Tonal ENERGY
Hand-knotted, ‘forever’ Oriental rugs add vivacity, color to many design styles
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 Brookfield, Milwaukee. “Rugs really define and unify a space.” h Kempf said her design firm 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 first step. Then paint, fabric and other color decisions flow 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 different 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, unifies 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 different feel,” Kempf said.
She also suggested placing a rug over wall-to-wall carpeting to better define 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 find rugs that fit 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 difficult 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 first 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 specifies 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 flowers, 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 fibers. 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 different 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.