(This is an update to our original blog on natural fiber carpets and rugs.)
Carpets and rugs made from seagrass, sisal and jute are referred to as natural fiber carpets and rugs.
They fill important roles in interior design. They are wonderful neutrals. They impart a textural quality to carpeting and rugs that wools and synthetics can't. They translate well into area rugs, stair runners and hallway runners.
The naturals are relatively inexpensive.
Here is a quick and easy guide to the most popular naturals, their strengths and their weaknesses.
How to deal with pee, poop or vomit when your dog has an accident on your rug. Here's how to take action to avoid stains and hopefully expensive stain-removal.
From many discussions among ourselves & pro carpet cleaners & at least 1 actual incident, we have arrived at a new best practice for removing wine spills.
As we've written before, deliveries are slow and unpredictable.
Our installation calendar is full. Our work room for carpeting is booked solid.
We've made lots of Holiday commitments and we are working hard to follow through with all of them.
That's why we've had to say that any orders that need to be delivered before the Holidays must be submitted by Oct. 31.
As you know, our showrooms in Tampa and Orlando stock one of the largest collections of hand-knotted area rugs in Florida. These rugs are ready for delivery.
Fabricated rug: Various pieces of broadloom carpet are cut and reassembled to make a new, one-of-a kind customized rug.
People want a special look. Individuals want to reflect something of their personality. Corporations want to brand their image or their mission.
Mandy Vallowe is opening her new interior design office on Kennedy. She wants a special and unique look.
A couple of our wood flooring vendors have installed on their websites a gadget that lets you see what various wood designs look like in rooms that you are designing.
It's pretty simple. Take a picture of the room with your cell, upload it to the site and start trying out different colors and styles of flooring.
This technology might be helpful in resolving social distancing issues.
Take a picture and upload it.
Hand loomed broadloom carpet is more expensive than machine tufted broadloom. Its costs fall between broadloom and hand knotted.
In our Central Florida market we are showing more classically designed rugs recently. It could be a temporary spark or maybe people are missing the beautiful designs that handmade rugs have been giving us for millennia.
We are seeing three reasons why classic rugs may be making a comeback.
- People are buying traditional houses. Modern decor would never work in them without a complete do-over. But these new owners are buying traditional homes because they like them; not because they think they can do them over better.
Floor coverings are expensive, and the industry is always searching for product lines that fulfill every price need.
Enter a new and exciting line of flatweaves.
Flatweave as the name implies is a simple over and under weave in the weft of the carpet. Patterns are made by changing colors and/or yarn at crucial lines in the warp (up and down) threads. There are no knots or pile. The pattern on the rug is the same on both sides.
"You can't be too good" said Bob Ford, Addison/Dicus & Bailey's head carpet installer. "It's as simple as that."
Which is why in the first week of March two ADB installers took a three-day training course and became certified in installing wool carpets including tufted wool and velvet. Ford became certified ten years ago.
P.J. Arthur of the Natural Fiber Installation Certification (NFIC) backed his truck into our warehouse and unloaded samples, machines and study material.