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.

Make neutral beautiful

Our Sophie collection makes neutral beautiful

Here at FrithRugs we love our bold, bright, colourful rugs but we also appreciate, that for many people, home should be a peaceful and tranquil retreat.  Sometimes all you need is neutral and that doesn't mean boring - have you seen our Sophie range?

Essentially, we have taken the idea of neutral and made it beautiful!   The collection features rugs with high/low pile which really brings life and character to the designs and makes them the ideal rug for both modern and traditional interiors.

The collection has taken a typical neutral colour palette of creams and beiges and added a unique twist by adding texture and pattern so that these rugs, while ensuring a calm and peaceful space - also add interest to the room.

To ensure the rest of the room maintains that peaceful environment keep your room tidy – physical clutter will impact on the mind and so make sure you create spaces where you can sweep anything you don’t need, out of the way.

Lighting is also a great mood enhancer so opt for lights that you can dim if possible and place lamps strategically around the room. 

Finally, add in some element of nature, whether that’s plants or fresh flowers – stones or pieces of wood in ornaments or furniture.

And ........ relax.

Introduce a touch of India at home

Very fine Indo Persian rug 

Well summer is officially almost at an end and at this time of year, many people will be hoping for an Indian summer.

Here at FrithRugs, the home of traditional rugs, we know that Indian designs remain bang on trend whatever the time of year. If you want a touch of India at home, 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 lots of Indian collections and designs to choose from.

Traditional rugs

From the exceptional detail found in our Fine Indo Persian collection rugs for the discerning buyer, to the Keshan collection which uses designs from original Persian patterns and are available in convenient hall runners as well as a variety of sizes and specifications.  Browse our collections to find a rug to suit your home.

Modern rugs

And we haven’t forgotten those who want a more modern Indian rug.  We have a collection of bold, bright Kelims which complement the block colours found in our Dhurrie flat weave rugs, both collections feature wool woven onto cotton.  The dazzling colours found in these rugs have been inspired by Holi, 'The Festival of Colours', which is celebrated by people smearing each other with primary coloured powder and dye.

In fact, 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 in-situ, 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 lamps or tea light holders and some hand painted elephant ornaments.

Now you can enjoy your very own Indian summer! 

Interior design trends for 2017

What's hot for the well-dressed home this spring/summer? Most wardrobes will have at least one fashionable piece for the season and similarly every home should have at least item of furniture that is bang on trend.

Greenery has been named the 2017 Pantone colour of the year and its meant to refresh and revitalise - it's certainly a lovely cheery shade that will brighten up any room. 

Patterns are also big this year.  Forget the usual rules of interior design when it comes to pattern feel free to mix and match.  A patterned rug, paisley cushions and zig zag curtains - you can go wild!  

Tropical prints have been seen on the international catwalks and interior stylists often take their lead from fashionistas. These bold designs are not to everyone's taste and the easiest way to go tropical if with a rug while keeping most other furniture items quite plain.

Navy is the new black when you are looking for the perfect accent colour. It works brilliantly with most other colours and unlike black it won't make a room feel too small.  

Finally, inventive geometrics that combine ancient culture with modern life are also a big theme for 2017. Simple lines and triangles are the key and our Moroccan style tribal rugs work the trend well.

www.frithrugs.co.uk