FrithRugs Provenance

As it’s Fairtrade Fortnight, we thought what better time to remind our customers about the high standards we demand from our Indian rug manufacturers.  

We are one of the UK’s biggest importers of rugs and carpets and so are keen to ensure that the products we sell have been produced to the highest standards and without exploitation.

One way we can do this is by visiting manufacturing and weaving areas several times a year to ensure our ethical policies are being enforced – for example, insisting that no child or slave labour is used.  

We fully support and endorse GoodWeave UK (the international non-profit organization devoted to ending child labour in the handmade carpet industry in South Asia) which is ideal for smaller importers and wholesalers.  However, as a company with major purchasing power, FrithRugs feel more confident in setting out and adhering to our own stringent polices which we can police and enforce.   

We want to ensure that customers can purchase FrithRugs Indian rugs with confidence and with complete peace of mind and so in order to be sure of the provenance of FrithRugs we insist on our own labels which meet our own exacting standards. 

We have also helped establish a school in the main weaving area of Bhadohi in Utta Pradesh, North East India and continue to contribute to the running of the school.  To date we have helped educate 2,000 girls.

Bring the outside in

  

Whatever the weather where you are right now, summer 2018 is going to go down in the record books as one of the best ever. 

Even the most palest of British skin has been looking sun kissed as all try to make the most of our outdoor space.  In this blog, we will touch on how you can link your indoor and outdoor living areas - even if you don't have a garden.

Outside space, no matter how small can be made to feel an integral part of your living space by complementing the inside colour with the outside.  If you have a garden, a backyard, a courtyard, a patio, a shared garden - large or small - the trick is colour co-ordination.

It's about getting the styling and colours linked so that they eye sees one large seamless space rather than separate ones.  Start with your window dressings - if you are not overlooked - get rid of them.  Having bare windows or patio doors will break down that space barrier.

Around the door area get masses of plants or plant pots on either side - both inside and out - this will also help to create the oneness you are looking for.

On the floor use the same rugs or certainly rugs of the same colour inside and out.  It's summer so go for something really bold in a bright colour.  Our Indian Dhurrie rugs are perfect for the job.  Handmade from wool woven onto cotton, you can use them outside (but obviously bring them inside if the weather is wet or particulary windy).

Make sure you garden furniture is complemented with accessories in the same colour.  In this example, a rich red tablecloth, plant pots and cushions will keep that co-ordination.  You can't beat some outside lighting, fairy lights on your plants for small spaces or bigger festoon lights if  you have the space.
 
It won't be too long now before we have to pack up the garden furniture for another year so make the most of whatever space you have for the next few weeks.

Indian Indulgence

One of the quickest and easiest ways to introduce a flavour of India to any room is with the addition of an Indian rug.

India is a hugely diverse nation and so it stands to reason there is not really one single style that will reflect it.  With a culture that is thousands of years old, it’s not difficult to introduce Indian influences - there are such a lot to choose from and as the home of traditional rugs, you will find a huge selection of Indian flavours to choose from.

 Traditional rugs

  From the exceptional detail found in our Fine Indo Persian collection    rugs to the original Persian patterns found in our Keshan collection -      from the gorgeous look and touch of our Jaipur Silk Mix to the                classic Emperor designs which will grace any home, traditionalists        will find a design to suit their needs.

   Modern rugs

   And we haven’t forgotten those who want a more modern Indian rug.We have a collection of bold, bright Kelims  which will add a splash of contemporary colour and design to a room, while the block colours found in our Dhurrie flat weave rugs will pull your interior design theme together.   

India is all about colour.  We love all the colours found in our Indian rugs - they remind us of the spices that India is so famous for.  Bright red, burnt orange, sunny yellow, it’s not hard to reinvigorate a boring British lounge with an exotic taste of India.  Once you have your rug insitu, select a couple of colours from that and use it to add a couple more Indian pieces.

Perhaps the classic Buddha, or some paisley patterned cushions and throws on the sofa?  Don’t forget some well-placed metal hanging l lamps or tea light holders and some hand painted elephant ornaments.

How to create the Victorian look in your own home

With the hit ITV programme 'Victoria' back on our screens, plus the release of a new lavish film 'Victoria and Abdul' we expect to see many people enquiring about our traditional rugs as they seek to create a Victorian look in their own home.   

Often the biggest stars of these historical TV and film dramas are the locations and set designs which inspire people to recreate the Victorian style - however, fans of minimalist design should look away now! 

Thanks to the industrial revolution and mass production, the middle classes had the chance to emulate aristocratic homes for the first time - this meant filling every space in every room with accessories, furniture and fabrics -  the more you had the more wealth you had.  

The Victorians were an eclectic bunch and co-ordination was not a high priority. Excessive ornamentation, heavy upholstered furniture, patterned wallpapers and fabrics were prevalent in a range of styles from the gothic to the frivolous feminine rococo.  It was a time of Empire and so Indian and Oriental themes were also popular. 

But even for those who love Victoriana, this is probably too much and so where to start to get that touch of Victorian opulence?  On the floor, of course!  Rugs were often the centerpiece of the room and were also very highly patterned and the Victorians had a penchant for traditional and oriental designs.

Large rugs were common and they were laid to leave a border of polished floorboard around the room.  The Victorians were also very keen on runners and circular rugs, with the latter being used as a focus for an item of furniture such as a table.

FrithRugs isn home of traditional rugs which means you are sure to find something to suit your space and once you have found the perfect rug from our hundreds of designs, build up your Victorian space carefully.

Use heavily patterned wallpaper at least on one wall.  If you have the budget, invest in a Chesterfield sofa or at least one high backed chair. Furniture should be dark wood and a round or oval coffee table is also a key piece.  For those on a budget find a second-hand footstool - upholster it in a patterned fabric and find similar cushion covers.

In terms of accessories, damask or velvet lampshades in deep colours and a glass done bell to go over ornaments will add to the scheme. The finishing touch would be an item of faux taxidermy on the wall.