A colour to cherish

  

Cherished Gold

#Dulux has recently revealed its colour of the year for 2016 - Cherished Gold.  Their colour experts say this colour pairs well with ‘fresh pastels and rich jewel tones alike and its earthy quality make it easy to use and coordinate.’

If you like to keep up to date with the latest interior design styles then you need to start thinking about how you can introduce this new shade to your home without breaking the bank.  The smart interior designer understands how, by replacing just a few key pieces, their home will remain bang on trend.

As we never get tired of saying, one of the quickest, cheapest and easiest ways to give any room a fresh new look is by introducing a new rug.  And if you’re looking for a rug that features this must have colour - we’ve got a few designs which incorporate our interpretation of gold, which I think you’ll like 

For the discerning home, the fine Indo Persian gold rug (above) offers exceptional detail thanks to a superb level of craftsmanship and is one of our finest rugs. Also above, the Pakistan Bokhara offers a plain gold centre and is perfect for a lounge or dining room, while we think the traditional Afghan design would work well in a bedroom.

For those on a budget, we love the City Range Design (below) which features a bold gold floral motif that will take centre stage in a living room.  Or, how about the Gabbeh rug which would look great in any room in the house?

Let's go for gold in 2016.

  

Trend Watch: Burnt Orange

Trend Watch

A new trend for autumn is burnt orange.  This is set to become a key autumnal shade and is a lovely colour for adding warmth to your home.  It’s important to realise that is has more brown than yellow tones which means you should go for darker rather than lighter complementary shades.

If you start with a burnt orange accent wall you can create a chic or a cosy mood.  If you’re going for contemporary chic, white walls and wooden floors work well.  Try white curtains, brown sofas and then splash your orange around on cushions, throws and with a rug like this one.

Going for cosy?  Use natural textiles and wooden furniture.  A log burner, a large chandelier and window treatments in burgundy or chocolate shades will create the mood you want.   This rug will look great in front of the log burner.

For more of a cool, Scandinavian vibe, another colour that works really well with burnt orange is pale blue.  This is a grown up look which has  quite a minimalistic feel.

How are you using orange?  We’d love to know.  

Interior design trends

A new survey by George Home reveals that 95% of people are happy to experiment with bold colours in the home and the age of magnolia and off-white are long gone.  Its three best selling colours are grey, green and blue and so we’ve had a look at some rugs that we think would complement these best sellers.

Going grey? It just so happens that part of our new collection, Yeti by Brink & Campman, features this modern and versatile colour.   Made in Nepal by some of the world’s most skilful master rug weavers Yeti offers meticulous attention to detail and quality. Each rug features a subtle speckled abrash effect and is constructed with the finest quality 100% new wool pile.

Green for go. Green is a particular favourite of our customers and features heavily in our traditional rug designs.  This Royal Yelmi circular rug is perfect for the traditional home but the green in this Pakistan Bokhara would work well in either a modern or period home.

Feeling blue?  Midnight blue is bold colour that suits larger spaces.  Combine with brilliant white or a splash of pale grey for a contemporary statement.  These Ella Claire designs are exclusive to FrithRugs and you won’t find them on the High Street.

                                       

Interior design technology

Thanks to the glossy images inspired by websites like Pinterest.com and Houzz.co.uk, theoretically it should be easier than ever to pull a room’s interior décor together.  However, often these images have been carefully crafted by professional interior designers who make it look so easy.  But you can get further inspiration from a range of great interior design apps and we’re recommending a few of the best.

Photomeasures is really useful as it saves measurements on to photos of your rooms. You simply take a photo, add the measurement and you can zoom in or out.  It’s really handy when you are thinking about new furniture, like a rug for example and you can see whether or not it will fit.

We all know how important it is to create a mood board and MAGPIE keeps everything that inspires you in one place such as video and pictures.  You can also make your own notes and then print out your collections as moodboards. 

Peppermint2 is useful when you are not sure about colours and tones.  You may think your blue rug will go with your blue sofa, but if you get the shades wrong it can really clash rather than complement.  This app lets you try different combinations and shades.

And, there is of course the old fashioned way.  We frequently get customers bringing in bits of wallpaper, cushions or curtains to confirm the rug they want will match their design scheme.   

What do you prefer?

Hot, Hot, Hot

It’s the heart of the summer holidays and so what better time to introduce one of our new hot collections.  

We just love these rugs from the Ibiza collection - new in from our colleagues at Brink & Campman.  Made from 60% cotton and 40% jute and handmade in India, these rugs are perfect for the hippie in all of us.  Jute is a natural fibre often used in rugs because of its durability while the addition of cotton brings further softness.

These bright colourful designs will suit the modern home and would work well in low to medium traffic areas such as the lounge, dining room, bedroom or conservatory.  We also think teenage girls in particular would love the plaited look of the threads.

Choose accessories in bright blue like this cushion, pink like this lamp, or yellow like these candlesticks and bring the party home.  The Ibiza collection will look bright and cheerful all year round.

3 perfect rug and sofa combos

Our friends at Meet Your Sofa understand we each have our own interior design style preferences and have developed three gorgeous rug and sofa combinations - each with an individual theme.

Scandi-style

Scandinavian style is always fresh and that’s why this Conway 3 Seater Sofa in Iona Wool Denim works with this Indian Infinity Rug. This 100% woollen pairing offers clean, precise straight lines with an airy retro feel. We think this rug and sofa combination is a fabulous way to refresh your living space.

Modern Tribal

Bring the safari to your living room with the Bentley Armchair in House Velvet Sable and Moroccan Style Tribal Rug combo. The 100% wool rug is handmade in India using tribal patterns and the Bentley Armchair in House Velvet Sable perfectly matches the coffee-coloured triangular pattern of the rug! If you’re looking for ethnic tones with a touch of glamour - then here’s the perfect rug and sofa combo!

Electric 80s

Electric geometric! That’s what the Edinburgh Corner Sofa in House Chenille Slate and Laura Jade Indian Rug Design combo stands for. The over- sized red rug contrasts well with this large smart, dark grey sofa. Hand-tufted in India from 100% wool this rug is ideal for retro lovers, as well as those of you with a more contemporary taste. The fully-padded corner sofa is unrivalled when it comes to comfort...and it seats up to six people (or about 10 children!). All in all, this is a big and beautiful rug and sofa combination not to be missed! 

Rugs & Sofas go together like ......

This week we have a guest blog from www.meetyoursofa.com who share their tips on

how to spruce up your living space for the summer.

Rugs and sofas go hand in hand like strawberries and cream or Pimms and lemonade. Sofas with bare, elevated legs work well in the summer as they make a room look and feel airier and encourage the natural flow of sunlight - especially when paired with wooden flooring. A great example of the perfect rug and sofa combination is this rug from FrithRugs Himali collection, coupled with the ultra-modern Conway 3 Seater. The geometric tribal style of this rug perfectly contrasts with the gorgeous straight lines of this sofa - we love it!

Throw on a Throw

Throws are a quick, easy, inexpensive way to introduce more personality to your sofa.  It doesn’t even have to cover the entire sofa. Simply draping a slim rectangle throw over the sofa can create a fresh, summery look. Go for pastel colours to introduce a relaxed, coastal vibe to your living space.

Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

Breathe easy

It’s best to opt for breathable sofa fabrics and cotton or linen is fantastic for the warmer months as it encourages air circulation keeping your cool and comfy. Meet Your Sofa we offer lightweight cotton fabrics in an array of gorgeous colours. 

Embrace nature

Embracing nature is always a brilliant option for sprucing up your living space. July plants and flowers include hyacinths, orchid hybrids, lily of the valley, prunus cherry blossom and chrysanthemums. plants and flowers. Flowers and plants are a great way to introduce colour to a room, as well as improving your overall health and wellbeing.

Photo courtesy of houzz.com

Botany and butterflies

A great #interiordesign trend this season is prints inspired by botanics and insects.

You can bring flora and fauna into your home with rugs from our floral and botanical collections as interior designers take their inspiration from the garden to being the outside in.  If you do choose one of these fabulously flowery masterpieces then keep the rest of your décor minimal.  Too much of these giant flowers and leaves and your living room could resemble Kew Gardens - not a good look!

Interior designers are also buzzing about the swarms of insect designs that are crawling across everything from wallpaper to oven gloves.  It’s amazing just how stylish a dragon fly can look on a cushion!

However, we prefer our winged friends to be more colourful and that’s why this butterfly design rug is proving to be popular with our customers.  This particular rug will work really well with a pastel themed room and you can choose other tones from the rug for your other accessories.

You can’t get a better feel for summer than these dazzling designs.  And should you eventually tire of these bold beauties, remember a rug is nowhere near as expensive or as permanent as wallpaper or upholstery and so it’s easy enough to change as you make way for another trend.

Now that spring is finally here and summer is just around the corner, many people like to give their home a fresh new look.  But you don’t have to spend thousands to do it - remember, one of the quickest and easiest ways to give any room a different look is simply by introducing a new rug. 

We’ve decided to take our inspiration from interiors magazines to see what they recommend for the latest looks this season. 

Florals

My Weekly magazine suggests bringing spring indoors with bright, light stylish touches.  It recommends this floral rug which features these lovely large blooms in pastel colours and is available in our Tropics range.  Another good idea from the article is to bring some cute bistro sets inside.  Many large DIY stores offer pastel coloured table and chair sets at a reasonable price.

 

 Period Ideas magazine is also taking its inspiration from          the garden.  In a feature about the latest news, inspirational    ideas and expert advice on the great outdoors, they have     also been inspired by our floral collections.  They propose some retail therapy and bringing the outdoors in with a pretty floral home accessory and suggest this floral rug from our Kaleidoscope range will do the trick.  

Horse & Countryside magazine has also taken a look at floral inspired accessories to make your home décor blossom.  They have selected this rug from our Ella Claire Botanical range which is exclusive to us.  They have also found some beautiful accessories including a lovely artificial wreath of spring flowers.  Great idea. (Oh and by the way there is 20% off this rug between 3 - 19 April 2015)

                                                     Bright and Beautiful

Our friends over at Cheshire Life magazine says that winter rooms will now feel a little dull and advises freshening them up with a splash of Mediterranean colour.  They suggest this Vibrance rug which ‘throws down the gauntlet to spring’.  They also advise on introducing some colourful lighting which if you do decide to go bold will complement the colours in this rug.

Painterly

Meanwhile Making Magazine has been looking at new trends and as we have written about previously, its trend spotter page has gone to town on the painterly fashion that has been seen on the catwalks.  Journalist Abi Cox has come up with ideas to translate this trend to the home and has selected our Holograph rug.  She also includes some fabulous ‘painterly’ cushions which you can add to complete the look.

So freshen up your house with one of our rugs and then throw in a couple more accessories, from a new light or lamp to new cushions - and before you know it your winter home will be transformed into a space that is perfect for the forthcoming warm and sunny months.

Introduce Chinoiserie Chic for a harmonious home

Chinese New Year is a great opportunity to show off our fabulous range of Chinese rugs and it’s one of our favourite times of the year.  With one of the biggest selection of Oriental rug designs under one roof, you won’t need to go anywhere else for your floor. 

This Chinese New Year (February 19th) is the year of the sheep, a Yin energy which symbolises peace, harmony and tranquillity and with all of us looking to inject harmony into our homes - what better time to invest in a traditional Chinese rug design.

The West fell in love with  Chinoiserie in the 17th and 18th centuries.  This was a time for exploration, and as a result, a fascination with all things Asian took Europe by storm. From Oriental rugs to wallpaper designs, from lacquerware to furniture, the Chinese imagery of dragons, pagodas, exotic flowers and snakes fascinated Europeans who wanted to introduce this exciting new style into their homes.

 

Put a dragon on the floor

The dragon or serpent is synonymous with Chinese designs but how do you prefer yours - rectangular, circular, half-moon?  Or maybe you want a runner or even an octagonal rug? If one of these shapes doesn’t float your ‘junk’ then we can actually make a rug to your personal specification.  

This is one of our most popular rugs and is also available in a range of colours.  A rug is often a good starting point for introducing Chinoiserie chic into your room.  You can choose from some incredibly bold and colourful designs - but remember with such a statement rug, your other pieces should be more subtle. 

Understated

It’s no wonder that Oriental rugs are one of our best sellers and purchased by customers of all ages to dress a variety      of properties including modern homes as well as traditional    properties.  If you just want a hint of the Orient, these rugs      are unmistakably from the East but are a little more         understated, using blocks of colour with a traditional               Chinese design in the centre or around the border. 

Try introducing other items such as bamboo furniture and occasional pieces of porcelain to demonstrate your Eastern flair.

What will your choice say about you?

Red for example, symbolises luck and happiness, gold means wealth and happiness and blue reflects healing, relaxation and calmness. With rugs like these, the trick is to let the rug do the talking - everything else should be a subtle complement.

The fabulous colours in our traditional Chinese designs are waiting to be discovered.  If you want to opt for the full Chinoiserie experience we have some beautiful rugs for those who are not afraid to make a rug the focal point of their room.  What will your choice say about you?  

Perfect Pinks for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is traditionally associated with the colours pink and red which got us thinking about how we use pink in our interior design schemes.  It's not usually the first colour that springs to mind when planning a new look.  However, it’s actually quite a versatile colour and can be suitable for many tastes.

Girls rule

The most obvious pink colour schemes can be found in girls’ rooms up and down the land and our range of kids’ rugs includes quite a lot of pink - it’s one of those themes that are unlikely to fall out of popularity any time soon.

…and boys can too!

But Barbie and co. don’t get to have all the fun.  Pink can actually be masculine if you use it say with grey or black. You can opt for a traditional design, and we have several that feature pink, or select one of our modern rugs that include pink. These are really popular choices for a home office, a study or a dining room.  The trick is to use the colour sparingly - a rug and perhaps one or two cushions in a similar tone is enough.

Funky Pinks

Pink can also be quite bold and funky and these are ideal for people who really want to make a statement in any room in the house.  If this is more your style, how about some of these perfect pinks?

What's hot for Spring/Summer 2015?

If the fashion industry has ‘the little black dress’ as its eternal, never ageing piece, our little black dress equivalent has to be our traditional rug designs, which remain consistently popular in homes big and small, modern and traditional.

But interior design, just like the catwalk, does have its trends and so we have scoured the news to see what top interior designers are saying is going to be the next big thing for Spring/Summer 2015 in the home.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, ‘painterly rugs’ are going to be big. Well that’s quite handy as our exclusive Ella Claire range includes a ‘floor paintings’ collection which feature visually fluid bold patterns. They are hand knotted in India and made from 80% wool and 20% silk which means they look and feel fabulous.  These rugs work particularly well in rectangular rooms and will break up your furniture into clearly defined zones. 

Many interior designers say that the colour blue is going to be very popular.  What shade of blue? Well think moody blue and dark blue.  If you choose a blue rug shade, accessorise with white  or even silver to create a sophisticated living room or bedroom.

Kelly Hoppen says that mixing your metals is now acceptable.  She believes mixing warm metals, such as copper and rose gold, with cool ones like silver is bang on trend.  So dressing a room using just bronze or silver looks too staged, now you can mix and match to your hearts content.  As always, even in a modern, industrial themed space, a well selected rug will pull the look together. We think our contemporary shaggy rugs will do the job perfectly!

Finally, we Brits will also continue our passion for merging our outdoor and indoor living space when we can.  Summer houses, log cabins and conservatories continue to be big business and in these spring and summer spaces themes that work well include rustic and natural so  use wooden furniture with slate or stone accessories.  

Or maybe you prefer a Mediterranean vibe – if so use colours that 

are traditionally sunny such as orange and yellow.  

Alternatively, you may prefer blurring the lines between the outside and the inside, in which case opt for accessories that reflect what’s happening in a well-tended garden, like this gorgeous floral rug from our Brink & Campman - Kaleidoscope range.

What do you think is hot for the coming year – we’d love to know.