The Commercial Appeal

Tonal ENERGY

Hand-knotted, ‘forever’ Oriental rugs add vivacity, color to many design styles

- Jennifer Rude Klett

After years of neutral home décor underscore­d by stiff sisal and beige jute rugs, vibrant hand-knotted Oriental rugs are back with more options than ever. h Oriental rugs act as a key design element that can bring energy, richness, color, texture, warmth and softness to a home, plus they complement nearly every design style, according to one interior designer. h “Every interior should have at least one Oriental rug, in my opinion,” said designer Karen Kempf, owner of Karen Kempf Interiors in Brookfield, Milwaukee. “Rugs really define and unify a space.” h Kempf said her design firm is known for using a broad range of styles, and Oriental rugs work in many motifs while supplying personalit­y to a room. Finding a rug that her client loves is often her first step. Then paint, fabric and other color decisions flow from the rug. h “It sets the overall tone. Rugs are generally the jumping off point for the interior design,” she said. “Oriental rugs lend a rich, storied look that adds instant warmth.”

Farmhouse to industrial

Oriental rugs help ground a multitude of looks including farmhouse, Boho, European country, traditiona­l, eclectic, Victorian, rustic, glam, mid-century modern, contempora­ry, industrial and yes, even neutral-toned.

“I think of rugs as pieces of artwork. You can take a very traditiona­l rug pattern and update the colors and it will take on a completely different feel,” Kempf said. “Or playing with the pattern scale. A very traditiona­l rug pattern will take on a contempora­ry feel if the scale is oversized.”

Layering rugs is also hot right now. Layering them, either squarely aligned or overlaid on an angle, unifies the design elements plus adds interest and dimension.

“You can even keep your jute rug and layer a beautiful, smaller Oriental over it for interest and adding color back into your room. Add some colorful throw pillows to your neutral sofa and the once-neutral room will have a completely different feel,” Kempf said.

She also suggested placing a rug over wall-to-wall carpeting to better define areas.

“In a large carpeted room, rugs help to cozy up a seating area or add more interest under a bed,” she explained.

When asked in which rooms she prefers to use Oriental rugs, Kempf replied, “There’s not one room I wouldn’t use one. The obvious spaces are living rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, but I’ll put them in a kitchen, a pantry, hallways, bathrooms, anywhere I want to elevate the look.”

Buying tips

Kempf’s tips for buying an Oriental rug? To start, work with a reputable, knowledgea­ble rug dealer.

“I think people have the perception that the types of rugs dealers sell are going to be out of budget. You might be surprised, we can typically find rugs that fit into our clients’ budgets.”

Local rug dealers allow you to see the rug in person, not just online.

“Colors just do not translate from the computer screen to real life, so seeing the rugs in person is always our preference,” Kempt explained.

Finally, rug dealers will sometimes bring rugs to your home to help you decide if one is right.

Making a buying decision in the store can be daunting when there are so many visual stimuli, and it may be difficult to visualize a rug in your home. Sometimes, the selection gets narrowed to two choices. The decision often becomes clear once the perspectiv­e rugs are unrolled in your own home.

Some rug dealers, like Milwaukee’s Bruce Shabahang, will bring rugs to your home to help make the decision. Shabahang, owner of Shabahang Rug Gallery, agreed with Kempf that it’s best if rugs come first in the design timeline, however rugs can be added at any time, especially when updating a room.

“You’re going to have it forever,” said Shabahang. “These are generation­al rugs.”

“The rug is the foundation of the room. It brings everything together,” he said, reminiscen­t of a line from the movie “The Big Lebowski.”

“The most important thing is get something you love.”

Forever rugs

The term Oriental rug is a general catchall for heavy, hand-knotted rugs made in the East usually of wool, but sometimes cotton and silk.

Shabahang Rug Gallery specifies its rugs as either Oriental, Persian or Turkish. Shabahang considers Oriental rugs to be those from the Asian countries of Pakistan, India and China. Persian rugs are from Iran, (known as Persia up until 1935) in the Middle East. The Turkish rugs come from Turkey, a country that bridges Europe and Asia.

As for design styles, Shabahang’s rugs fall into three categories: tribal, traditiona­l or contempora­ry. Tribal rugs tend to be geometric in design. Traditiona­l rugs will feature more flowers, trees, plants and other curved lines. Contempora­ry rugs are comparable to abstract paintings and can be funky and fun, he said.

The knots in hand-knotted rugs are similar to those of a necktie and strengthen over time. “The more you walk on it, the tighter the knot gets,” Shabahang said. “It should last for 100 years. You can pretty much have them forever.”

By comparison, machine-made rugs wear out much quicker as friction from people walking on them will cause disintegra­tion, shedding and collapse. Fringe is also a tell-tale sign. With hand-knotted rugs, the fringe is interwoven with the rug’s fibers. With machinemad­e rugs, the fringe is often stitched on or glued to the back of the rug, something that can be prone to break off.

Kempf agreed that hand-knotted Oriental rugs can last for generation­s.

“A good Oriental rug is a wonderful investment piece, and they are much more durable than people think,” she said. “It’s truly a classic piece that can be passed down and reimagined for different interiors.”

Dying art

Shabahang said the trend of improving home interiors has extended to Oriental rugs as well.

“We are lucky,” he said. “People are staying home. There is not a whole lot of people traveling anymore, and they are saving money.

“People are investing and redoing their homes,” he added.

During colder months, he said, Oriental rugs add a needed vibrancy and coziness to interiors.

“It really warms up the environmen­t,” he said. In strong demand now are contempora­ry rugs and tribal rugs, especially Gabeh style tribal rugs.

 ?? BARBIE MARQUETTE/THE LOOM HOUSE ?? This large antique Ersari rug, with a design inspired by elephant and bird tracks, sells for $8,425 at The Loom House. It dates to about 1925.
BARBIE MARQUETTE/THE LOOM HOUSE This large antique Ersari rug, with a design inspired by elephant and bird tracks, sells for $8,425 at The Loom House. It dates to about 1925.

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