Floors, Walls, Ceilings, Surface Finishes

Weaving a New Old Look: Glossary

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Carpet
Axminster – Late 18th- and early 19th-century hand-knotted carpets and, from last quarter of the 19th century, patterned, machine-made, cut-pile wool carpets; name derived from Axminster in Devon.

Wilton – Machine-made, cut (velvet) or loop (Brussels) pile carpet, from second quarter of the 18th century; name derived from Wilton in Wiltshire.

Ingrain – Reversible flatweave carpet also known as double-cloth, triple-cloth and Kidderminster, Scotch and Kilmarnock carpet. From 1730s to the early 20th century.

Printed tapestry – A distinctive machine-made, cut (velvet) or loop (Brussels) pile carpet with the pattern pre-printed on to the worsted warp yarn before weaving. From 1830s to the early 20th century.

Drugget – Protective everyday cover for fine carpets and floors; could be plain or pattened. Intended to protect against sun, wear, food particles, wig powder and spillages.

Floor Cloth
Prepared, painted and varnished canvas to protect floors or in place of carpet, sometimes painted to look like marble, tiles, stone or wood (a precursor to linoleum). Popular from early 18th to early 20th century, particularly in hot climates.

Matting
India/China – Flat, grass or reed matting woven in wide strips then sewn together to form a planned floor covering. Commonly used in the 18th and 19th centuries under area carpets and on its own, in bedrooms.

Rush – Early 17th-century matting made of bulrushes, plaited in narrow strips then sewn together on the reverse. Sometimes extended to protect the lower walls against furniture damage.

Weaving Terms
Full-pitch – High-quality yarn density of, generally, 10 warp rows per inch and 10 rows per inch in the weft.

Worsted wool – Smooth, hard-wearing yarn spun from combed, fine, long-staple wool.