How do I choose the right size and shape?

Size it to the furniture, not the floor: at least 18 in shows beyond the sides and foot of a bed, and under a dining table it runs 24 in (60 cm) past the edge. Alwan comes in three shapes, Classic, Round and Runner, in a standard size or a custom size priced as you type. The size guide has plans room by room.

Will I hear from you while it's made?

We write at every stage: the order confirmation, the day knotting begins, the day your rug is finished, and tracking when it ships.

How large is the checker on Alwan?

Large. The classic rug is a checkerboard of big squares in three rows, pared down so every square shows at scale, with a row of rounded cells at each end.

Is Alwan hand-knotted or machine-made?

Knotted by hand in 100% natural wool, so each block edge drifts a hair from its neighbor.

Where should I put Alwan?

Alwan earns its place as a runner in a hallway, since the pattern keeps scuffs and footprints from showing. A short or medium pile holds up to daily walking there. Try it in a kitchen as well.

Does a big-square checkerboard suit a shag pile?

Large squares hold up in any pile. Short 0.4 in (1 cm) shows the slightly uneven edges that prove the checkerboard was tied by hand. Medium 0.8 in (2 cm) softens those edges while each square stays bold. Shag 1.2 in (3 cm) gives each square visible depth, though the rounded cells at the ends lose some shape.

How do I care for Alwan?

Its pattern hides dust and footprints between vacuums. Vacuum with suction only, no beater bar, and blot spills from the edge inward with cool water. Expect a little loose wool in the first weeks; it passes. The care guide covers stains.

Can Alwan be made in my own colors?

Pick your colors from our 30 wool shades, check the instant preview, and the weavers make exactly what you approved. It adds 10% to the size's price and one extra week to the wait.

Dama · Berber

Alwan Mosaic Moroccan Runner

$535 USD

Shipping and duties includedShipping and duties included

ColorRust & Navy

Classic Round Runner

Add a rug pad +$37 USD for 2.6x8 ft

Order today, delivered between December 9th and December 16th.

Runners: order by November 16 for US delivery before Christmas.

Secure payment

30-day returns on standard sizes

About this rug

Coral and near-black blocks in a checkerboard. Alwan means colors in Arabic, plural, and this checkered Berber runner says nothing else: big blocks of flat color, one against the next. Weavers once tied boards like it from memory. Zarbish knots it now.

A stepped form stands at each end like a gate, and between them the blocks are set off from each other so that none sits directly above another. The light column down the middle is the longest unbroken stretch of wool on the runner, and the pile in it leans toward one end.

Questions about this rug? Talk to our team

The Zarbish Letter →

New designs, the rooms they suit, and how each one is made.

Designing for a client? See trade pricing

Same rug, more shapes

Complete the look: this design composed as a classic rug or a round, for the next room.

Navy & Coral

$397 USD · 3x5 ft

Coral & Rust

$467 USD · 4 ft round

Alwan in your design taste

The story

How we made Alwan

A checkerboard of coral and black salt blocks seen up close, the inspiration for the Alwan Navy & Coral rug

Sfifa

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

Seksu

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

Ahidous

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

+2+1

Darja

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

Tigmi

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

Tadla

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

Jidar

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

Arsa

$535 USD · 2.6x8 ft

A hand-knotted Beni Ourain runner in a galley kitchen

For designers

Designing for a client?

Trade pricing
10% off, rising to 15% off plus credit back as your orders grow.
Made to measure
Any design in your palette and the dimensions on your plans.
Production on your schedule
Slots planned around the install date.

Apply for trade access How trade works

Keep exploring Moroccan rugs

Ahidous Plum & Lavender hand-knotted Moroccan rug in a living room beside a plum sectional sofa

CollectionDama, checkered Moroccan rugsNamed for checkers in Darija: the board set free, its squares changing size and rhythm.

Legzira Ivory & Burgundy hand-knotted Moroccan runner in a kitchen

JournalHallway Runner Size: Width, Length and Runner Ideas by RoomWidth, length and the floor to leave on each side: sizing a runner for halls, kitchens and stairs.

Tigmi Purple hand-knotted Moroccan rug, runner, along a hallway beside a marble console table

CollectionMoroccan rug runnersLong, narrow and made to your length, for halls, kitchens, stairs and the side of a bed.

Tamment Rust & Ivory hand-knotted Berber rug, a rust and ivory checkerboard under a cognac leather sofa on a terracotta tile floor

JournalHow to Style a Checkered Rug in the Living RoomOne strong pattern, the right check size and a steady palette: styling a checkered rug in the living room.

CollectionHallway RunnersDense, short-pile runners that take daily shoes, hide grit and lead the eye down the hall.

Alwan Navy & Coral hand-knotted Moroccan rug with a cat asleep on its checks, in front of a curved green velvet sofa

JournalBest Rug for Dogs and Cats: Is a Wool Rug Pet-Friendly?Claws, shedding and accidents: when a wool rug suits a home with dogs and cats, and which to choose.

Warda pink hand-knotted Moroccan runner along a galley kitchen with cream cabinets and a pink counter

CollectionKitchen Runner RugsShort-pile wool runners that cushion the counter, clear cabinet doors and hide the splashes of cooking.