Showing posts with label rug. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rug. Show all posts

5/01/2012

Random Rug Resource - PB Teen

Would you ever think to buy a rug at PB Teen? Well, if you're on the hunt for inexpensive rug options, you should check them out. I spotted a couple of good-looking options and they are all well under $1k for an 8'x10' size. Here are my favs:











They have some good options, don't you think? I REALLY like the Dhurrie at the top of the list and I think the Leaf Medallion is super cute too. And I can picture the hot pink kilim layered over a larger Plain Jane sisal to add some excitement.

I have no way to accurately judge the quality but based on the price, these are probably not forever rugs. They are fun and trendy and would be ideal for low traffic zones like guest bedrooms or in spaces where the decor is somewhat temporary (i.e. apartments, nurseries, or kids rooms).

1/16/2012

Inexpensive Rug Options

Rugs can be a daunting purchase to make. When choosing a rug you have to factor in style, color, material, construction, durability, size, and of course, cost. High quality rugs are one of the best investments that you can make in terms of decor because they can literally last for decades. The problem is that premium handmade rugs are usually super expensive and most people can't afford to put one in every room of the house (if any).

So, if your budget calls for an inexpensive rug, then go with a natural fiber rug like sisal, jute, or wool in a non-traditional style. What I mean is that you should completely avoid the cheap, knock-off versions of Oriental/Persian rugs. Nearly all of them are a waste of money and just look tacky...also it's pretty likely that they'll shed like crazy.

Luckily, there are TONS of well-priced "non-traditional" rugs out there these days. Retailers like West Elm and Calypso Home and designers like Jill Rosenwald have been churning out flatweave rugs adorned with punchy geometric prints. Etsy's KilimCom is a great resource for Turkish-made styles. FLOR offers an inventive modular rug system and a wide selection of textures and styles (I'm currently obsessed with the wild and crazy Parallel Reality mix shown below). And finally a caveat to the "natural fiber" recommendation, Brita Sweden offers reversible rugs that are made from soft plastic foil and are produced in Sweden. After having a disappointing experience with an indoor/outdoor polypropylene rug purchased from Frontgate, I'm skeptical of indoor/outdoor rugs (aside from Dash & Albert ones...they are fantastic), but these are supposed to be really good.

Here are some cool, not-too-pricy rugs I've seen lately...
FLOR Parallel Reality

Etsy KilimCom Turkish Kilim Rug
Shades of Light Climbing Modern Vine Hooked Rug
Crate & Barrel Olin Grey-White Rug
DwellStudio Loop Texture Dove Rug


Avalisa Bubble Wool Rug
Brita Sweden Helmi
Brita Sweden Anna

Brita Sweden Alma
Etsy KilimCom New Turkish Kilim
Overstock Indo Kilim Ivory/ Navy Rug
 

What is your rug situation like? Have you ever splurged on a luxe rug or have you focused on finding moderately priced ones? In my house, I have some nice rugs and some that are more trendy and temporary (and certainly cheaper).

Do you have a rug texture/construction preference? I hate high pile rugs, so I'm a fan of dhurries and kilims. If you buy a flatweave, you might want to get a set of these Stop the Curling Rug Corners.

12/09/2011

Designing a Striped Rug with FLOR

Continuing on yesterday's half-baked post, I put a FLOR rug in my office and wanted to share some of the hows and whys with you.

First of all, the rug is part of the redesign of this space. Redesign isn't even the right term since I never executed a design plan to begin with! Besides the rug, custom cabinetry will be added made to allow for more storage (the bookcase in back will be going elsewhere) and I'll be changing my desk + chair situation too. Maybe Santa will bring me a white patent leather Eames Time Life Chair like the one in this post! Finally, I'll probably change the paint color and will definitely put some art on the walls. Basically, things will be changing to make it prettier and more functional but until then, this is the current state...


 I decided to go with FLOR for a number of reasons including the following:
  • Custom Sizing - my space is long and narrow and I wanted a rug that would provide a lot of coverage because of my rowdy dogs. The rug I created is approximately 8' x 15'.
  • Durability + Cleanability - The aforementioned dogs can make a mess and I like that any dirty tile can be popped out, cleaned up, and returned to the rug without much hassle. As you might recall, I used to have an indoor/outdoor rug from Frontgate in the room because it could be cleaned "easily" with a hose. Well, cleaning a 9x13" rug with a hose is not an easy process, plus the rug started to ripple after cleaning and never flattened out again. BIG disappointment.
  • Color Palette Flexibility - FLOR tiles come in a huge variety of hues and I love that you aren't married to a set color scheme. You create your own palette plus you can easily alter that palette in the future. For instance, green stripes in a rug can be changed to blue simply by swapping out the green tiles for blue ones.

I knew I wanted a striped rug and first considered Parallel Reality, but didn't want to install it parquet style. So, I set off to design my own striped rug using pre-cut tiles. I choose the Feelin' Groovy style because of the wide range of colors and I liked the sheared loop pile.

I started the process by playing around with the FLORbuilder™ planning tool. I highly recommend doing that prior to placing an order (unless you're doing a plain Jane solid rug). It is fabulous...you can create all kinds of style and color combinations (and save each design), cut tiles, see how a rug border would look, change the color of the floor under the rug, keep tabs on the cost, and of course, you can order your creation directly from the platform. I spent too much time with it and came up with a few designs...





After I using the FLORbuilder™, I went into my local FLOR store to look at samples before I bit the bullet. It was nice to be able to see all of the styles in person because each one has a different texture. Everyone there is so helpful and I ended up working with Jessica, who was amazing. The order was very complicated because of all of the tile cuts and she helped me navigate through that mess. So, to create my 8' x 15' rug, here is what I ordered:

Feelin' Groovy
1/3 cut, with grain:
Magenta - qty 7
Seafoam - qty 7
Bone - qty 7

1/4 cut, with grain:
Sunny - qty 5

1/2 cut, with grain:
Sky - qty 10
Lagoon - qty 10



Everything about the process was great. FLOR shipped my order right away...I was amazed at how quickly it was processed and out the door, especially considering the custom cutting that had to happen.

Install was super easy too. Because I had FLOR do all of the cutting, I just had to put everything together and apply some FLORDots (the fancy stickers that keep all of the tiles held together).

All in all, I'm very happy with my new FLOR rug. It's the perfect balance of form and function for this space. Now I'm excited to get everything else on the list finished!

Happy weekend :)

12/07/2011

New Nightstands + Bed Paint Color Selection

I picked up some snazzy nightstands for the front guest bedroom. They are lacquered black and have fab polished nickel hardware. I spotted them at Again & Again and just had to have them for myself. Here are some shots of one of them...



Since they are much more sharp and sophisticated than the old wood bed in the room, I've decided to give that a facelift with some auto body paint. I'm brainstorming colors now. First I considered mimicking the Farrow & Ball lacquer on this desk from Kimberly Ayres' office...

Image via Kimberly Ayres Interior Design

Might look sorta like this...

Other ideas...


Navy

Kelly Green

Yellow

Hot Pink

Any favorite colors? Keep in mind that the orange accent pillow can easily change! I thought about just doing ivory, but I want to do something bold and fun. Besides the aqua, I like the idea of doing a rich kelly green.

Also, you might have noticed that the rug is whited out. That's because I'm selling my suzani rug so that I can use a wider rug. I plan to put the suzani rug on Ebay or Craigslist soon, so email me (kylestandeferknight at gmail.com) if you're interested in purchasing it. It measures 65" x 94" and is hand-tufted wool...the price is $900 + shipping if applicable. Here it is in action...

Finally, what do you think of the nightstands? I really love them and they were a bargain. Thank goodness for Again & Again!

10/07/2010

Do You Know about ARZU?

Normally Pottery Barn's rugs aren't really my style, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a few that I really liked while browsing their new arrivals. The one below is my favorite and it is an Arzu Studio Hope artisan rug.


According to the PB site, these rugs are hand-knotted by Afghan women and Arzu Studio Hope is the non-profit that sources and sells their creations so they can earn income. 

They get paid for their work and we get access to their beautiful textiles...sounds like a win-win to me! Wanting to see more of what they offer, I went to the Arzo site and clicked the Collections tab. There are so many wonderful styles...I tried to narrow it down to a few favorites here:



It was also nice to see that interior designer Thomas Schoos partnered with Arzu and designed a series of more contemporary rugs. As you'll see below, one was featured in House Beautiful's September issue!

I'm so glad to know about Arzu and hope to support them by buying a rug one day. Thanks a bunch to Pottery Barn for partnering with them and spreading the word about their cause!

Any thoughts on the matter? I'm also curious to know...what rug style do you like best? Traditional, contemporary, natural (i.e. sisal, sea grass, jute), or a mix of all?

9/23/2010

My Jonathan Adler Rug Has Arrived!

I am thrilled that the rug I ordered back in February is finally here and I LOVE it! I picked the colorway and pattern through JA's Design Your Own customization service. Using the Design Your Own "studio" on the JA website was both delightful and overwhelming. I loved so many of the patterns and it was really tough to choose one. The Herringbone and Greek key styles were among my favorite options, but then I decided on the Diamonds pattern because it reminds me of the iconic print, La Fiorentina by David Hicks.


With only the digital representation to go from, I desperately hoped that the size of the repeat and the colors would work well in the room. Without a clear visualization of the finished product and because the order was placed months ago, I was starting to get anxious about whether or not I'd like it. Thank goodness, the colors are perfect and the pattern is fabulous...it's also really soft, which is a nice change of pace from the sisal that was in the room before.

Here's the digital version from the JA website...




Rug Specs:
Size: 11' x 13'
Pattern: Diamonds
Base Color: natural
Pattern: light grey
Diamond area: light grey
Manufacturer: Jonathan Adler, handwoven in Peru

Thanks to Beth Dotolo and the Nest crew for all of the work you did to get it here!

3/23/2010

Room Recipe

I've gotten lots of questions about where some of our furniture/decor comes from so I thought it might help if I break it down, starting with the master bedroom. Exact items that are still available for purchase are linked below...keep in mind that I got every single thing in this room on sale, so it pays to be patient.
1. Bed - Z Gallerie - Victoria Sleigh Bed
2. Table lamps - Restoration Hardware - Crystal Banister Lamps
3. Nightstands - Bombay Company
4. Mirrors - Ballard Designs
5. Linens - Restoration Hardware - Italian Satin Stitch Bedding
6. Bench - Ballard Designs - Simone Bench
7. Rug - Jonathan Adler
8. Vanity Mirror - Wisteria - Embossed Bone Flower Mirror
9. Floor lamp - Local store
9. Chandelier - antique
10. Vanity and Chest - antique


Some of our stuff is no longer available or is an antique/hand-me-down so I've listed budget-friendly substitution ideas as well. I went as cheap as possible, because I know that most budgets are super tight. Just keep in mind that I'm not vouching for the quality. 

I'm a big believer in high-low, however, there are certain pieces that I'm willing to pay more for. In this room, those items included the bed, crystal lamps, and linens. After I pulled the trigger on those, I filled in the gaps with cheaper finds. On bargain items, I like to see/touch before purchasing or make sure that returning the item is an easy option (for example, Target stores accept returns). The last thing you want, is to receive something that looks cheap and it ends up being too expensive to ship back. This factor is what makes thrifting/antiquing worth it...plus you can usually bargain with sellers.


Bed


Nightstands

If you're over the mirrored furniture thing, this would be a great alternative!
Pier 1 - Wycliff Chest

Crystal Lamps

Mirrors
Ballard Designs - Kenton Chain Link Mirror
(Spray paint ivory, if you don't like the mixed metals look)

Linens
Overstock.com - Hotel Collection
I really like the platinum color or black.

Bench

If you want more flexibility with the rug options, go with a solid instead of a stripe
The Company Store - Tufted Skirted Storage Bench


Rug
West Elm - Circles Rug (this one could go with the striped bench)



Vanity Mirror
Ballard Designs - D'Orsay Mirror

Chandelier
Overstock.com - Maria Theresa Chandelier

Floor Lamp
Target - Floor Lamp

Vanity
Stool