Introduce Chinoserie into your home

For hundreds of years’ British homes have admired Oriental design and introduced it into interior design. The 17th and 18th centuries were 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.

For people who love classic design, introducing an element of Chinoserie is the perfect way to demonstrate elegance and style.  What better time to think about this type of design than during Chinese New Year.

This year the Chinese New Year or Spring festival starts on February 5^th.  This year, it’s the Year of the Pig - a year that will be full of joy and friendship.  It also presents a great opportunity to invest and make money. 

One investment you can make is that of a superb Chinese rug - and as FrithRugs has so many Oriental designs to choose from, you won’t need to go anywhere else.  While we can’t promise you will make money, we can promise that investing in one of our gorgeous rugs will ensure your home is the epitome of style.

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 like the dragon - but remember with such a statement rug, your other pieces should be subtler. Or, if you prefer something more understated with just a hint of the Orient, we have rugs that are unmistakably from the East featuring blocks of colour with a traditional Chinese design in the centre or around the border.  

Colour has great symbolism for the Chinese. Red for example, symbolises luck and happiness, gold means wealth and happiness and blue reflects healing, relaxation and calmness.  Which colour do you prefer?

To complement your Chinese rug, introduce other items such as bamboo furniture and occasional pieces of porcelain to demonstrate your Eastern flair.

Recreate Vanity Fair at home

 If you have been hooked on the new TV Drama Vanity Fair, chances are that as well as the storyline, you will be lapping up the fabulous costumes, homes and decor.

The book is set between 1810-1820  when George IV was Prince Regent - hence it's known as the Regency period.  This is just before Queen Victoria and all those straight laced Victorian morals were imposed - and for now at least, British society was more open and less inhibited.

Due to growing trade links with the rest of the world, there was lots of consumer choice when it came to interior design and homeowners could even browse through forerunners of the modern catalogue using pattern books. 

Harmony and symmetry were the order of the day and people were becoming very interested in nature and how they interacted with it.  

Popular colours were burgundy, sage green and blue grey and interestingly these colours are being replicated by modern pain manufacturers today. 

Wallpaper was imported from the Far East so anything with a Chinosierie feel to it would be in keeping and this love of all things Oriental was also replicated on the floor.   Most homes would have wooden floors although the grander houses would boast stone or marble floors.

While we can't help you with the wallpaper or furniture - as the rug retailer that is synonymous with traditional rugs, FrithRugs is the only place to shop for your Oriental rug. As well as a great choice of design,  many of our Chinese rugs come in a variety of sizes and shapes including circular, octagonal and even half moon.

Go to https://frithrugs.co.uk/products/chinese-rugs to pick out your own Vanity Fair collection.

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Chinese Rugs

Cheeky monkey – Happy Chinese New Year

Monday February 8^th marks the beginning of Chinese New Year – this year it’s the year of the Monkey.

If you are born in the Year of the Monkey, you will be quick witted, curious and mischievous (like a cheeky monkey).  Other characteristics include intelligence, versatility and honesty, but on the negative side, monkeys could have a bit of a temper and be selfish.  Famous cheeky monkeys include Charles Dickens, Julius Caesar and Leonardo de Vinci.

Colours associated with this year include gold and blue and as the UK’s largest retailer of Oriental rugs and carpets you can be assured that you will find a rug to suit your home.

In Chinese culture blue is associated with healing exploration and immorality.  In the home, blue is chosen for its relaxing and calming properties and we think the subtle blue found in this rug (top) is perfect for a bedroom.  The luxurious cream background, blends beautifully with the detailed blue patterns.  

And for something complete different – how about this red and gold rug for a bit of bling?  The Chinese associate gold with God, consciousness, completeness and not surprisingly with wealth.  This rug would suit a large room with traditional features and should be the focal point of the space.  Red accessories will work well

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Whatever Chinese design you choose, you can be assured your Chinese rug will look stunning and bring an air of elegance to any room.   And here at FrithRugs most of our Chinese designs are available in range of shapes and sizes.

It’s no wonder that Chinese home interior design remains such a great British classic.  The designs offer a real versatility which makes them perfect for both modern and traditional properties.    

                                                

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

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?