re robust!

Runner rugs kitchen, machine washable Baba Souk

bathroom rugs absorbant bath mat

 

How to Choose Your Moroccan Rug

Selecting the right Moroccan rug is an emotional experience. Let your heart guide you; when a rug sparks joy and captures your emotions, it’s the one. These rugs represent investments in joy and conversation starters that people will cherish for years to come. I personally also love to recommend clients! Send us an email with a picture of your space; I’d love to recommend the best rug options for your decor.

FAQS

For common questions regarding ordering a rug on Baba Souk’s website, please visit our FAQ section. Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have; we love to help!

Rug Care Instructions

For all our best tips on taking care of your rug, visit this page.

Join the Fun!

For inspiration on styling Baba Souk rugs in your home, visit our Instagram page. We also love it when clients send us pictures of their beautiful homes!

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Marrakech Travel Guide – By Baba Souk

Finally, an updated Marrakech Travel Guide! If you’ve been following me for a while you know that my husband was born and raised in the Marrakech souk market. Long story short – We met in Canada at university and the first time I visited his family in Marrakech back in 2011, I fell in love with everything handmade in Morocco and wanted to bring everything back with me for my own decor. I was excited! Give me all the poufs, rugs and baskets, I’m bringing them all! Haha. Soon, I realized that since he was raised in the market, he knew all the artisans and where to find everything! The opportunity to create the store of my dreams suddenly opened up.

Enough said! The point of this blog post is not to share my story but to share my TOP things to do if you’re heading to Marrakech. After staying in Marrakech for one month and visiting for the 12th time, I’m losing count 😅 , the following have made my short list of recommendations 💕 I would say these are the things you MUST do if you’re travelling to Marrakech for the 1st time.

Marrakech Travel Guide: UPDATED JULY 2022

WHAT TO SEE 😍
-Ben Yussef Madrasa
-Jardin Majorelle 💙 (personal fave)
-Musée YSL (right beside The Majorelle garden)
-La Mamounia (Former royal estate. Dress up and go for drinks, it’s gorgeous. Fun fact, men have to wear closed shoes)
-Le Beldi Country Club (Go for lunch + bring your bathing suits)

WHERE TO STAY🏨
-Dar Malouki
-Riad BE
-Riad Chamali
Villa outside the medina (highly recommend if you’re planning to rent a car / travelling with kids during hot summer days and want AC + private pool but still want a local feel with all the cute Boho Morocco vibes)
-TIP: Type “Riad, Medina Marrakech” in Airbnb for many other options.
*I would not recommend staying in a modern hotel, you will miss out on the experience.

WHERE TO SHOP 💕
-Souk Market, old medina (get lost for hours in the souk labyrinths, don’t worry you’ll find your way back to the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square)
-All the cute shops around the Majorelle Garden, especially Le 33 and Chabbi Chic

Marrakech Travel Guide, riad chamali

WHAT TO EAT / DRINK 🍹
(Make a reservation especially if you plan to have a meal, but you can always just drop in for a drink).
-Riad Elf Fen (personal fave 💕 You can access the rooftop terrace via their boutique, no reservations needed for drinks)
-La Terrace des Épices
-Kabana

WHAT TO EAT 😋
(no alcohol but still worth a visit! 😉 )
-La famille
-L’mida
-Le Nomade

EAT IN 🛌
-Pâtisserie l’Artisan by Philippe – Recently discovered
this place and I’m still dreaming about it, all the Moroccan baking but with a French twist 👌 Heaven! 🥐
-Triangolo Pizza Delivery – Already tired of tajines? Fresh local ingredients + best pizza crust ever

FLY✈️
Tip! Fly via Royal Air Maroc so you can bring back 2 big bags per person for all your souvenirs 😛

WHEN TO GO ☀️
-April, May, June, September, October
(Avoid winter and the VERY HOT July and August. You might want to avoid special times like Ramadan and Eid al-Adha as lots of places are closed during these religious festivities)

MONEY EXCHANGE 💸
-Bring cash. Exchange your money at “Hotel Ali”, Jemaa
el-Fnaa Square. Best exchange rate, easy & fast.

I have also written a lengthy blog post with all sorts of travel recommendations. Click right here to read it.

Marrakech is not the easiest destination, but it’s the dreamiest! You will never forget your experience.

Safe Travels!

– Stephanie xx

Marrakech Travel Guide, Baba Souk

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