Oushak Collection

What an Oushak rug is

Oushak (also spelled Ushak) refers to a school of rugs woven in and around the town of Uşak in western Anatolia, Turkey, beginning in the 15th century. The school is defined by three things: a soft, hand-spun wool that takes natural dye unevenly and produces the characteristic "abrash" — the gentle horizontal striations of color that animate the surface; a palette built on faded reds, soft ivories, sage greens, and pale golds; and a large-scale floral or palmette drawing that reads from across a room.

Oushaks were the first Eastern rugs to enter European interiors at scale — the British East India Company imported them in the 17th century, and by 1900 they were the default rug of the American Gilded Age. Today they remain the most-specified rug type in American interior design, for a simple reason: the palette plays well with almost any wood floor, almost any wall color, and almost any furniture style. They are the foundation-piece rug.

The Oushak palette

Soft. Faded. Slightly washed. A good Oushak does not announce itself; it organizes the room around it. The most common ground colors are ivory, soft rose, pale sage, and faded gold. The drawing is in muted brick, indigo, and walnut.

Contemporary Oushaks

The Oushaks in this collection are contemporary pieces, hand-knotted in our workshop in Afghanistan on hand-spun wool.

Room placement

Oushaks are the most flexible rug in our catalog. Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and primary entrance halls all welcome an Oushak. The soft palette pairs particularly well with linen upholstery, painted wood, and limewashed walls.

Delivery and the 14-day home trial

Insured U.S. delivery, from $45 and complimentary on rugs $3,500 and up. Live with it for 14 days. If it isn't right, we arrange the return pickup at no cost and refund the rug in full. Trade pricing for design professionals.