An Oriental rug is the perfect starting point for your Asian style room

As the UK’s largest retailer of Oriental rugs and carpets we know that Asian style continues to be a major influence in British homes.  This week is Chinese New Year (February 10^th) and so what better way to celebrate than transforming a room in your home into a peaceful retreat.

Simplicity and elegance are the bywords for developing a chinoiserie style in the home.  Remember, with this home decorating idea you are trying to create a look that is peaceful and relaxing and so it is really important to choose your pieces very carefully.

The Chinese love striking, bold colours like red (which symbolises good fortune and joy), green (for health and harmony) and black (which correspond to water, and is a neutral color).  Black and white together is used often as they represent yin and yang – the interconnection of opposites.

As a good starting point, invest in a large Oriental rug which will be the focal point for the room.  You can use the colours found in the rug to help you co-ordinate other accessories, but first you have to choose the rug itself.

You may decide on a bold Chinese rug dragon design but if you have a dramatic pattern like this don’t overdo it elsewhere.

                                                 

 

There are more subtle designs available which still have an obvious Chinese influence and these can be used to blend and tone the rest of the room.

                                                 

 

Or what about a going for gold? You can find rugs with elaborate gold patterns which would not look out of place in an Emperor’s palace.  If this is your choice go easy on the rest of the room’s pieces. 

Other Asian pieces will include fabrics which may be bamboo patterns or solid blocks of colour.   Lamps made of wood or bamboo will enhance the mood and a bamboo screen or dividers made from rice paper may be useful to help zone the room.

While you should not go overboard on other items you can still add a few well-chosen vases or some Chinese calligraphy wall art.

The resulting space should be the perfect place for you to chill out and fall into a meditative state of total relaxation.  And if you want to go one step further and balance the energies in your room -- you can also apply feng shui principles. But that’s another story…….

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Animal prints help you go wild at home!

Using animal print in the home has always been popular and with the launch of BBC One’s latest David Attenborough masterpiece – Africa, we’ve decided to share our ideas about how best to incorporate animal prints into your interior design scheme.

Classic prints include leopard, tiger, zebra, giraffe and cheetah and you should ensure you select your favourite print, such as leopard and stick with that.  Don’t, for example, use a leopard throw with a tiger rug.   In fact the one golden rule about using these prints is to use sparingly!  Less is definitely more as too much and your room can go from sophisticated to tacky very quickly.  

One of the easiest ways to introduce animal print is with the introduction of a rug.  This animal print area rug can be your main focus with just a few other items around the room – such as a couple of cushions or some discerning pieces such as a vase or lamp.

The great things about animal print rugs is that they work well in any room – including the dining room, bedroom, home office and even in a bathroom. This is because they are really versatile and sit well in both a modern and traditional environment as either the focus of a room or as an accent rug.

There are lots of animal print home accessories available including wallpapers – but again use sparingly.  One wall, probably the smallest in the room, is enough to make a statement.  If you have got a tiger wall, ensure the other walls are light and plain.

Animal prints can be a safe bet for people who are a little nervous about interior design as the prints themselves set the theme. Thanks to their bold design which has been perfectly selected by Mother Nature herself, once you introduce a few animal prints, people will automatically assume you have design flair!

The BBC Africa crew spent four years making this outstanding series – but we’ve shopped around to find a few classic pieces that should transform your home a lot quicker.   Browse the internet yourself to find your wild side.  RugsAnimal prints help you go wild at home below are available from www.frithrugs.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Month of May

May is traditionally the month when our ancestors really went to town in celebrating the coming of summer after the dark days of winter. Even the Romans celebrated the festival of Flora, which marked the beginning of summer.

And so with this in mind we’ve had a look at some of our favourite rugs which we think specifically represent this lovely time of year:

Maypole

This Laura Jade rug reminds us of the traditional Maypole dancing carried out across the country on May Day.  The rug from our Laura Jade collection features strands of colour which has echoes of the long bright ribbons used around the May Pole.








Festival of Flora

The Romans recognised the importance of this particular time of year when new flowers and fruits started to grow and provide the vital harvest for the rest of the year. If you want to bring the outside in, you’ll love our very own tribute to Festival of Flora found in the Tropics collection.




 
Green and pleasant rugs 

Green is the colour often associated with re-birth and re-growth at this time of year.  From our green and pleasant countryside to the symbolic ‘green man’ – we Brits love the colour green. FrithRugs has a generous collection of green rugs to suit every home, like this one from the Brink and Campman Luna range.

Happy Chinese New Year from Frith Rugs!

The end of this month marks the Chinese New Year, which falls on the 23rd of January. This year is the year of the Dragon and according to Chinese tradition, this means excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity!

Why not take a look at the vast selection of Chinese rugs we have here at FrithRugs?

With a variety of patterns available, including stunning dragon prints, you can transform any room with a bold and colourful rug to last you throughout the year of the dragon and beyond:

 

This stunning rug will not only make a statement in your home due to its deep red colour, but will also fit in perfectly with the Year of the Dragon. Grab 10% off this rug before the sale ends at the end of January.

Rugs don’t always have to be square or rectangular to fit into your home, and FrithRugs have a variety of Chinese rugs that come in all shapes and sizes such as this lovely green round rug.

This stunning dark blue rug has a regal feel to it, and its intricate design of flowers and birds reflect China’s rich and fascinating culture and history. This rug also has 10% off its original price until the end of the month.

Another dramatic design that features the famous Chinese dragon, a rug which comes in a variety of other colours at FrithRugs. This rug will be an ideal addition to a room that’s light, airy and neutral in colour. 

Downton Loves Rugs and We Love Downton!

Like millions of other people, here at FrithRugs we are all huge fans of Downton Abbey.  The show has a fabulous cast; but many argue that the biggest star of all is the house itself.

Filmed on location at  Highclere Castle in Newbury, the house has been home to the Carnarvon family since 1679, though the present day Castle was designed in 1842.  The TV series is set in Edwardian England, but the property features a variety of beautiful furnishings from many different periods - and from around the world.  Here at FrithRugs –you won’t be surprised to learn we always pay particular attention to the rugs and large carpets featured on the programme!

From the elegant drawing room to the grand hall, Downton Abbey boasts a fabulous selection of rugs – some of which are original to Highclere and some of which have been used to dress the set of Downton Abbey.  We think the series provides a perfect example of how a well selected period rug can make any room look elegant and well dressed - and while the majority of don’t live in properties like this – we can still borrow their design ideas.

Downton Abbey residents love the tapestry effect provided by the French Aubusson rug.  If you want to recreate the look of the drawing room – have a look at our collection of Aubusson rugs.  These intricate pieces are hand made in China using only the finest wool to create excellent reproductions of original Aubusson Designs. These Aubusson rugs are flat woven and are designed for light use only.

For anyone looking to splash out on a quintessential classic the Persian/Afghan rug is the choice of the rug connoisseur.  Many of these rugs are one off originals and can become a collector’s piece if looked after correctly.  Often these rugs would feature in very large rooms such as grand halls or ballrooms.  FrithRugs is the largest stockist of Persian/Afghan rugs in the UK and with over 3,000 products to choose from you can dress your home to impress.

To find your own piece of Downton Abbey/Highclere House browse our website or call in to one of our three outlets.