Blogs

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.

The Addison/Dicus & Bailey Company has partnered with Belgian rug designers, who have built an exclusive international rug brand.

They design their rugs in Belgium, manufacture them in Nepal, and market them throughout Europe and more recently in the U.S.

In our partners' words “interior designers find quality, trust, reliability and exclusivity. We strive to nurture these qualities."

Three generations have headed up this company that started in 1925.

You may have already noticed this, but we think it's important enough to the design community to make a little noise.

Luxury vinyl tile is growing big time.

Recently rug makers have been looking for ways to offer less expensive options. This month we thought we would swim upstream and show you some more expensive selections.

Important Costs Considerations

Number one:  silk. If the rug contains silk, it's going to be more expensive than a rug that doesn't contain silk. Silk is a natural fiber, really tough, and if cared for, lasts a really long time.

The word "fresh" is hard to describe, but we know it when we see it.

Take the shot of the entrance to Addison/Dicus and Bailey here. We just painted the building. It looks fresh.

Freshening our building has been going on for at least a century.

Wood flooring manufacturers are responding to the growing demand for patterned floors. There are now plenty of offerings of parquet and other styles like herringbone. Before manufactured floors, laying out patterns required finish carpenters and was extremely expensive. Now not so much.

Below are some examples of installed floors that demonstrate the quality and design options that patterned flooring offer.

With more pets than children living in American households in the 21st century, it's only natural that the Floor Covering business will respond to the needs of pet owners.

The New York Rug Show is a premier, forward-looking gathering and I generally go every year.

Several trends were important. First, the top-of-the-line producers are working hard to make less expensive rugs while maintaining premium quality.