Blogs

Gary Dicus 1950-2015 As many of you have heard, Gary Dicus died last Thursday following a battle with an aggressive brain cancer. We who have the joy and privilege to work in the business that Gary created from scratch painfully mourn his loss.

The Basics of Natural Fiber Carpet Carpets made from seagrass, sisal and jute are referred to as natural fiber carpets. They fill important roles in interior design. They are wonderful neutrals. They impart a textural quality to carpeting that wools and synthetics can't. They translate well into area rugs, stair and hallway runners.

Three Carpet Installation Snafus That Will Ruin Your Day You and your client have carefully, painstakingly, patiently chosen colors and materials for a floor-to-ceiling renovation. Today the carpet installers have arrived, the last of the endless stream of workers on this job. You could be sipping wine in your newly designed masterpiece of a room this very night! But no!

Vintage Texturing Hi/lo, erased technique, vintage...these are all names for processes that're becoming more popular in the production of hand-knotted rugs. What is it? Basically, it departs from the basic flat-top of the rugs pile to create different heights in the pile. It may be to make the rug look older. It may be incorporated into the design just to give it texture. It may offset elements in the design to give them prominence, make them pop.

Black and White What is that makes black/white decor so appealing? Sophistication? Order? Simplicity?

Help for Nepal and the Hand-Knotted Rug Industry I cannot express enough the concern that we at Addison/Dicus have had about the earthquake in Nepal. We have done business there for at least 20 years. I have visited there more times than I can count. Of course the Addison/Dicus staff and I have many friends in Nepal that we are concerned about and are doing what we can to help out.

When a Wood Floor Looks Like Wood For fun we found some settings where designers combined a contemporary setting with a natural wood floor. We love the results. Using flooring that some might even term "rustic," these designers have have mastered contrast to create great looking spaces.

Rugs and Paintings We thought that pairing paintings and rugs would make for an interesting post. The key for most of us is having both elements complement, rather than struggle with each other.

Striving for Old Age I have observed three design techniques that cross over the traditional/contemporary barrier and give designers infinite possibilities to work with fine, handknotted rugs in exciting new ways.

Marsala with Rugs and Fabrics Marsala is the name of the wine made near the town of Marsala in western Sicily. It has many distinguishing and enduring characteristics.

It's fortified. Distilled spirits, usually grape brandy, are added to the finished product. At first this practice assured that the wine could withstand long sea voyages without going bad. Now it's because people enjoy the taste and warmth of the extra alcohol content (in the neighborhood of 15-20 percent).

Similarly, PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala, color of the year, evokes a lot of responses.