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!

Choosing rugs to complement your walls

Wallcoverings have come a long way since our grandparent’s time when woodchip and Artex were commonly found in homes up and down the land.  More and more customers are choosing their rug design to complement their wallcovering and so we’ve decided to look at some of the most unique offerings currently on the market.

Exposed brick looks great, but the real thing involves lot of work which which is why faux exposed brick walls were developed by wallcovering manufacturers.  A few years ago you could spot a paper brick wall a mile off – now, you really do have to touch it to see if its real or not.  Ideal for those who like the loft living look and a traditional Persian or Afghan rug would look great.

Love the feel of leather?  Well now you can have it on your walls.  Although this is quite a masculine look – it is not harsh and will give any room a unique, cosy feel.  Our Canyon rug designs offer an innovative collection of luxury hand-made rugs featuring a soft, dense and luminescent viscose pile, with deep canyons of suede leather.  Just gorgeous.

Now we have all heard of laminate and wood on the floor – but on walls?  Yes, you can now buy laminate or wood for the wall and it is really effective, particularly if you like the Scandinavian look. Rugs that would work well here would be a shaggy or something from our Aubusson collection.

Decorating with colour

Despite the wealth of information available to us online, on TV and in books and magazines – it’s amazing how many people still don’t have confidence when it comes to choosing a colour scheme.

A common question is how to decorate a large open space area.  You could unify the space with one colour, or different shades of the same colour.  For example, a lovely blue duck egg in one zone could lead into a darker blue in a different one.  You can also use rugs to accentuate the different zones.   This will keep the open plan feel but will demonstrate new areas within the room.

Another common misconception is that ceilings should always be white – or derivatives of white – but believe it or not that’s not the law!  There is one general piece of advice on this though, if your room is on the small side a non white ceiling will only make it feel smaller so make sure you only venture away from white in large rooms with lots of natural light.  If you feel bold, swap your ceiling for a rich colour and make your walls white – it can really make a statement and to reflect the shade on the ceiling – choose a rug in the same shade - the perfect complement for high and low.

Grey is a really fashionable colour but people can be scared of using it because they think their room could look dull.   But grey is the perfect neutral and can be quite warm and cosy.    There are numerous shades of grey to chose from, pale blue greys can look really sophisticated while darker tones will give your room a grown up feel.  Here are some of our favourite greys.

Let's get warm and cosy with Scandi design

 As the weather turns cold, we wondered what it is about  #Scandinavian design that we love so much?

 Perhaps because its so dark and cold outside that the      Scandinavians seek to make their homes especially warm      and welcoming, a stylish retreat from the outside, a place        where they can wrap themselves up in style.

We Brits interpret Scandi style as minimalism with warmth.  It is unfussy, has clean, practical lines and thanks to the light colours favoured by Scandi style, it's perfect for making small British homes feel bigger.

Norway, Sweden and Finland, are known for their egalitarian societies which is why their designs are not showy and quite pared down.  For Scandinavians, home is warm and comfortable – it’s very much lived in, rather than a show home.  

Bare wood, sheepskin and leather are the core ingredients for the Scandi styled home and hints of red and blue are the colours of choice.

If you want to create the look in your home, we have four sheepskin rugs to choose from as well as our fabulous flokati rugs which are premium rugs that will stand the test of time.  If you want that hint of colour, our Basket Weave collection will fit the bill.

And fairy lights are not just for Christmas, throw a line on a shelf or on your fireplace, find some wooden ornaments, add some faux fur cushions and a few throws and you won't want to go outside for quite some time.

  

And so to bed

Soft thick rugs are ideal
by the bed

Having trouble sleeping?  Did you know your bedroom could cause problems nodding off?

Let’s start with the colour.  Experts say that colour really does have an impact on your mood and so while red, yellow and black may keep you awake at night, shades of blue and green are renowned for their calming and soothing features.

In most other rooms in the house, interior design experts will tell you to let the natural light flood in.  However, the opposite is true in the bedroom.  You need to make sure you have thick curtains that block out daylight.  Ideally have dimmer switches on your artificial lighting to keep them low as you climb into bed and turn them up high when you want to wake up and get dressed. 

These bright rugs are
great to help you
wake up.

Other accessories are just as relevant.  Texture is important in a bedroom as it is such a multi functional space.  By night, the place you wind down, relax and sleep and by day, the space where you wake up and prepare yourself for whatever the next 12 hours is going to throw at you.

And so use accessories and different textures to help zone the different areas. By the bed, soft, thick rugs are the perfect floor covering for when you get in and out of bed.

By day, why not put a practical, bright rug near your dressing table or wardrobe?  This will highlight the space as an area where you mean business as you prepare for the day ahead. 

Colour co-ordinate your rugs, curtains and bedding so that the room has an inclusive feel within the specific zones.

Night, night.