Antique Oriental Rugs - Straighten?
15 years ago
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- 15 years ago
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Oriental rugs: look okay with random width, handscraped floors?
Comments (2)Oriental rugs go with anything...on any floor...on marble, polished wood, brick, tile and random width hand scraped flooring. Your new house sopunds charming! Linda C...See MoreThe Oriental Rug as a Neutral
Comments (24)I heard a TV decorator say that as a rule of thumb it is better to find a rug first and then decorate than to try to add the rug in later. There are millions of choices in paint, thousand in silks for panels, and hundreds of bed duvets. If you pick everything out first your choices of rugs will be more limited. Still I have picked rugs after the fact and loved my choices. When you say oriental rug that encompasses many different types of rug but the rug in Sashasmommy's example is not an oriental rug. That is either an Aubusson or embroidered rug. They are lovely, flat weave type rugs and if you don't have a lot of heavy traffic aren't bad in a bedroom. They can be very expensive and it can be tough to find a bargain. Many decorators say that a fine oriental is a neutral but mine doesn't. She paid strict attention to color when choosing a traditional oriental Persian carpet for my foyer. Still the dominate color in that rug (bright red) isn't repeated in the room and it still looks stellar. I have two French bergere in bold gold and cream stripes that I think you stellar with it. Some oriental rugs are made in fashion colors and those are probably the best to use if you want that matched look. However the traditional rich colors of oriental rugs will stay in fashion longer giving you the longevity you desire and I recommend the traditional rug colors. With all the neutrals in that room you describe you can easily mix a floral duvet with a traditional oriental rug. When mixing colors and patterns pay attention to the intensity of the colors rather than just the shades so that the two will work well together. If the blue or red in your oriental isn't repeated in the room it won't look out of place if the color is the same saturation as your other colors. Both Allison and Beboopado's rooms are balance through similarity in color saturation. If all your colors are watered down or fashionably greyed then you might want to choose a washed out antique rug. Those can be gorgeous but expensive. The best looking ones were naturally faded from sun and cleaning but some newer rugs are chemically faded. They can look lovely too but they shouldn't command as much money. Nothing looks better than true age on a rug. I don't know where you live but here in Atlanta we have an antique market (Scott's Market) and they offer many vendors under one roof and the prices are very competitive. My decorator and I went to Scott's and bought home 10 rugs to choose the one I now enjoy. Each one was prettier than the next (my decorator has a great eye) but the one we picked stole the show. It just looks beautiful in that space. I would recommend only choosing a rug you can return and trying many different rugs before making a choice. Only buy the rug you love. You really can spend a fortune but you absolutely don't have to overspend to get a good rug. I recommend finding a show with many vendors. At Scott's you can leave without paying for the rugs. You just bring them back the next day. Some merchants will come to you and bring you rugs to unfold in your home. If there is no mart or decorating shows in your area I recommend finding a merchant you like and can trust through word of mouth. Pick a budget and stick to it strictly. Tell them not to bring anything that is over your budget. Pay less attention to the fineness of the rug (when choosing) and more with the color saturations and how the rug looks overall in the room.( Pay attention to fineness on paying.) I LOVE Avesmor's squinty outlook advice. That is precisely how to pick the right rug. Squint! Don't get caught up in details and trust your instincts. There is an artist in all of us. Trust your eye. Another option to consider is layering a small persian over your sisal rug. I don't like rug on rug looks unless it is a sisal or seagrass on the bottom then it can look very polished. Then you can fold up your rug(good Oriental rugs fold up, you don't roll them) and put it away for a fresher look in the Summer. Good luck! Your room sounds like it will be lovely....See MoreArghhh...Cat urine on oriental rug
Comments (22)If you would allow me to chime in here as someone who has cleaned thousands of area rugs (thanks squirrel for the title :-)) Very briefly.... Enzyme based products are safe to use on all rugs. Enzymes eat the protiens in urine, blood, etc. The enzymes do not make a rug bleed. Enzyme based cleaners are marketed under different names, choose one and use it asap when a spot is discovered. Whether or not a spot/stain will come out is a whole 'nuther story and based upon various factors, the same as why some rugs bleed and others don't--more reasons than I can list here at the moment. Rugs come into my shop daily with some type of pet accident, so trust me when I say I've seen them all, including the accidents my own pets make at home :D Having been a member of GW for so many years, I think I should put together an easy to read 'how to' list about tackling pet accidents. Your questions and comments are most insightful. Jane...See MoreReputable source for traditional (oriental) wool area rugs?
Comments (24)I'm sure by now the OP has already bought a rug, but I thought I'd add my own experiences. >>I want to buy a rug that's going to wear well and look great for the next 20-30 years at least.>> ANY good rug, whether machine-made or hand-made, will last you that long and more, with minimal care. Most people don't take care of their rugs properly, leading to premature wear. 1) Rug pads matter. Despite what flooring mfgs warn you, the new good quality latex rug pads are just fine with any flooring. I have HW floors, LVT, and sheet vinyl flooring. None have ever been damaged by rug pads (cheap ones, a different story!). I recently pulled up a Karastan Bokhara and rug pad that had lain untouched for 25 yrs and the flooring was fine, no problems. A good rug pad helps extend the life of your rug. That machine-made wool Karastan, btw, is still in flawless shape. I bought it in 1973 and it has always been used in high-traffic areas. 2) Vacuum regularly. Every once in a while, especially in a high-dirt area, lift the rug up and vacuum the backside of it. Dirt is the enemy of floors and rugs, as it grinds like sandpaper under the weight of people's feet. 3) Once in a while, take the rug out to be cleaned. Anything over 3x4 is not a DIY job. Especially if it's a wool rug, unless you enjoy a smell like wet dogs for days on end while it dries, LOL. 4) Fading is an issue with many hand-made rugs. They tend to be made with natural dyes. If you are putting a rug in a high-UV environment, you should consider whether a machine-made, high quality rug might be better suited. There are rug damages than can be fixed, but fading is permanent. We have a wide mix of rugs (actually, more rugs than we have rooms in our house, sadly). Most are hand-made Chinese. We like the patterns and colors more, in general. Most are wool, two are silk. We also have several smaller-sized repros (like the Karastan) of classic Orientals, purchased for specific color/room matching. Some of those repros are wool, but most are synthetics. All very tight, plush weave. All still in original condition, no stains, after 10-20 yrs. Note that I do not expect any viscose (rayon) rugs to last as long. Rayon has a wonderful "hand" similar to silk, but it has very poor abrasion resistance, unlike wool or poly synthetics. That's why it's generally the least costly, when comparing similar sizes/patterns across rug types. Treat your rugs well, and 20 yrs should be no problem at all. A good wool rug, machine- or hand-made, can outlive its owners. That's why so many rugs end up at estate sales....See MoreRelated Professionals
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