An interior designer named Rosemary Sadez Friedmann wrote a nice article about “decorating in hard economic times”. She gives 5 quick decorating tips that will help spruce up your décor on a limited budget. Number 2 is about decorating with area rugs.

 

“Use area rugs. Instead of re-carpeting, throw an area rug over the rough spots. First get the old carpet cleaned, then get an attractive rug to put over part of it. You will not only cover the messy, overused parts, but will also add newness to the room. An area rug can also define a room. If you have tile or marble that spans two or more rooms, an area rug can visually separate the rooms.” By ROSEMARY SADEZ FRIEDMANN Scripps Howard News Service Posted on KNXV TV Phoenix

 

You should check out the article. It is a quick read with some simple straight forward tips. If your like a lot of Americans and can’t afford to move you should at least try to be happy where you are.

New Info Pages On RugSale.com

RugSale.com has produced a whole series of pages with information on different types of area rugs on its web site. They explain everything from shag rugs to braided rugs. They talk about the different materials like wool rugs and sisal rug. They discuss machine made contemporary rugs verses a hand tufted rug. There is even an article describing finished edge carpet rugs. Their parent company specializes in high end oriental rugs and persian rugs but they also talk about things like bath rugs, discount rugs and the kids rugs they carry online. 

Atlanta Rug Market News

Now we go live to the show…OK…not anymore. Home Textiles Today was reporting from the Atlanta market last week in Bulletins from Atlanta Rug Market. They had some interesting things to say. They have information on: Capel Inc., Shaw Living, Momeni, Balta US, Nourison, Sphinx by Oriental Weavers. Check It Out.

Size Matters…With Area Rugs

At least as far as Kate McIntyre is concerned. She says “The size of your rug depends on several factors.” and goes on to explain why in this brief but informative article.

You do not want your rug to touch the walls, nor do you want your rug to seem dwarfed by the rest of the room's interior decorating. A good rule of thumb is that your rug's length should be two feet shorter than the room's width. InteriorDesignSchoolReview.com

The article goes on to give a few more helpful hints. Kate has good tips on size and quality and her article is well worth the time.

After The Decorations Get Put Away…

Some people get a little glum after the holiday decorations get put away. It can be a bit of a depressing time for many people. There is an article in the Cape Cod Times that talks about just this problem.

It's always a shock for people when the sparkle and lights of holiday decorations are gone, says designer Diane Halunen, owner of As You Like It Interiors in Brewster. Cape Cod Times

Diane discusses some tricks she has for cheering up a room without depressing your bank account. This is actually a problem I can relate to. Both Christmas and my birthday come at about the same time so there is a big celebration high and then it all fades. Of course this all happens at a time of year when we are hunkered down in the house to get away from the cold bleak weather. Diane has some tips to help keep your house from being as bleak as the out doors.

Some options: chenille or velvet toss pillows; a fresh area rug (even on top of carpeting); a red candle on a table; a new lampshade; a woven throw on the back of a sofa; or extra vases. Cape Cod Times

Besides some texture from the pillows and rugs that Diane discusses some other designers also throw in there thoughts on “Adding cheer” and “A clean palette”. The article is worth a read if you’re feeling a little blue and could use to perk up your décor.

Rug Auction Breaks Records

Freeman's Auction, in Philadelphia PA, surpassed it greatest expectations with an auction that included some very expensive rugs. Many rugs sold for far beyond there expected price. An 18th century North Indian measuring 22’ x 13’-6” area rug brought in $17,925 when it was only expected to go for between $10,000 to $15,000. A 15’-5” x 11’-10” Northwest Persian Bakshaish from the late-19th-century went for $26,290, twice its estimated value. Here are a couple more examples.

“A late-19th-century 17-foot-six-inch-by-12-foot Haji Jalili Tabriz from North Persia wove to $46,605 (estimate $20,000-$30,000), while another 23-foot-seven-inch-by-15-foot-two-inch Northwest Persian Tabriz achieved $38,838 against its $8,000-$10,000 forecast.” ReadingEagle.com

The biggest surprise of all was a Chelaberd Kazak rug which sold for a record $341,625.

“The single medallion six-foot-one-inch-by-five-foot-four-inch rug, which only had a $15,000-$25,000 pre-sale estimate, was from the Robert Montgomery Scott estate “Androssan,” Radnor, Montgomery County. Freeman's said the price, which included a 19.5 percent buyer's fee on the first $75,000 and 12 percent on the balance, ‘represented a record for a Caucasian carpet of any kind at auction.’” ReadingEagle.com

That would have been a very exciting auction. Hopefully no one bid over there heads. I haven’t seen any picture of the pieces but I’m sure they were beautiful.

Iranian Rug Exports Running at Record Pace

The Mehr News Agency is reporting that the National Iranian Carpet Center has announced that Persian rug exports are already at $388 million in the first 9 months of the Iranian calendar year. Last years total was just $480 million. This means that they are at 81% of last years numbers with only 75% of the year gone. The centers chairman, Morteza Faraji, said he expected to see the number hit $500 million before the end of the year. This change comes from an effort by the NICC to turn around sagging sales numbers in the recent past.

"In light of the measures taken, we expect an upward trend worldwide in Persian rug business by the end of the current year, he reiterated. So far, we have identified ten target countries for Persian rug exports, he stipulated, adding that National Iranian Carpet Center is planning to begin negotiations with foreign marketing companies to that end." MEHRNEWS.com

It looks like the measures they have been taking are turning the corner on sluggish Persian rug sales.