New Arrival: Antique Moroccan Flatweave

We’re excited to show off this recently-acquired Moroccan flatweave. Woven sometime circa, 1940, the rug is 10’3” by 6’8”. The muted color palette contains shades of fallow, sienna, melon, and Aegean blue. However, in concert there’s something symphonic about the design, bold but harmonious, full of flourish yet synchronized.

There’s also a symmetry to the geometric patterning that contains myriad singular details, no two squares in the central field are exactly alike. One can almost imagine it as a bird’s eye view of dozens of rugs laid out together on an open field.

Texture also adds liveliness to this piece. There’s a sense of movement in the pile that makes the look and feel all the more dynamic.

One mark of a great antique rug is its versatility amidst interiors and aesthetic modes, and this piece definitely has that. It would pair well with mid-century modern furniture, but we can as easily see it in a contemporary organic modern space – the craftsmanship lends a folk feel that could readily complement natural structural materials.

Price available upon request. To peruse more of our vintage and antique Moroccan rugs, go here.

For Love of French Deco Rugs

  

Spring is finally, finally in the air. Fresh flowers, budding romance, generative energy. Perhaps no other textile conveys the aura of spring better than the French Deco rug.

The Art Deco movement got its start in Paris in 1925, after the finish of World War One. The values and philosophy of this new aesthetic were defined by the design objects on display at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne.

French artisans who were weary of the commercialism of what was on the market at the time opted to reinvigorate local craftsmanship by setting standards for French luxury design. They didn’t shy away from decoration for the sake of decoration, and they embraced “exoticism,” i.e. influences from far away lands.

Within those constraints, the variety in modes and expression contained within Art Deco design is incredibly vast.

Modernist iterations of traditional textile motifs abound.

And, by some artisans, abstraction was wholly embraced.

When viewed collectively, French Deco rugs convey a spirit of optimism and renewed hoped, not surprising when one thinks about the time period in which they were crafted. To see our full collection of Art Deco rugs, go here.

15 Lush Ways to Rethink Neutral Living Rooms

Neutral. Often we think of it as an absence: a lack of personality, opinion, color, or mood. Everyone has spent time in a neutral living room where there was too much brown, the furniture was stuffy, and nothing felt like it was supposed to be touched.

But the truth is, to borrow from Walt Whitman, neutrals contain multitudes. The aesthetic variance is myriad, and the key is texture. Texture separates a stark, dull neutral space from a vibrant and inviting one.

To the point, I’ve collected a handful of spaces with vastly disparate personalities comprised mainly in blacks, whites, grays and earth tones:

The flat weave rug has a lovely softening effect here.

A more traditional take, but nonetheless an inviting space.

The hardness of the wall paneling is nicely balanced by the sofa and chandelier.

Keeping the furniture line low here really makes the space seem open and commodious.

Just a pop of color from the art and a monochromatic area rug lend zing.

Area rugs and ample pillows bring comfy contrast to the stone, wood and slate wall in this organic-modern living room.

The unfinished look feels inviting when dressed in soft textiles.

Strong architectural elements and earth tones are brought to life with a high-pile eggplant area rug.

Minimalism works when there’s a bit of art and the dynamism of a sharp area rug to anchor the space.

All grays work when there’s textural variance.

A lovely, nubby area rug completes this simple Scandinavian-styled room.

Another minimal space that optimizes textural variance with rug, wall paneling and that fabulous bowl.

Minimal done in a refurbished East Coast interior for a fabulous blend of old and new.

Lots of softness and whites to offset the fireplace and ceiling beams here.

And a super-dreamy nap heaven to top it off – a room that begs you to touch everything.

Our contemporary rug gallery is full of differentiated neutrals. Each piece has a unique personality. The hand-knotted silk design on our Crocodile Rug has a chic cracked-stone effect, or the Banana silk had a softer ombre design, while this Tibetan linen-and-wool area rug has a parquet pattern that speaks refined simplicity.

Creating John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s NYC home: Q&A with Desiderata Design’s Don Stewart

We’re thrilled to have our rugs featured in Architectural Digest’s February cover story on John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s beautifully renovated home by Don Stewart of Desiderata Design along with Archi-Tectonics’ Winka Dubbeldam.

This week we had a chance to catch up with Don and ask him more about the work that went into this wonderfully eclectic yet subtly continuous home.

What was the first piece to go in the bedroom? 

The decorative French leather panel behind the bed. It’s from the 1860s. John and I saw it when we were having a custom sofa made. We both saw this thing and thought it would be really cool in there.

And then what?

After that we got the bed, which is this dark chocolaty almost eggplant. The drapery is eggplant as well.

So the rug was almost the last thing to come in?

Yes. We needed the rug to lighten the room up. It has an almost musical pattern, it reminds me of sound-wave patterns, but in purple and green and ivory. And it resonates with the wall panel.

How about in the living room? 

The rug in there was the final thing that brought it all together for us. I think the first thing was the chandelier. We were shopping for dining chairs. We were in Eccola, and Chrissy was just drawn to this chandelier.

What came second?

The ottoman. That was a strong element we liked. We got that right away just because they both responded to it immediately.

Sounds like you put it together piece by piece and yet as a whole there’s a flow to the space – how do you manage that? 

That’s where I don’t know how to articulate what I do. The main thing was they both had to love everything. Any hesitations, and it’s off the board. I didn’t come up with “I’m going to do a blue room” or anything like that.

Is that how you approach all of your projects? 

The meaning of the word desiderata is “anything desired as essential or necessary.” That was the whole premise of opening my business. Make it about them. I don’t want to come in there and give it the ‘Don Stewart’ look. It’s not about me really, I’m just the filter. I take in what I see them responding to and touching. That’s where I pay the most attention.

You can learn more about Don here.

See more of our contemporary rugs here.

For Love of Brooklyn: Get the GIRLS style

Now in their fourth season, everyone’s favorite directionless and love-tormented Brooklyn ladies returned to HBO on Sunday.

Hannah Horvath may be off to grad school in Iowa, but the show will forever be most strongly affiliated with Brooklyn.

The bohemian romanticism of New York-city apartments has attracted young people to the city for decades. Well before the dawn of Williamsburg hipsterism, Meghan Daum wrote about how oak floors covered with oriental rugs were the big-city aspirations of her youth. (Though, we’d have to disagree with her on one point: Carpet isn’t necessarily “Mungers” – certainly not when it’s custom designed by our creative team.)

In honor of the show’s return, we’ve put together a bit of Brooklyn design inspiration. Naturally, most of these lovely little apartments, studios and lofts showcase hardwood floors and vintage rugs. Take a peek:

Admire how this area rug echoes all the brick. 

A richly-textured living space with patterns galore.

This industrial loft is made elegant by its lavish area rug. The rug and the chandelier lend softness against all the exposed elements.

All vintage everything and a few hanging plants, plus a million-dollar view in this Williamsburg live-work studio.

Moroccan rugs always lend soft, simple charm. The gallery wall, reading collection and displayed spirits are the true hallmarks of big-city living.

A shot from the home studio of Brooklyn-based woodworker Amelie Mancini, the block-print pillows make a lovely match for the black-and-white flatweave.

Exposed fixtures and vibrant art, woven and hanging, are the classic trademarks of urban bohemia.

Sumptuous shag.

Practically any interior, no matter how harsh the structure, can be made welcoming with well-placed and carefully-picked rugs.

If you have a New York apartment (or an apartment that’s New York in spirit!) that’s in need of some woven adornment, check out our vintage rugs and contemporary collection.

DLB Tribal Motifs featured at Decorator’s Insider

It happened quite awhile ago, but we never mentioned it here: A few of our rugs with tribal motifs were featured in the Decorator’s Insider newsletter. We were more than pleased to have caught the inimitable Lemeau Arrott-Watt’s eye, and we wanted to share the pieces with those who missed the email:

This bespoke hooked rug has a simple interlocking pattern and utterly bold texture.

From our contemporary rug gallery, this Tulu Modern Pattern is inspired by the weaving traditions of central Turkey, where long pile and simple designs are often seen.

This big, bright, contemporary Moroccan Rug has a design that emulates falling rain but with rich, resplendent orange bands for ultimate zing.

This piece is from our collection designed by Brett Beldock. Nightshade, as we call it, is a study in evening colors, and the pile adds an ephemeral, cloud-like quality that calls to mind a misty night sky.

For more tribal inspiration, visit our contemporary collection and sign up for Lemeau’s newsletter.