Description
A Striped New Zealand Wool Kilim
The Fabula Living Helga Kilim Rug takes the familiar striped rug and introduces a more considered rhythm through long linear stripes broken by heavier crossing lines.
Part of the wider Fabula Living rug collection at RB12, Helga reflects the Danish brand’s focus on Scandinavian simplicity, natural wool and traditional hand-weaving techniques.
The pattern remains graphic enough to define the floor without becoming visually dominant, making Helga particularly useful in interiors where furniture, artwork and natural materials already provide much of the room’s character.
Designed by Jens Landberg Schrøder
Helga was designed by Jens Landberg Schrøder for Fabula Living.
The design uses one of the simplest rug motifs — the stripe — but changes its rhythm by allowing thicker perpendicular lines to interrupt the longer bands running across the surface.
The result feels ordered and architectural rather than decorative, giving Helga a calm expression that works naturally within Scandinavian and contemporary interiors.
Hand-Woven from New Zealand Wool
Helga is hand-woven from New Zealand wool on a cotton warp.
The wool provides the warmth and natural character associated with a quality wool rug, while the cotton warp forms the underlying structure needed for the flat kilim weave.
Fabula Living specialises in rugs built around premium wool, muted Nordic colour palettes and traditional weaving, allowing the material itself to remain central to the finished design.
A Flatwoven Kilim Rather Than a Deep-Pile Rug
Helga is a kilim, so its construction is flatter and more tightly woven than a deep-pile or shaggy rug.
That lower profile makes it particularly useful beneath dining furniture, coffee tables and other pieces that need to sit securely on the rug without sinking into a long pile.
The flatter surface also gives the stripe pattern greater definition, allowing the weave and colour changes to create the visual interest rather than variations in pile height.
A Reversible Wool Rug
Fabula Living specifies Helga as reversible, meaning both sides of the hand-woven kilim can be used.
This is a useful advantage of the flatwoven construction and gives the rug more flexibility over its lifetime than a design intended to be used on only one surface.
Always use a suitable rug underlay beneath Helga even when reversing the rug, both to help keep it in position and to reduce premature wear.
Charcoal and Beige Stripes
Fabula Living’s current Helga collection is produced in Charcoal/Beige.
The combination gives the striped pattern enough contrast to remain visible while avoiding the sharper graphic effect of pure black and white.
Warm beige also allows Helga to sit comfortably alongside oak, walnut, stone and neutral upholstery, while the charcoal lines add enough definition to connect with darker furniture, metalwork and lighting.
Helga Rug Sizes
Fabula Living’s current specification offers Helga in three standard formats:
- 80 × 240 cm runner
- 170 × 240 cm
- 200 × 300 cm
- Made-to-measure sizes available from Fabula Living
The 80 × 240 cm runner is suited to hallways and narrower spaces, while the 170 × 240 cm and 200 × 300 cm rugs provide room-size formats for living rooms, bedrooms and dining areas.
Because Helga is handmade, Fabula Living advises that finished dimensions can vary by approximately ±4%.
Helga as a Hallway Runner
The 80 × 240 cm Helga runner is particularly effective in hallways because the long striped design naturally follows the direction of the space.
Rather than adding a decorative motif that competes with doors, flooring and architectural details, the simple charcoal-and-beige pattern introduces texture and rhythm while maintaining a calm visual line through the hallway.
Fabula Living recommends using an underlay beneath its rugs, which is particularly useful with a runner on a smooth hard floor.
A Flatwoven Rug for Dining Rooms
Helga’s kilim construction also makes it a natural option beneath a dining table.
The lower woven surface allows dining-chair legs to move across the rug more easily than they would across a deep high-pile design.
When choosing the size, allow enough rug around the edge of the dining table for chairs to remain on the woven surface when they are pulled back.
Helga in the Living Room
In a living room, Helga can introduce pattern without becoming the dominant feature of the seating area.
The 170 × 240 cm size suits more compact arrangements, while the 200 × 300 cm version provides greater coverage beneath sofas and armchairs.
Where possible, allowing at least the front legs of the main seating to sit on the rug creates a more connected arrangement than placing a smaller rug only beneath the coffee table.
Designed in Denmark, Hand-Woven in India
Helga is designed in Denmark and hand-woven in India.
Fabula Living notes that irregularities in dimensions, colour and weaving are normal characteristics of its handmade rugs rather than defects.
Those small differences are part of what separates a hand-woven kilim from a machine-produced rug with a completely uniform surface.
Made to Measure Helga Rugs
Fabula Living also lists Helga as available made to measure, providing an option for rooms where the three standard dimensions do not fit the required furniture arrangement.
This can be particularly useful beneath larger dining tables, in long hallways or within open-plan living areas where the rug needs to relate precisely to the furniture around it.
Contact RB12 if you require a non-standard Helga size and would like help discussing a made-to-measure order.
Helga or Fabula Living Fleur?
For another striped New Zealand wool kilim, compare Helga with the Fabula Living Fleur Kilim Rug.
Both use hand-woven New Zealand wool on a cotton warp, but their approach to stripes is quite different. Helga uses charcoal and beige with stronger crossing lines for a calm architectural look, while Fleur introduces more playful stripe combinations and a broader choice of colours.
Choose Helga when the rug needs to remain understated and structured. Choose Fleur when colour and a more expressive striped pattern should play a larger role in the room.
Helga or Fabula Living New Freja?
The Fabula Living New Freja Kilim Rug provides another reversible New Zealand wool option with a quieter Scandinavian character.
New Freja uses a simpler classic pattern and a natural palette of brown, grey, beige and off-white. Helga creates more directional movement through its stripe-on-stripe composition.
Choose Helga when linear pattern is an important part of the scheme; choose New Freja when you want a more neutral woven foundation.
Helga or Fabula Living Erica?
For a subtler striped surface with more tonal movement, consider the Fabula Living Erica Kilim Rug.
Erica uses Gabbeh-dyed New Zealand wool to create fine stripes with a softer shimmering colour effect. Helga has a clearer graphic structure, using longer lines interrupted by more substantial crossing stripes.
Helga is therefore the stronger choice when you want the stripe pattern to remain visibly defined, while Erica offers a more nuanced tonal expression.
Explore Fabula Living Kilim Rugs at RB12
RB12 carries a broad selection of Fabula Living rugs, including hand-woven kilims, runners and deeper high-pile designs.
Alongside Helga, designs such as Fleur, New Freja, Erica, Mist, Holger and Astrid provide different interpretations of Scandinavian colour, pattern and traditional rug weaving.
Explore Designer Rugs at RB12
Browse RB12’s wider collection of designer rugs to compare Helga with Scandinavian wool rugs, flatwoven kilims, runners, natural-fibre designs and high-pile rugs from Fabula Living, Bolia, Layered, GAN and other contemporary brands.
Features
- Designed by Jens Landberg Schrøder
- Classic stripe pattern interrupted by thicker crossing stripes
- Hand-woven kilim construction
- New Zealand wool
- Cotton warp
- Reversible design
- Current manufacturer colour: Charcoal/Beige
- Standard sizes: 80 × 240 cm, 170 × 240 cm and 200 × 300 cm
- Made-to-measure sizes available from Fabula Living
- Designed in Denmark
- Hand-woven in India
- Handmade dimensions may vary by approximately ±4%
- Fabula Living recommends using a rug underlay
Highlights
- New Zealand wool provides natural warmth and tactile quality
- Flat kilim weave works particularly well beneath furniture
- Reversible construction allows either side of the rug to be used
- Charcoal and beige create a graphic striped pattern without harsh contrast
- 80 × 240 cm runner works naturally in hallways and narrow spaces
- 170 × 240 cm and 200 × 300 cm sizes suit living and dining areas
- Made-to-measure option provides greater flexibility for unusual room proportions
- Hand-woven construction gives each rug slight individual variation
Care
Fabula Living recommends vacuuming Helga as required, but never with the vacuum-cleaner brush extended. The rug can also be gently shaken outdoors, but should not be beaten.
For spills on the wool, blot rather than rub the affected area and then dab very gently with a damp cloth soaked in carbonated water.
For deeper cleaning, Fabula Living recommends professional rug cleaning. Do not expose the rug to salt or chlorine.
Fabula Living also recommends using a suitable rug underlay to keep Helga securely in position, reduce the risk of staining and help extend the life of the rug.
