Rug Buyers Blog

Sometimes you’ve just got to get rid of something to get something else in return. It seems that such transactions rarely work out for the best, at least in my case. Sometime back, I was attending a local auction. For the most part, it contained the typical mish-mash of old goods that someone didn’t want anymore, but didn’t have the heart to take to the dump. Yet, amongst the old lamps, worn out tools, and fake Persian rugs were a few old firearms. In picking through them, I found a little gem – a Winchester Model 1894. The cool part was that it was a deluxe model, takedown, with half-octagon, half-round barrel and a special order front sight.

Some brilliant mind had dreamed up the rifle needed sling swivels, and fitted the old gal with a fore end cap with swivel that was made for a round instead of octagon barrel. They had fired the rifle with such fittings, causing the ill-fitting cap to split the deluxe grade fore-end. Further, the would-be gunsmith set the rear swivel into the deluxe-grade stock with sheet metal scr……………. continues on Handguns

By Jeffrey Fisher

Hi Jeffrey,

Last fall my family and I moved into a new-build, two-storey home. At the time of purchasing, we upgraded to include hardwood staircases both up and down from the main floor. The basement is not finished but it’s on our immediate to-do list. Though beautiful, the stairs are very slippery in socks and I’m afraid my youngest son will have a concussion if I don’t cover them soon.

Do you have any great ideas for our staircase, keeping in mind we are a family of five not including Cash, our beloved golden retriever.

Thank you, Lauren.

Hi Lauren,

Your dog’s name begs the question: Is he the namesake of a certain music legend or a reminder of what it takes to keep him fed and groomed? Whatever the case, I assume your stairs are high traffic and you’re not looking……………. continues on National Post

Houses, like people, sometimes guard their true nature.

From the outside, Rebecca and John Carroll’s home on Satellite Beach’s DeSoto Parkway is not much different than its 1970’s era neighbors: comfortable, tidy and unassuming.

Step inside, however, and the house’s true character pops up.

Thanks to the eye-catching and cost-conscious ideas of designer Melinda Palmese, the Carroll home is a sleek blend of contemporary and mid-century elements that did not require emptying the Carroll piggy bank to achieve.

The home has seen decades roll by, so Palmese integrated its origins in mid-century modern to see a vision of the future that includes connections with the past.

The Carrolls were working in Viera and living in Orlando when they spotted the 1,707-square-foot beachside home. The empty nesters are both tall and love eclectic, modern living environments that allow them plenty of elbow room, but they also appreciated the honesty of the low-ceilinged house by the beach.

“It was a DiPrima home, so they knew it had good bones,” says Palmese, who was tasked to whisk the interior from the ’70s into 2012. “It was a diamond in t……………. continues on Florida Today

The rug is machine-woven.

Care instructions:
Vacuum and rotate the rug regularly.
Rem…

There’s something about Emma Gardner’s designs that provoke a smile.

They’re contemporary, but at the same time slightly retro. The fearless colors, the geometric florals, the Asian-inspired prints. The pillows imprinted with mischievous themes — a bento box of sushi, a series of Russian nesting dolls.

The Manhattan by way of Brooklyn by way of Connecticut designer, newly transplanted to Petaluma, is not afraid that having fun with design will somehow compromise the sophistication of her line. From a splashy new showroom in Petaluma’s new theater district, Gardner brings a fresh perspective to Wine Country.

She made her mark first as a designer and wholesaler of vibrant, hand-knotted rugs made to order of Tibetan wool and Chinese silk in Nepal. But within the past year she and her business-partner husband, Patrick McDarrah, have added a retail line — Emma at Home — available online, through retailers across the country and in the showroom.

It’s given a whole set of new surfaces and textures for Gardner’s……………. continues on Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Down and outline

Visualising a rug in situ can be tricky. So what can you do? “Lay newspaper on the floor to gain a sense of scale,” advises Paul Vowles, managing director of rug retailer Woven Ground.

Area code

Furniture – on or off? “In a big room I prefer all furniture to be contained on the rug,” says the bespoke rug designer Luke Irwin (lukeirwin.com, example above). “It frames that area of a room – and creates zones.”

Food for thought

“With a dining-table rug,” Irwin suggests, “imagine your largest friend sitting down to eat: make sure the chair legs wouldn’t be half off the rug. It’d drive you mad.”

Less is more

And in small rooms? “Pick a smaller rug, never sit the furniture on it and be careful with large patterns, whi……………. continues on The Independent

“Extreme” is the Word that Describes the Strategy Behind Hoover’s Breakthrough Category-Killer Cleaning Machine

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) February 15, 2012

Extreme demonstrations and extreme challenges combined with a DIY type show concept – “Hoover’s Dirty House” – breaks new ground in an infomercial launched this month from customer acquisition agency acquirgy.

Hoover has launched the MAXExtract® 60 Carpet Washer, and to drive home the incredible cleaning power, acquirgy has developed three very unique demonstrations that keep consumers riveted to their TV sets.

•     A pure white carpet is placed in a dog kennel where dozens of dogs trample on and dirty it for five days. After using the MAXExtract 60, the carpet is restored to its’ original pristine condition.
•     A dozen foods, liquids and dirt are poured on and mixed together on a magnificent Persian rug and then restored to the original condition using the MAXExtract 60.
•     Several cooked steaks are rubbed into a carpet, and a Search & Rescue bloodhound instantly sniffs them out. But after using the MAXExtr……………. continues on Houston Chronicle

There’s something about Emma Gardner’s designs that provoke a smile.

They’re contemporary, but at the same time slightly retro. The fearless colors, the geometric florals, the Asian-inspired prints. The pillows imprinted with mischievous themes — a bento box of sushi, a series of Russian nesting dolls.

The Manhattan by way of Brooklyn by way of Connecticut designer, newly transplanted to Petaluma, is not afraid that having fun with design will somehow compromise the sophistication of her line. From a splashy new showroom in Petaluma’s new theater district, Gardner brings a fresh perspective to Wine Country.

She made her mark first as a designer and wholesaler of vibrant, hand-knotted rugs made to order of Tibetan wool and Chinese silk in Nepal. But within the past year she and her business-partner husband, Patrick McDarrah, have added a retail line — Emma at Home — available online, through retailers across the country and in the showroom.

It’s given a whole set of new surfaces and textures for Gardn……………. continues on Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Feb. 17, 2012 6:54 p.m. |

Home Textiles Today Staff — Home Textiles Today, 1/9/2012 2:00:00 AM

Atlanta- The Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team (ART), the trade association representing the decorative accessories industry, awarded Jaipur in the manufacturer area rugs category at the 23rd annual ARTS Awards.

Held annually during the January Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, the ARTS Awards honor members of the home decorative accessories industry. There are 26 categories, and awards are presented to manufacturers, retailers, product designers, sales representatives, rising stars, green designs and academy of achievement. Each ARTS award is judged based on company philosophy, product development, merchandising, customer relations and community service.

For Jaipur, the ARTS award represents already its third honor this year. The company also received recent nods in the handmade rug category at t

Joining the D.C. design scene was a natural move for Joe Ireland. He was born in the District and raised in Gaithersburg, and recognized his knack for arranging furniture at an early age.

“I remember helping a neighbor out with the furniture layout of her living room when I was 8 years old,” he said before adding, “I fully realize how strange that sounds.”

When he was 19, Ireland moved downtown to dress windows at Axis Salon in Dupont Circle. Before long, the salon’s clients began asking him to decorate their homes.

In 2000, he joined the local……………. continues on Washington Post