My Blog

Choosing Textiles

03/30/2013 11:34:00

As we enter the Spring season, we see the return of color especially in fashion. Textiles are constantly innovating, and so it is essential to select the textiles that are right for the application you are using it for.

With every planned textile application there are questions: what fiber? which yarn construction? what method of manufacture? what finish?

As an Interior Designer, my awareness of these choices will determine the answers and ultimately the suitability of the chosen textile.

One of the more recent factors in consumerism is the necessity to conserve energy. Textiles can provide important thermal insulation, which also benefits the consumer that is environmentally aware, or even just those not interested in throwing money out the window!

The desire for less noise, less glare, less "artificiality" in the built environment, adds points to the choice of textiles, especially for areas traditionally treated with hard-surface finishes. Carpeted areas combat against noise pollution, provide insulation and contribute visually to a feeling of warmth, or coziness/homey feel. Manufacturers want to engineer "hard wear" or "easy care" carpet.

*I like to find out how the company that will install it takes care of the old removed carpets. Do they recycle it? Do they recycle the carpet padding? Encourage this practice by giving your business to those that are responsible environmentally.*

And, as we all know draperies can provide cooling from the sun and even sound insulation.

Textiles for interiors are exhibiting strong fashion trends, and is significant since textiles are relatively easy to change. Which is important for homeowners or commercial clients that want to continually have an up-to-date image. Textiles are easy to handle so this change is feasible, not prohibitively expensive, yet monumental in effect.

COLOR: offers enormous design potential, textiles are a major vehicle for its introduction to an interior. Don't be afraid of color!! differences in tone and hue are unlimited.
AESTHETICS: includes the textile design itself. Design fundamentals as well as pattern skeletons, repeat, and pattern layouts.
TEXTURE: all material has texture. It is, in essence, a pattern of lights and shadows caused by elevated portions of the surface. It is most apparent in a coarse fabric, but texture may be smooth or rough, soft or hard, level or uneven, shiny or dull, in any combination and any degree.
PATTERN: like color can reflect many moods. It can become an integral part of the textile as it is constructed, or be applied to a finished surface Pattern is a specific arrangement of shapes and colors that distinguishes it from all others. It may be immediately eye-catching-like a bold floral or geometric-or so subtle as to be almost missed-a tone on tone chevron. A motif is a pattern unit, which may be a polka dot or an entire scene. Repeated over and over, it forms the pattern repeat, which may be as small as a centimeter or as large as one and a half meters.

Stripes, checks and dots are ancient, common patterns, yet are as effective and popular today as ever and lend themselves to a myriad of interpretations in scale and mood, from subtle to psychedelic. Geometrics, florals, scenic, paisleys, brocades-the range of patterns is limitless.

To primitive people color was an elemental experience, today it is psychologically meaningful (mood, pop culture, etc)

A Rainbow of Symbolism:

RED: health and vitality.

BRIGHT RED: passion

DARK GREYED RED: evil

PURE PINK: delicacy, festivity

WARM MEDIUM PINK: innocence, calm

ORANGE: enthusiasm, zeal

LIGHT ORANGE: intensity

DARK ORANGE: ambition

YELLOW: inspiration

MEDIUM YELLOW: goodness, wisdom

STRONG LIGHT YELLOW: stimulation

DARK MEDIUM YELLOW: love of humanity

GOLD: luxury, glory, distinction.

GREEN: sociability

YELLOW GREEN: youth, freshness

MEDIUM GREEN: honesty, practicality.

BLUE: idealism

STRONG BLUE GREEN: restlessness, nostalgia

GREYED BLUE GREEN: placidity, repose

DARK GREYED BLUE: kindness, sincerity

LIGHT MEDIUM BLUE: peacefulness

PURPLE: magnificence

STRONG BLUE-PURPLE: sterness

LIGHT PURPLE: fragility, softness

MEDIUM PURPLE: poise

PART 2 COMING SOON: DESIGN AND BEHAVIOR AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS.

01/28/2013 11:28:00

Hello! Please take a moment to look at my boards on Pinterest. They are a source to catalogue my inspiration and thoughts on design depicted through a series of pins to visually display in a schematic way where I am in design. Plus, it is a lot of fun!! I hope you enjoy them and perhaps find your inspiration too!!

my user name is the same as my twitter account: alexthomas01

Merging Styles with Your Partner

09/07/2012 12:06:00

If you are moving in with your partner, and are wondering where to begin as far as making it a home you both will enjoy here's my number one tip:Design your life, not just your home.

Start the conversation

Are you the entertaining types? Do you lean towards a particular style: masculine, feminine, formal, casual, modern, etc. ? What are your lives like on a daily basis? Are you laid back? Busy? What are your hobbies? Perfectionists? Ok with messy? Do you enjoy color? Who needs a lot of closet space? Do you need separate areas: for quiet alone time? How do you imagine yourself, is your partner quietly reading while you are talking on the phone?
What are your goals? Get talking!

Creative Synergy

Think of the stages you will enjoy your home in. Morning, evening, night. As well as week, and week end, and long term stages like the goals and dreams you both have. Leave room for possibilities: such as hoping to entertain more, or storage for new hobbies. The thing you don't want to do is limit yourselves. Think of the day to day practicalities and merge those with your dreams. Find the compromise if you are very different in style. An Interior Designer can come up with creative ways to merge styles.

Close Old Chapters

Each of you should edit some of the past, don't get me wrong the past is what made you into the fine person reading my blog today! But let go of that chair you've had through college that your girlfriend hates. Or a print that won't go with your new combined style, but you've enjoyed and can now let go of. Be sensitive, but also ready to move forward together.

It's Living

I don't think of a home as ever "done" and now it's time to celebrate! I think of a home as a living space that changes and grows. Pick up something from a trip you take together, or buy a new set of dishes because you enjoy cooking together. It would always be transforming a little, this cannot be faked. This is the total of your lives together, and as a designer I try to always be sensitive to a couples favorite things and work them in to the design for their home. That doesn't mean you shouldn't celebrate your new place together right away, have a housewarming party and crack open the Champagne!

Create Your Own Reality

If you both enjoy a more "urban" look, who says you can't design that in your home in the suburbs? If you want a fabulous closet but lack space, look into creative options to get what you want. If you want to put southern wicker on your urban balcony, why not? I draw the line at Palm Tree prints hanging in your beach house, though.

Good Taste Can be Learned!

There are plenty of things around us that are pretentious and ugly. Trust what innately feels good for you: color wise, texture wise,etc. This is what is compatible with you and your personality. As a couple, this is your "story". Your spirit as a couple will bind these things together. You and your partner may be out shopping for your home and find that you are both drawn to a sofa or object, that might surprise you! Be true to your tastes, and allow them to grow. Gather what is meaningful and true to your living style. Remember, you will both outgrow your current taste as time goes by and pay attention to that. Like I said, a home is a living thing!!

Lighting a room

08/22/2012 13:00:00

The coolness or warmth of light is something to consider when planning or replacing your bulbs. A cool light in a room can look crisp if done well, or it can look clinical and cold. I like to use a variety of options for my clients especially in the bathroom, where they may desire a daylight color for makeup application(so that makeup isn't applied too heavily or in strange patches due to poor lighting) and perhaps an evening color for a soak in the tub.

Natural daylight is the usual point of reference, but some daylight can be very cool. The light from a blue or overcast sky, for instance, or from a northerly direction is usually much cooler or bluer than the clearer, purer white sunlight overhead at midday (this is why I like to choose paint and fabric around noon and take the samples outside if possible, since the showroom light can influence my color perception).

You can use a Kelvin chart to assess the degree of warmth or coolness of light. The scale is given in degrees of Kelvin which defines the "color temperature" of a given light from blue through white, yellow, orange and red.

A general light (not direct sunlight, but blue sky) is between 9000-8000 degrees Kelvin
7500-6500 degrees Kelvin is like an overcast sky.
6000-5500 Kelvin is like direct summer overhead light at midday
5000--4500 Kelvin is like a cool white fluorescent.
4000-3500 Kelvin is late afternoon sunlight
3000-1500 Kelvin is evening light.

Two of the warmest lights are the flickering of a candle and the kinetic light of a glowing fire.

The luminous intensity of a light source is expressed in candelas (one candela is approximately equal to the luminous intensity of one candlestick); the amount of light energy flowing from that source is expressed in lumens . You can roughly estimate the lumen level of any room by totaling the lumens emitted from all the bulbs illuminating that room. For instance, one candle produces about 12 lumens, an 80 watt fluorescent tube produces about 4,500 lumens (57 lumens per watt). You can usually find these measurements on the packaging.

You can then relate these measurements to your specific needs. As a rough guide, you need a minimum of 2,500 lumens for intricate visual tasks, directed at the work surface. Casual task and general background lighting require about 1,500 to 2,000 lumens, with it arranged comfortably.

An Interior Designer can help with intensity, placement, color and purpose. I have placement tricks I use for seeing oneself in the mirror (to avoid casting unflattering light down), highlighting artwork or sculpture, and much more. Lighting effects mood and creates visual interest too.

I believe many points and options for lighting make a comfortable room. I like to put lights on a dimmer, and have different sources for lighting. Better lighting can really change a room!!

The Subdivisions of American Periods

07/30/2012 19:09:00

The Subdivisions of American Periods

It's more specific to delineate the American periods, though the styles produced before the nineteenth century are often linked together under the general heading colonial. Here are the subdivisions:

1. Early American(1608-1720 in Virginia; 1620-1720 in New England)

2. Georgian Period (1720-1790)

3. Postcolonial or Federal Period (1790-1820)

4. Greek Revival Period (1820-1860)

5. Victorian Period (1840-1880)

6. Eclectic Period (1870-1925)

7. Modern Period (1925-present day)

Early American

One of the main differences in the development of the decorative arts in the United States and those of European countries is that the early expression in America was that of a pioneer people whose demand was for satisfaction of the primary necessities of life; appearance was a nonessential, and beauty only an accidental result. The earliest productions were structural and functional in their forms; good proportions and charm of detail were gradual developments. European industrial art, on the contrary, originated in nearly every case in a conscious effort to produce luxurious surrounding for royalty or rich patrons of the arts in which visual appeal had as important a part as utility; these forms were finally imitated and cheapened for the middle classes and eventually influenced the peasant productions.

American architecture and decoration began as a distinctly provincial style in a country where the inhabitants were possessed of a humble refinement but had few of the earmarks of sophisticated culture. Written records by Captain John Smith and others would indicate that those who first stepped ashore from England to become permanent settlers in America built huts or wigwams of clay, mud, bark, and limbs of trees, roofing their flimsy structures with thatch, but this type of dwelling need hardly be considered in a history of the decorative arts. It is even doubtful that the log cabin type of structure was early adopted by English inhabitants. Probably the Swedes, who had come from a land of small wooden homes , and who settled in Delaware in 1638, were responsible for introducing the method of laying the trunks of trees on top of one another to form a wall, interlocking them at the ends with those of the adjoining wall and filling the cracks with clay to make them weathertight.

Practically all houses in both New England and Virginia were built entirely of wood during the 17th century. Oyster shells, the early material for making lime, were difficult to obtain and made a plaster of poor quality. It was not until around 1680 that other materials for mortar were found in abundance. Only the inside of the exterior walls of the house were sealed with it; the interior partition walls remained in wood planking. Three plastered walls and one wooden one became a characteristic feature of the interior treatment of the rooms in the two room house.

New England was very slow in developing an appreciation of architectural design or in adopting any of the academic forms of classical architecture for either the exterior or the interior of the house. Houses in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and other southern states were built of brick as early as 1670, and a few of these showed the first evidences of the use of classical trims in the interiors.

The early settlers found oak and pine forests had to be cleared in order to obtain land for farming, and thus with an enormous supply of waste lumber, it was natural that the earliest houses were built of these woods. The houses were constructed by the braced framing system. This was an adaptation of the English half-timber or whole-timber house, which had been in existence since Saxon days. A skeleton frame of heavy posts, girders, and beams was assembled and interlocked by mortise, tenon, dowel, and dovetail. The oak members forming the skeleton were larger than structurally necessary. The spaces between the posts were filled with wattle. Oak planks were used generally to cover both the inside and outside walls until about 1700, when pine was used.

The planks on the inside of the room were placed vertically, forming what is known as a palisade wall. On the outside they were placed horizontally, the upper one overlapping the one below, forming a clapboard wall. The planks, cut from first-growth trees, were of great width, sometimes exceeding three feet each, and they were used as they came from the log, in varying dimensions. To compensate for shrinkage of the vertical planks, and to make the wall as weathertight as possible, a tongue was cut along the edge of each plank to fit into a groove on the adjoining plank. Simple ornamental moldings of varying shapes were also added along the joints. The wall thus had both an outside and an inside layer of planks for weather proofing, but the structural posts and beams always protruded on the inside. The exposure of the structural forms became a characteristic part of the room decoration. A very noticeable element in nearly all of these rooms was the large beam that spanned the width of the ceiling of the room near its center, one end of which was supported on the stone chimney, the other end resting on a post in the wall. This beam was known as the summer beam. All the woodwork was left in a natural finish; as pine became red with age, the walls were warm in color and dark in appearance.

The earliest two-room frame houses had a central stone chimney with a single flue serving a fireplace in each room. One room was used as a combination kitchen, dining, and living room; the other was used as a bedroom for the whole family. The entrance hall was placed in the center of the house, and it often contained a steep ladder or stairway to the attic. The space at the side of the masonry of the fireplaces, between the two rooms, was usually turned into closets or cupboards. The attic was floored over, and the floor boards formed the ceiling of the first story rooms.

The rooms were low-ceilinged, being seldom over seven feet high. The windows were at first of the casement type. Glass, oiled paper or isinglass filled the panes, which were either rectangular or diamond shaped, and were separated by either lead or wooden sash bars, forms borrowed from Jacobean architecture. Many windows had no glass at all, but were furnished with blinds. It is doubtful whether double hung sliding sash were used until after 1700.

The flooring of the first story was at first just earth. Stone was used, in some cases, but pine, oak, and chestnut planks were soon adopted.

It was not until the opening of the 18th century that the English trend in classical architectural forms, as introduced by Inigo Jones and Sir Christopher Wren, began to be reflected in America. Considerations of form and line only gradually developed importance. The styles of England were transmitted to the colonies partly through immigration, partly through the importation of books on building and architecture, and partly by royal governors, who insisted on having for their residences houses that conformed to the dignity of their position.

The printing press was a huge influence in spreading the details of classical architecture among the general run of carpenters and builders. The English version of Palladio's work was particularly in demand, but the works of James Gibbs, Abraham Swan, Batty Langley, and William Halfpenny were eagerly purchased, and they had a very direct bearing upon the development of decoration as well as on that of architecture. The diffusion of these book designs tended to develop similarity in style in all parts of the colonies and left little to the originality of the designer.

The craftsmen who built the houses in many cases also produced the interior equipment. The general divisions of the styles are, therefore the same as those of architecture and interior decoration.

The major portion of American furniture followed English prototypes, and broadly speaking, may be considered an English provincial style. In addition to the English types, styles of Holland, Germany, and France influenced the furniture craft where inhabitants from those countries had settled. The whole of the seventeenth century reflects the design and character of Jacobean and Restoration forms. The chest, cupboard, and desk-box, the turned and wainscot chair, the stool and settle, the trestle table, a few smaller tables and such space-saving types as the table-chair, and the gateleg and drop-leaf table were used in the combination kitchen, living, and dining room. Four-poster beds, trundle beds, and wooden cradles formed the furnishings for the sleeping rooms, with additional chests for storage. Clocks and mirrors were rare.

The ornamentation consisted of turnings, strapwork patterns, applied split spindles, round or oval wooden handles, carving and painting. The carved motifs were usually a crude imitation in low relief of English prototypes. Frequently they consisted of jack-knife incisions in patterns unrelated to traditional forms, obviously representing the playful fantasy of some farmer's son or apprentice joiner who chose this method of passing the long winter evening. The Tudor rose, the tulip, the sunflower, the acanthus, and the arcaded panel were frequently seen as carved motifs.

The chest, used as a container or seat, was by far the most important piece of furniture in the home, and was made in a variety of forms. The lid at the top was hinged, the sides were paneled, and occasionally it had one or more drawers at the bottom. As chests were heightened, the tops were used for display of small objects of metal or potter, and the hinged top then became impractical. The chest of drawers eventually evolved into the chest of drawers or bureau as it is known today. A special type, known as a Connecticut chest, stood on four short legs, had two rows of double drawers below the chest proper, and was decorated with large split spindles painted black to imitate ebony. The handles of the drawers were wooden ovals, usually placed diagonally. The Hadley chest, also of Connecticut origin but misnamed for a Massachusetts town, was similar, but it generally had only one drawer and was decorated with a very crude incised ornamentation. One type of small chest was known as a desk-box; this had a flat or slanting pine top, while the sides of the box were in carved oak. It held writing materials and a few books. The desk-box was finally placed on legs, evolving into the early type of slant-lid desk.

The tables of the period had turned legs; the tops were frequently of pine and had wide overhangs, molded stretchers connected the legs. Drawers were sometimes placed in the apron under the top. The drop leaf tables were designed with gatelegs, swinging arms, butterfly wings, and pulls for supporting the hinged flap.

Chairs of the 17th century were built on straight lines. The oak wainscot chair, reserved as the seat of honor, was more simply ornamented than its English prototype, and had a paneled back, curved arms, and turned legs. The Carver chair , a simplified version of the Brewster chair which had more spindles, had straight turned legs, the rear legs continuing upward to form the back uprights, between which were placed vertical and and horizontal turned spindles. Stretchers strengthened the leg construction. Slat-back chairs were of similar design, but they had wide horizontal ladder rails between the back uprights. The tops of the legs and back uprights in both the Carver and slat-back types were usually terminated in a turned finial motif or a mushroom form. The seats were made of rush or of plain wood boards.

Services Offered

07/15/2012 13:40:00

I am scheduling consultations in the Tampa Bay Area for the month of August and September

Interior Design

Renovations
Creative Solutions
Use of existing furniture and accessories in a new way
Selection of home furnishings and finishes
Party design and planning
Wedding design and coordination
Holiday and event design

Call 727.417.6786 to set up your appointment, or email alexandra@alexandrathomasinteriordesign.comalexandra@alexandrathomasinteriordesign.com

Oriental Rugs

07/05/2012 18:48:00

Oriental Rugs: Classification, Weaves and Knots, Fibers and Materials, Dyes and Coloring

Rug Design, origin and History

Design in rugs is, of course, inseparable from design in architecture and decoration generally. The exact origin and early development of design is buried in the dawn of history. The earliest historic ornament belongs to civilizations already well advanced. The vast array of design of all ages and periods appears incomprehensible until we realize that that each style is founded on the one preceding it. The ornament of every age is nearly always traceable to that of some older civilization. There is a clear genealogy of design.The very earliest patterns were undoubtedly geometrical in character and prehistoric in origin. It is generally assumed that the first "woven" designs were copies of the plaiting of the mats made of rushes which preceded the carpets in the evolution of floor coverings. Among these earliest motifs is the "zig zag", a motif of prehistoric origin evidently derived from basketry, occurring frequently in Egyptian art, where it represents the waters of the Nile. Another is the "swastika", thought to have originated as a sacred symbol in the worship of the sun and to have signified time and eternity. Egyptian motifs had their origin in art, such as the "lotus" as it was the first flower to be represented in woven fabrics. The "rosette" also comes from Egypt, and is found in borders, as well as the "palmette" another adaptation of the Lotus shows a cup with fan-shaped leaves. Its meaning is related to the sun rising over the Nile, while others think it may have originated in the tree of life. The palmette, persisting through Greek art, has come down through the ages to our time.

Classification

There are six main classifications of Oriental rugs, and less than fifty common kinds. The majority of these are named from which they are imported. The name of a rug does not guarantee quality, as both superior and inferior grades are made in all places. The important essential ingredients in all rugs are design, material, and workmanship, and of these, from an interior designer's standpoint is of course design - which includes color.

The six classifications are Persian, Indian, Turkoman, Caucasian, Turkish, and Chinese.

Persian rugs are profusely decorated with a great variety of flowers, leaves, vines, and occasional birds and animals woven in a freehand manner and considerably conventionalized with purely decorative intent. The generally have an all over pattern, and the ground is almost entirely covered. The colors are soft and delicate, blending with one another in a most pleasing manner. Many of the patterns start from a central medallion. The lines of the patterns are always graceful. Among the most popular of the Persian rugs are the Saraband, whose entire field is covered with a repeating pattern of palm leaves, such as are used on an Indian shawl design, with a rose or blue ground; the Ispahan or Herat, having a coarse pile showing an intricate, stately design on a claret ground; the Hamadan, a camel's hair rug with a coarse weave in light browns, reds, and blues; the Kerman and Kermanshah, with fine pile in soft cream, rose, light blue, and other pastel colors; the Sarook, having a fine pile in dark reds and blues mixed with lighter colors; the Bijar, as thick as two or three ordinary rugs; the Polonaise, a delicately colored antique silk rug; the Sehna, the close woven small rug with a minute pattern; and the Feraghan, usually produced with a small all over design of flowers or conventional forms arrayed in rows.

Indian rugs are those in which flowers, leaves, vines, and occasional animals are woven in a naturalistic manner. In the earlier rugs of which few remain, the weavers drew the flowers as though they were botanical specimens. In the later Indian rugs many copies of Persian patterns were made, but the copies are always easily recognized. The colors in these rugs are often brilliant. In broad generalization, the two classifications of Oriental rugs that are decorated almost exclusively with flowers are the Persian and the Indian, and their style and patterns are so distinct that their identification is comparitavely easy. The leading place names associated with Indian rugs are Agra, Lahore, Kashmir, and Srinagar.

Turkoman rugs, comprising the products of Turkestan, Bokhara, Afghanistan, and Beluchistan, are red rugs with web fringes or apron diamonds, octagons, stars, and crosses. The forms are nearly always of pure geometric linear design. They are closely woven, with a short firm pile. The the wild tribes of these localities should dye their wools in the shades of blood and weave the designs of childhood is fitting and logical.

Caucasian rugs, also the product of a wild section of Central Asia, differ from the Turkoman rugs chiefly in being dyed in other colors than blood red, in omitting apron ends, and in being more crowded, elaborate, and pretentious in geometric linear pattern. The Caucasian weaver's distinction as the Oriental cartoonist, the expert in wooden men, women, and animals is well deserved. He holds the Oriental rug patent on Noah's-ark designs. Incidentally, Mount Ararat and Noah's grave, "shown" near Nakitchevan, are actually located on the southern border of the Caucasus. Some of the design forms resemble snow crystals, others are not unlike the patterns of the Navaho and other American Indian blankets. The eight-pointed star is a great favorite, and forms borrowed from the Persian are sometimes used. Borders are often wide and important. The designs are bold and the colors brilliant and strongly contrasted, imitating mosaic effects. The principal rugs of the Caucasus are those of Daghestan, Shirvan, Soumak, Kuba, Ghendje, and Cashmere, the last generally attributed to India.

Turkish rugs are of both geometrical and floral design, but can be distinguished from Persian and Indian products by their ruler-drawn character of their patterns. The often show quasi-botanical forms, angularly treated. Turkish rugs that contain the patterns common to the Caucasian and Turkoman families can be recognized by their brighter, sharper, and more contrasting colors. The key to the identification of this most difficult rug family is to be found in the Turkish prayer rugs. To know Turkish rugs, one must see many of them; to know the other families, one need see only a few. Ghiordes was famous for making prayer rugs. Bergamo was justly esteemed for its shaggy rugs of individual designs. many rugs actually made in the interior are attributed to Smyrna, a port town. The Anatolian and Armenian rugs are also classified with the Turkish.

Chinese rugs can be recognized instantly by their colors; these are determined by their backgrounds-the reverse of the Persian method, which is to make the design the principal color medium. the Chinese colors are probably best described as lighter and softer colors of silk-dull yellows, rose, salmon-red, browns, and tans, the design usually being in blue. The Chinese were the original manufacturers and dyers of silk, and they applied their silk dyes to their rugs. The older Chinese rugs frequently show designs influenced by the Buddhist, Taoist, and Lamaist faiths. Symbolism was of the utmost importance. The Precious Things, The Hundred Antiques, The Fragrant Fingers of Buddha, the peony, the waves and clouds of eternity, the mythical dragon, the fabulous lion, the heavenly dog trying to devour the moon, the horse, the bat, the butterfly serving as the symbol of Cupid, the temple bells, and other distinctive features are found in the patterns.

The best periods of antique Chinese rugs were the K'ang Hsi (1662-1723) and the Ch'ien Lung (1736-1796). The patterns of these periods have been extensively copied ever since they were originated, but unfortunately commercialism has entered the field, and many of the modern Chinese producers have disregarded the old traditions and created patterns solely to appeal to an uninformed European and American public.

Weaves and Knots

The majority of Oriental rugs are woven with knots, the ends of which are cut off, forming a pile. There are two kinds woven without knots. They are Khilims and Soumaks, the latter sometimes called Cashmere rugs. Khilims are Oriental tapestries. The design is obtained by frequent changes of weft colors. The face and back of this rug appear to be alike. The best of Khilims, known as Sehna, are rightly among the most desirable of Oriental weavings. Khilims are thin and light in weight, but are often quite durable.

The Soumak rug, from Shemakha in the Caucasus, and not from India as is commonly supposed, has three parts to its weave. In addition to the warp and weft, which form only the basis of the fabric, the pattern is made by a stitch woven in and out between the warp threads, back under two, forward over four again, and so on, making a smooth surface. The ends of the threads are left loose on the back, as on a Cashmere Shawl; this has caused these rugs to be known incorrectly as Cashmeres.

The third type, or knotted rug, is the one most generally used. Here the weft is a mere binder, the entire surface, or pile being formed by the ends of threads knotted around the warps. Two types of knot are used, the Ghiordes or Turkish and the Sehna or Persian. The former is used in Turkey, the Caucasus, and parts of Persia, the latter throughout the greater part of Asia, including China, Turkestan, Beluchistan, and most of Persia. To make the Ghiordes knot, a short piece of thread is laid across two warps, and the ends are carried down outside and up between them and pulled tight. Int the Sehna knot, one end is treated in this manner, but the other passes down between two threads and up outside. In either case the pile is of wool, but the warp and weft may be of wool, cotton, or a mixture of the two, or occasionally of camel's hair or silk.

Fibers and Materials

A great variety of materials is used making Oriental rugs. Wool is the all important textile of the industry; cotton, the base and binder; hair and silk, the occasional materials.Hemp, jute, and linen are also used in rug making, but to be a real judge of rugs, one must be a judge of wools. Wool is a modified form of hair, distinguishable from it by softness, curl, and elasticity, and the microscopic overlapping scales of its surface. It is sometimes impossible to determine whether an animal fiber is wool or hair, because the one by degrees merges into the other. Fine wool has as many as 2,800 scales to the inch. Poor wool has not more than 500. This makes a difference in Oriental rugs in the absorption and retention of dye.

The best wool is taken from the shoulders and sides of the young sheep, goat, or camel. Wool taken from old, undernourished or dead animals is of second and third grade. The importance of the quality and condition of the wool in Oriental rugs is accentuated by the possible effects of the processes that are applied to finish them for the market. These processes, known as washing or treating, are the application to new rugs of various chemical solutions that diminish the strength of the raw dyes and colors. If carelessly applied, these solutions that actually consume the fabric. When applied to good wools and dyes, they do little or no damage. As practically all modern Oriental rugs are treated, the buyer must concern himself to secure rugs that have been wisely treated.

Dyes and Coloring

The dyes used exclusively in the East until a comparatively few years ago were vegetable and natural dyes. The vegetable dyes were obtained from leaves, flowers, roots, berries, bark, and nuts. Cochineal is the stock example of a natural insect dye. These were the materials that made Oriental rugs famous, and the recipes were carefully guarded secrets. Substitutes have been found for every dye, however.Alizarin dye is an artificial dyestuff obtained from coal tar. Aniline, invented in 1856, has gradually eliminated the natural dyes. Many of the aniline dyes are as permanent as the natural or vegetable dyes. If the color schemes, designs, and wools of the Oriental rugs woven today were as satisfactory generally as are the dyes used in them, the art of rug weaving would be on a very high plane.

Defects

Oriental rugs may have defects resulting from the depredation of heels and moths and from dry rot due to age and salt water; and they may have holes, cuts, and crookedness in weave (which I happen to enjoy sometimes). Old rugs that are worn to the foundation in sections are much less desirable for service than those with the pile of fair depth which is worn evenly. The deep and serious defects of a rug are easily detected by holding it to the light and by examining its back. heavy beating to clean a rug quickly ruins it. Sweeping and vacuum cleaning can do little harm, if not too vigorously applied.

Values

There are three possible values in every Oriental rug: the utility value, the art value, and the collector's value.

The utility value depends entirely upon the durability of the fabric as a floor covering. The art value depends upon the color and design rather than upon the texture. The collector's value depends upon the rarity of the art value. It follows that Oriental rugs are valued and priced according to individual worth, and that the honest dealer can neither ask more than a rug is worth nor confess attempted extortion by radical price reductions. The fairness of the price is proportionate usually to the honesty of the dealer. To judge the quality of an Oriental rug is a matter requiring considerable study, and the amateur will be well advised not to attempt this without the aid of an expert or a dealer whose reputation in unquestioned.

Southern Inspiration

05/30/2012 16:23:00

I took a few photos of a project of mine in progress over the weekend, and also some pretty and inspiring scenes of the area...I know it's not good for the Oak trees, but Spanish Moss is so pretty. I hope you enjoy!

Guest Friendly Home and Entertaining

05/15/2012 09:01:00

Your mood sets the tone.
Don't use plastic.
Make introductions so that no one feels left out. Make sure to introduce people that you think will enjoy meeting each other (common interests, personalities, etc).
Out of the bag snacks (nuts, pretzels, crisps) are elegant when put in a pretty bowl. In fact, place a few small bowls around the room.
It's a little old school to sit at the head of the table. And, it will surprise and delight a good friend or guest of honor to suggest they sit there.
Separate couples at the table.
Your powder room says a lot about you. Provide pump soap, so that no one has to use a soggy bar of soap. Also, put out individual hand towels (either paper napkins or a stack of neatly folded hand cloths-wash cloth size works well. If using cloth, set out a small hamper for the cloths after use.)
Give guests a place to hang coats, or bags.
You don't have to have a rigid dress code, but give your guests some idea of the tone. Don't just say "what ever you feel comfortable in" as it can be embarrassing for a guest to show up under or overly dressed.
Put out bite sized snacks. Its hard to stand and eat or make conversation while managing a sandwich.
Get your playlist ready, or turn on Pandora so that you are not walking away from your guests to constantly fiddle with the music.
Not everyone drinks alcohol. Put some italian soda, or sparkling water and juices out.
Dim the lights, and light some candles.
Put some lights or candles on your balcony/patio/deck so that the mood extends past the black glass of night.
If guests seem to always get stuck in your kitchen, darken it and put the bar in the living room. But separate the bar area from the food so that guests mingle between the two. As well as having small bowls in between of nuts, etc.
Thank each guest for coming.

A Couple Ideas

04/30/2012 13:03:00

Use LED lighting
Talk with an artisan about Paris Plaster, refinishing furniture, leafing walls, and creating custom mosaics and tile work....include your interior designer in this conversation!
If you are painting, don't forget to paint your ceilings! Ask your Benjamin Moore specialist about adding a "pearl finish". It can subtley alter the color and depth of your walls in different lighting, it is not necessarily glossy or mineral looking but is a sneaky way to add dimension without adding the glare of high gloss. Again, ask your designer! This can be applied to ceilings too-but make sure you have walls that are either smooth or you like the texture of. This is also something you will want a skilled painter to do, as you don't want roller marks with directional streaks.
Visit local stores, get to know the owners and associates.