The Right Rug

One year my friend Ray took me to NYC for New Year’s, to stand with a crowd in the snow slush and watch the ball drop, and to visit his Grandmother. It was the latter that made the trip worthwhile. On New Year’s Day, after circulation had returned to my toes, we headed off for lunch and a long visit with Ray’s Bobe. She lived on the Upper East Side, with a view of the Guggenheim, in a beautiful old building with a curb-to-door canopy entrance and a jolly doorman wearing a flat-top cap and white gloves. 

We took the tiny elevator to the 4^th floor, found her place, knocked, and the door flew open, “BUBELE!” she squealed, with both arms reached out to Ray. They wallowed in a loving embrace while she mumbled Yiddish in his ear. Meanwhile, I was visually scanning the environment and happy to report, this was no “doilies on the headrest” kind of grandma!

Bakhtiari Persian Rug

The foyer was compact, with a beautiful old cherry parquet floor and a teardrop pendant casting a red glow. To the right was an opening to the wondrous living room, a virtual football field that looked like Geary’s Far East gift department. A six-panel Coromandel screen lined one wall, a gold statue of the Hindu deity “Ganesh” stood on a pedestal and the vase on the mantel, I soon learned, was a real Ming! However, most enthralling was the flooring: a patchwork of the most exquisite Oriental rugs covering nearly the entire floor, all different sizes and beautiful rich colors. I was mesmerized! Ray’s grandparents were world travelers, who apparently, thought a souvenir was an enchanting piece of art crafted by the natives, NOT a coffee mug with “California Redwoods” stamped on the side. Go figure.  

Tribal antique Persian rug.

I learned all about the “Oriental Rug” that day. For example, an Oriental rug is defined as a rug hand knotted in Asia, China AND Russia, Turkey, Nepal, Tibet, India and Pakistan. A Persian Rug is also an Oriental rug, but they are made only in Iran and woven with a “Persian knot,” not a “Tibetan knot,” the knot used in all other Oriental rugs. Each rug’s particular pattern, palette and weave are linked with the indigenous culture and weaving techniques are specific to an identifiable area or nomadic tribe. The more formal the pattern the more urban the area in which it was made. 

Tree of Life antique rug.

Geometric designs are typically tribal. Each family of weavers would place elements in the rug’s design to record their history, coupled with the colors and images, where every plant, animal and color in the rug has a particular meaning supporting the rug’s story or marking an event.   

The Oriental rug will always be a classic, elegant piece of art, appropriate in ultra-traditional environments as well as contemporary ones. Each rug is unique and beautiful in its own way and always, timeless design.

What? You say your budget won’t allow an East-bound shopping trip for flooring?? Not to worry Designers, Design Alliance saw that coming! We know your clients love their hard floors, so we stocked up on rug vendors.  Honestly, one more rug vendor and the fabric samples will have to forfeit the throne! 

Thatcher rug by Feizy.

Hard floors and area rugs go together. An area rug creates a boundary, defines an area, anchors an element, brings color and personality to a monochromatic space and creates a soft place to play, as seen here, with the tasteful “Thatcher” rug by Feizy, defining the margins of this seating area, sans walls.

We are confident at Design Alliance that designers will find the right rug in our growing inventory of options. Fluffy ‘n soft, dense ‘n wooly, long ‘n shaggy, woven ‘n flat, natural ‘n scratchy, in countless colors, patterns, styles and types of rugs. Check out these new products from our area rug vendors:

Schooled by Jaipur.

JAIPUR, pronounced (jay-poor) our newest rug vendor, is a grassroots driven company, with their rugs, pillows and poufs made in India. Cutting out the middleman, Jaipur works directly with the weavers in their villages, bringing jobs to empower these people in underdeveloped rural areas and offering literacy education to the oppressed woman weavers and their children all across India. Very Cool. 

Bough Out by Jaipur.

They are a product of their process, meaningful and with purpose… and sometimes fresh, fun and colorful, like Jaipur’s “Schooled,” a whimsical ride on a glass bottom boat. OR the happy orange and seaweed silhouette “Bough Out,” a great outdoor loop in six colors!  

Mumford by Jaipur.

Also, the crisp navy/white contrast of the “Mumford,” a luxurious wool and silk plush pile, would make the perfect, fresh transitional floor. 

JAUNTY original rugs are designed and woven by village weavers throughout India. Unique designs and rich colorations mark the Jaunty rug. Jaunty is another company aiding the 40,000 artisans of India, bringing hope and opportunity with weaving and hand knotting.  

Jaunty's Heritage.

Jaunty's “Heritage, one of their Classics Collection, grounds this traditional room with a warm, detailed design and pattern repeat in hand-tufted wool.

Jaunty's Vanguard.

Awaken your space with vibrant hues of red, orange and yellow splashed in the center of the room, with the “Vanguard” area rug. Reminiscent of abstract modern art, it anchors the room in an edgy vibe. 

Montage by Jaunty.

The “Montage,” Jaunty’s bold geometric design, wears a confident palette of pea green, sky blue, cream and two shades of taupe. This unique presence fills the room with movement and an interesting, stylish energy, in an otherwise simple, quiet environment. 

Bleeker by Feizy.

FEIZY pronounced (FAY-z) offers the affordable “Feizy Home Collection” and “Feizy Fine Rug Collection,” for Old World museum-quality rugs. At market, the Feizy Showroom was stunning: massive rugs hung from the ceiling like giant pieces of amazing artwork. Lively, like an open air market with warm smells and the sound of the ghalam pot, while wandering around, and at your service, were very cute salesmen, wearing muslin pants, Nehru jackets and sandals. Very theatrical. Not unlike this showy art rug, “Bleecker” not an easy rug to work with, yet a perfect choice for this white-on-white room to take it to the next level. 

Feizy Barbary collection rug.

Then there is the natural beauty of the “Barbary” collection, inspired by the Moroccan Beni Ourain rug: simple, striking and plush! 

Hastings by Feizy.

Eye catching, as the bird flies, this kaleidoscope rug “Hastings,” brings all the colors of the garden to order. 

SURYA RUGS are colorful, creative, organic and young. Along with, poufs, pillows, framed artwork and lighting, Surya, respects the commissioned designers, with collections that are lux, is fearless in unique design with woven paper rugs or braided leather and organic, with undyed, all natural rugs that just feel hand made.

One of Surya's Gypsy collection.

Speaking of organic, check out Surya’s “Landscape” collection “Gypsy,” inspired from an aerial view of Earth: rugs that look like topography or ocean breakwater or the land cracks in Death Valley or this cool slice of rock!  

Harlequin by Surya.

The “Botanicals” collection takes this trend in rug design over the top, with huge, stylized floral designs, some childlike or modern or giant roses you can smell! Here is the striking “Harlequin” in raspberry and lavender, a design that calls for very little furniture.

Dunes by Surya.

Who doesn’t love the shag? This hairy, groovy, young, contemporary rug, leaves the room a little disheveled, like tousled bed head.  “Dunes” is roll around soft and beckons you to get down and be with the rug…a shag rug really does make a room feel like it’s a “no stress” zone and all who enter must chill!

But wait, there's more! Our area rug vendors don't stop here. We have the 100% wool collection by Hibernia, J. Mish, Godfrey Hirst and Fabrica. Or our custom rug lines by Delos, Janelle and Creative Accents.

Our point? We have area rugs! Lots of area rugs. So if you're not lucky enough to possess your own hand-knotted antique Oriental, we've got your floors covered!