ABC MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

In This Issue

Make Room for Rugs,

Creative Rug Displays,

How to Hang a Rug,

Contemporary & Collectible Rugs.

MAKE ROOM FOR RUGS

If you ever find yourself in the enviable position of having to make room for rugs in your home, this article is for you. 

With so many homeowners replacing some or all of their wall-to-wall carpets with hardwood, ceramic tile or laminate flooring, the task of choosing just the right rug for any area in your home can be a bit overwhelming.      

There are so many reasons for wanting area rugs in your home-comfort, beauty, and harmony are just a few. Or maybe just filling up floor space!

Choosing even one rug can be a daunting task when so many sizes, colors, and designs abound with such differences in construction and quality. If you need to fill several areas... Well, this lovely problem is then compounded!     

If you can match the size, color, and design you want in a rug with the type, construction, and quality you need for a certain area in your home, you are ready to make room for rugs. Even if you only need 1 or 2 rugs, here are some ideas to help you get started: 

LET'S MAKE ROOM for RUGS! 

Entryway

This area will most likely need a durable rug on a non-slip pad. Because it might have to go under a door, the thickness of the rug and pad may be a concern. 

A long entry hall could use a brightly colored, large design to break up the monotony of the long walls. 

Small entry areas may require more muted colors and designs to blend in and give the appearance of a somewhat larger area. 

Since entries and halls typically have less light, a lighter-colored rug may work best in your entry. 

Living Room

Furniture placement, either on or off a rug is of most importance here. Also make sure you won't be blocking any heating or air vents. Most rug(s) will be shown best if they can be placed a short distance from the walls. 

The fun part comes when choosing colors and designs to complement or contrast the furniture and/or paintings or other objects on the walls and in the room.

Dining Room

To make room for rugs in this room, there is a special requirement. The rug must be large enough so that the chairs can be moved in and out without touching the floor to protect the floors and the edges of the rug. 

The minimum size of a rug under a table and chairs in a dining room is 8x10. The larger the table, the larger the rug. For utmost protection, choose a rug with edges that are securely constructed. 

Since most of the rug will be under the table, an all-over design may work best to bring out the beauty of the rug while possibly choosing a rug with just one major color may provide harmony and calm. 

Bedroom

Here you can go all out with an extra thick and luxurious rug! This may also be the perfect place for a beautiful oriental rug, especially since eating, drinking, and shoes don't usually happen here. 

Some people enjoy intense color while others may prefer something warm, subtle, and more restful for the bedroom. 

If your bedroom is large, you may want to focus on each side of the bed with a small handmade rug, and/or a rug in front of the bed.

Bathroom

Please click here for more ways to make room for rugs in your bathroom, kitchen, office, on the stairs, and other areas.

CREATIVE RUG DISPLAYS

Creative rug displays give lovers of handmade rugs, especially oriental rugs, many different ways to use them. 

Hand woven rugs are truly works of art. Different weavers working on the same design will produce different looking rugs. These beautiful rugs are meant to be admired and usually meant to be walked on.

Unfortunately, those who love their handmade rugs and regularly collect them often find themselves with no usable floor space left. They must find less traditional and more creative ways of displaying them in their homes. Below are some examples:

Hang It On A Wall

One of the most elegant creative rug displays is a rug that is hung on a wall. It can be secured at the top by several different methods or secured to the wall from each side. 

The rug should be light in weight. It can be in the center of a wall or several similar rugs could be hung in a row on a long wall or in whatever arrangement pleases the eye.

Some Ways to Hang Your Rug On the Wall

• Wall hangers made specifically for hanging rugs and tapestries on walls.
• A piece of cloth sewn to the back side of the rug with openings on either end for a pole or rod to go through, which can then be fit into wall brackets.
• At ABC, we can apply a Velcro strip to the back of the rug and cut a thin piece of wood with the matching Velcro strip stapled or glued to the wood with holes drilled for nails. When the rug needs cleaning, just pull off the rug with the Velcro still attached and bring it to our plant for cleaning. If desired, the Velcro strip can be easily removed from the rug if you decide to display the rug on the floor.
• Small rugs can be mounted behind glass for displaying on the wall.

Other Creative Rug Displays...

• On a sofa or chair.
• On a table.
• As a very dramatic headboard in your bedroom.
• On a quilt stand.
• As a bedspread on a bed.

For even more creative ways to display rugs with photos, please continue reading  here. 

 HOW TO HANG A RUG

Why hang a rug on a wall? There are so many good reasons! Perhaps you have run out of floor space. Or you have an extra special rug you would like to preserve or display more elegantly.

There are many ways to hang a rug on a wall. The size and general density of the rug will help to determine the best method for your situation. It is possible to 'do-it-yourself' but if the rug is a valuable one, you may want to contact a professional.

Hang A Rug Methods

Hang the Rug Freely on the Wall

This can be done with tacks or tackless strips (such as those used to install carpet). This is not a recommended method for most rugs and should be considered temporary. This would not be ideal for a heavy rug. Be very careful if you use this method not to place the tacks on a foundation cord (warp - running from the top to the bottom of the rug) to prevent damage to the foundation.       

Map pins can be a good solution for hanging rugs freely on drywall. These short pins with colored tips are an inexpensive option and work best with lighter rugs. They will not damage the drywall. 

Sew a Sleeve to the Back of the Rug and Hang on a Pole with Brackets

The materials needed for this project include a piece of cloth that is the same width as the rug, a rod a few inches longer on both sides to fit into wall brackets, and wall brackets. 

Sew the cloth to the back side of the rug, leaving openings on both ends for the pole. After you decide where you want to hang the rug, install the brackets and make sure the rug is hanging level.

A variation of this method is to sew strips of fabric to the rug, either on the back or from the top, for hanging on a pole. 

Please click  here for photos and more ways to hang a rug (as well as ABC's recommended method).

CONTEMPORARY AND COLLECTIBLE RUGS FOR THE ORIENTAL RUG CONSUMER

It may be surprising to see the words'contemporary and collectible' in the same sentence with 'oriental rugs!' 

Today, it seems sub-standard weaving from many different countries, featuring cheap reproductions of popular designs using synthetic dyes are flooding the market. It is good to know consumers wishing to purchase oriental rugs do have viable options for excellent quality contemporary and collectible rugs.

There are several examples of weaving enterprises in operation today that are indeed producing both contemporary and collectible rugs. A few are mentioned below:

Dobag

This Turkish enterprise stands for Natural Dye Research and Development Project which was established in 1981 in Northwestern Turkey through the research and efforts of German chemist and rug scholar, Dr. Harold Bohmer. 

The rugs are woven with natural, vibrant vegetable dye methods and are not ever treated with any chemical or aging treatment. Although they use traditional designs, the weaver is the one who chooses the combination of motifs and colors.

Each rug is registered and the number is recorded on an attached leather tag.This tag contains the size, knot count, and names of the weaver and her village and guarantees the quality of the rug.     

Azeri Rugs and Woven Legends

George Jevremovic, founder of the Philadelphia-based Woven Legends, organized Azeri rug production in Eastern Turkey in 1982. 

Weavers of Azeri rugs borrowed designs from other weaving areas and combined them with Turkish motifs. Sometimes this combination could be a bit unusual though they are and were very popular.

The quality of the rugs is comparable to the DOBAG rugs and like the DOBAG, only natural dyes were used and no chemical or aging treatments were allowed. 

Azeri rugs are no longer being woven but have evolved into a number of other beautifully woven rugs produced today by Woven Legends.

Gangchen (Snowland) Tibetan Rugs  

Please click  here to for more information and direct links to contacts for the sale of these rugs.

"The Cleanest Clean You've Ever Seen."

by

ABC Oriental Rug & Carpet Cleaning Co.
130 Cecil Malone Drive Ithaca, NY 14850

607-272-1566

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