A few days ago I found this charming apartment on MiCasa which I want to share with you just to show you how you can combine classic with modern, expensive with cheap to create a vibrant, uplifting home without breaking the bank….

Looking at these images I immediately recognised some of the pieces……

The first rug is STARFLOWER BLUE by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby distributed by THE RUG COMPANY and which, according to its size (which looks to be about 2,30 x 1,20) costs £2,125.

The next rug sitting on the white rug is the VIVIENNE WESTWOOD’s VW Flag and costs £1,955, also distributed by  THE RUG COMPANY.

These and the gorgeous buffet (see photo below) whose origin unfortunately I don’t know- and if someone knows I beg you to tell me! -  are perhaps the costliest items here…

The young couple combined these lovely pieces with some antiques and other more economical modern items from IKEA…look at the round coffee table –  STRIND …

…the sideboard – TORSBY…

I think there are other items from IKEA, but I will let you discover them…for now I will let you enjoy the photos…

It’s obvious that they love their books and paintings – something that adds a lot of colour, hence their choice of a white, neutral background is ‘quieter’…

Look at how they have combined various picture frames….various small rugs and runners….and the coloured vases on the shelf…

The coral mirror over the bed is the main focus in the bedroom so all other items are ‘quieter’. Note how the red of the coral is repeated in the cushions….

Personally I would prefer fewer items on show, but I must admit I do remember, when younger, that I was a hoarder and collected tons of ornaments and nicknacks…now just the thought of dusting encourages me to keep a more ‘minimalistic’, shall we say, home…..but I love it for a young couple starting out….I can just see me daughter living in something like this….:)

I saw this photo on Freshome’s FB wall today and just had to share it with you. I think it is a fine example of how different elements of the interior are tied together with the skillful and thoughtful use of color, rugs and fabrics and designs, both surface and overall.

The brown of the sofa is repeated in the cushions and rug and the unit facing it – it’s also repeated in the armchair’s legs. The blue on the armchair is repeated in the blue statue and the ashtray on the coffee table and vase on the end table. The yellow awning features strongly in the design which the designer has handled by adding a couple of yellow items inside like the cushion and the ashtray. The only surface designs playing in this scheme are the rug and the cushions which were probably made to order here since they match perfectly both in color and design. Notice how the ivory cording on the sofa picks up the ivory of the rug and cushions. It just wouldn’t be the same if there was no cording. Also, the angular geometric lines of the sofa are repeated in the straight geometric design of the rug and cushions. However, the circular design on the opposite unit softens the effect as does the curved back of the armchair and the round coffee table.

A beautiful, clean scheme. Love it.

If you’re not too fussy, choosing a rug can be as easy as looking at an online catalogue or a visit to Ikea and picking the color and size you like without thinking too much about the attributes that really matter, like quality, origin, design, style, pile, weave, knots, age and, ultimately, investment.

However, if you’re anything like me, and you regard the selection of a quality rug the same as selecting quality art, then you’ll want to know a little more about the subject. And once you begin to study the subject of rugs I can assure you, you will be fascinated and more appreciative of the work and skill that goes into them.

Of course I am talking about hand-woven rugs. To be honest I earnestly dislike machine-woven, synthetic rugs. They might be cheaper and a reasonable solution for some situations but I regard them much like purchasing a print of an original painting. I’d much rather have the original hanging in my living room – the print, I’ll put in my basement!

To be honest I wasn’t too sure of where to begin our journey into the history and making of rugs. Should I begin from the history, the technical aspects of rug making, the different styles and methods used by different countries? The information I’ve accumulated on all the above is positively overwhelming and putting it into reader-friendly order has c aused me to procrastinate about doing it at all! After all, if anyone is really interested in rugs, won’t they search for the information for themselves (I say to myself). Yes, but I want to save you the time and effort it took me – at least a year and a half of research!

But I will put it off no longer. I will start at the beginning and take it a step at a time. So bear with me! I won’t overwhelm you with all the information at once. That would put anyone off. I know it does me when I’m researching and find a site which is a seemingly endless passage of blablabla with no images to feed my senses. I will offer it to you in small digestible amounts so that once it is all written you can pick and choose the topics that interest you.

So let’s begin.

I thought I would begin by telling you about the oldest carpet ever discovered that shows us how far back rug weaving existed.

The oldest surviving rug, the Pazyryk rug, was discovered in 1949 frozen in a Scythian burial site in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. It dates from the 5th century B.C., making it the earliest pile-weave rug discovered in its entirety. It’s dimensions are 283 by 200 cm (approximately 9.3 by 6.5 ft) and has 36 symmetrical knots per cm² (232 per inch²)on a silk foundation. The Pazyryk rug has motifs from the Persian Achaemenian dynasty (550 to 331 BC.) causing many to believe it was made in Persia and then imported. Its central field is a deep red color and it has two wide borders, one depicting deer and the other Persian horseman.

The Pazyryk carpet is currently housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

However, the oldest known rug, before the discovery of the Pazyryk rug called the “Spring of Khosrows” belonged to the King of Persia, Khosrow I (AD 531-579). Dating to about 550 BC, it was made of wool, silk, gold, silver and precious stones. It was hand-knotted and measured 400 x 100 feet and weighed several tons! This massive rug featured many scenes of springtime including birds in flight, flowers in bloom, ripening fruits and a green meadow around the border, which was believed to include solid emeralds! The king would stroll down the carpet in the winter admiring the scenes of a springtime garden.

Unfortunately the rug was ripped apart when the Arabs conquered Persia to get to the precious jewels, some of which are still in existence and can be seen in museums around the world. Tragic!

resources:

http://www.alarnold.com/body.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_carpet

http://www.orientalrugcleaners.com/history.html

The reason I’ve been kind of ‘absent’ from my blog over the last months is that I’ve been preoccupied studying rug design and manufacture and preparing designs to begin my rug collection. An activity that has captured my interest like I never expected. 

One of the reasons I began researching this subject was a personal need to create something of my own, and in particular, something that would combine my love of interior design with my love for art. Something, after all, that would represent me as an interior decorator and designer. Meanwhile I had ascertained a certain ‘difficulty’ in finding suitable rugs for the interiors I was decorating. 

loomah

So, I visited many major exhibitions abroad and noticed how other designers were applying their ideas and concepts to rugs, either as independent entities or under the ‘umbrella’ of an established rug firm. I was immediately attracted to the idea of applying my own ideas to rugs and fireworks went off in my mind as an avalanche of ideas flooded my head. I simply had to learn more about this art form! 

luke irwin

So, I began by studying how these other designers went about this business. I researched the various manufacturing techniques, the language of rug making, the history of rugs and the basic ‘rules’ of rug design as these arise according to their origin. At the same time I started to create my own designs that I continued working on and improving as I learnt more and became more accustomed to the natural limits and requirements that this art form imposes. I studied the materials used and the available techniques that are constantly being improved helping the designer create ever more complicated and amazing designs. 

amy kent

Although the last step in my research, finding possible candidates to manufacture my rugs was one of the most important tasks. Initially I began by looking for Greek manufacturers, wanting to support local commerce. However, to my chagrin and surprise, I discovered that there was no such service here. My choices therefore, as I saw them, were one of the following: England – Portugal – Turkey – Iran – India – China – Nepal. 

loomah

However, before making any such decision I had to determine the character of my product. Its quality, reputation (in other words, what kind or product do I, Lena Blonsky, want to be identified with), its cost and to whom I am directing this product. In other words, my “brand”. 

loomah

Following this it was imperative that I secure my designs by copyright. The internet is rife with copyright theft and no-one can ever be too sure. 

Truth is I had been hoping to have already begun with the production of at least two of my rug designs. However, (fortunately or unfortunately) I am ridiculously thorough and conscientious in my research and study taking every step very carefully and methodically, aiming to reduce risks and errors along the way as much as possible. My aim is always to make the best possible decision. What does that mean for me? It means finding the best quality in raw materials and manufacturing process and a production team that will be using up-to-date methods of design and computer imagery that will meet with the designer’s (my) requirements and by extension, my clients’. 

kokeshi for spina

Furthermore, I wanted to be sure that working conditions were of a high standard and that no child labor is employed – manufacturers registered with Goodweave were favored. I also liked the idea of an amount of the income made on each rug being put back into the local community in the form of schooling, clothing, health and quality of working and living conditions. Finally, it was imperative that I be able to communicate with the manufacturers, that they understand what I want and that I understand them. Not forgetting, of course, the importance of cost. 

loomah

All these ideas and thoughts began to take form and become reality so that today I am in conversation with a rug manufacturer in Nepal and have ordered a ‘trial run’ of one of my ‘simpler’ designs. Something that will help me gauge how the whole process works and to see how my designs come out in reality. I would say that this is the most exciting phase of the process! 

Assuming all goes well I will be visiting the manufacturer in Nepal in autumn ( ideally I had wanted to visit now, however, it is rainy season in Nepal) and giving them my next order. 

amy kent

till then, I’ll be designing more rugs!

all my best 

Lena

I love the way the carpet works in this sunny bedroom from bhg. The foral wallpaper is busy but the solid green bedcover and white headboard and skirt keep things calm and quiet. Although the carpet is contemporary and bold in colour and design it is secondary to the wallpaper but works really well. The black trolley/night table adds accent and definition. The yellow table lamp repeats the yellow of the rug.

Apart from the stunning headboards in these bedrooms from House Beautiful I want to draw your attention to the carpets and how well they match and complement these interiors without overwhelming. The true focus of both these bedrooms is the beds and their headboards so the carpet should not be too bold.

The black and white carpet in the left bedroom picks up the black and white of the cushions, the grey and black upholstery of the wingback while the black trimming on the bedcovers outlines the bed while the black lampshades & the black velvety throw anchor the scheme. With such a bold coloured bed in this rich red velvet the effect of the rug is to soften and add romance to this bedroom.

The bedroom on the right is lighthearted & features a Beauvais carpet in Kanpur cotton and chenille that is a quiet geometric repeat that again softens the lines in this bright bedroom and carries the blue of the headboard to the floor. The black nighttables either side of the bed repeat the black trim of the headboard and this is continued with the stool at the end of the bed. Notice even the table in the foreground has black trimming. One last thing, the carpet finishes about 30 cms from the walls leaving a border revealing the wood floor that creates a floating effect and adds warmth to the room.

Earlier this year a consortium of UK carpet industry leaders conceived “fun on the floor” with the aim of inspiring people with the exciting choice of carpets available and informing about their practical benefits and excellent value. 

 A dedicated website at www.funonthefloor.com has been launched as a part of the initiative. It’s packed with design ideas and information about different choices of carpet textiles, exclusive designs and styling ideas from top interior designer Danielle Proud. 

The website showcases a Georgian townhouse in London where Danielle transformed six rooms, each with its own bold theme. The rooms feature imaginative and exclusive design ideas using carpet as more than just a floor covering! An interactive video tour of the house can be viewed at www.funonthefloor.com/funhouse which allows the user to view each room in 360 degrees.

My favourite part of the house? the entrance, as seen below with the fabulous stair runner!

Every now and again I tackle my browser bookmarks and try to put some order in growing library of websites….upon this gargantuan project then today I stumbled across a bookmark I had kept when researching neoclassical interiors and, naturally, got sidetracked reading the article that went with the image that first attracted me to the site….the article is about interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield and the interview features images of his home in New York.

The above image is what first attracted me to the site. Neoclassical elements are obvious in the Doric Columns against the mirrored walls. I love the use of mirrors, which Geoffrey is also a fan of using. The whole effect is so light and elegant. Acrylic furniture adds to the lightness of the room with its transparency avoiding ‘bulk’ and heavy objects in the room. I also love the way he uses art as a focal point….

….acrylic wingback armchairs? wow! the carpet is also his design carried by starck….

you’ve got to admire the mix of modern, slightly oriental headboard and NY city skyline wallpaper…the use of just black and white with so many other elements avoids overwhelm…

mirrors and more mirrors = endless space…..