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.

New rug collections

Here at FrithRugs we are always updating and adding to existing collections as well as adding new rug collections for our customers.

When it comes to introducing new collections we base our decisions on trend forecasts but equally on listening to our customers who tell us what they want from their rug - a very important interior design accessory.  So here's what's new for 2019:

FrithRug Exclusive

Our customers love shopping at FrithRugs as they know they are likely to find numerous rugs that are exclusively available to us.  A new addition to our Ella Claire range is the Art Collection which is made from 80% wool and 20% bamboo silk. The endurance of wool coupled with the addition of silk provides not just a striking design but a delightful quality. 

For those who like their rugs the natural and  neutral tones of the Ella Claire Border Collection provides a timeless addition to your home. 

Atlas

The Atlas range is also suitable for people who prefer understated rugs.  The subtle diamond design in the rug, looks like it could have been drawn by hand and their plush pile and neutral colour palette they are perfect for the modern home. With their diamond design that almost looks as though it’s been hand-drawn, the rugs in our Atlas Collection are soft in both look and feel, creating a contemporary, modern look for your home. Featuring a plush pile height and neutral tones, these rugs are elegantly stylish.

Fjord

Modern home will also welcome the addition of the Fjord collection.  These machine made Polyester rugs are hard wearing and offer rugs with bold or subtle design features.  They will really suit a minimalist home and have a masculine edge that would work well in apartment living. 

Whatever your design style, remember that FrithRugs offers hundreds of rug choices for every home.  

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.

How to use the colour of 2019

Each year the colour experts at Pantone release their colour and colour palette which inspired both fashion and interior designers.

This year the Colour of the Year or COY is ‘Living Coral’ which is described a ‘shade that signals a shift towards optimism’ and as being ‘welcoming and encouraging light-hearted activity.’

If you are a follower of fashion the trick with any trend is careful interpretation – particularly when it comes to your home.  This colour is warm which means it will work well as an accent colour and would be best used in ‘flashes’ around your room in rugs, curtains and cushions.  It will be a brave man or woman who would use Living Coral in excess in one particular room – but if you have the confidence and design flair to pull it off – go for it.

Pantone has kindly provided a range of colour palettes that show us how to use the Living Coral with another colour.  In Shimmering sunset for example, it pulls together pinks, magenta and yellow shades, taking inspiration from the sky.  This would work in a feminine bedroom and even a bathroom.

The Sympatico colour harmonies include darker shades such as burnt henna and sand – this is suited to a more masculine bedroom or a living room.

For people who love bright colours, Trippy, uses yellow and blues with Living Coral which would be great for a kitchen or playroom.

Our rugs that best represent the Living Coral theme include some taken from our modern Vibrance collection featuring a wavy design that evokes memories of the seaside, a If you prefer a subtler pattern the plain carved Chinese rug will make it easy to accessorise with other pieces.  Meanwhile, traditionalists can include Living Coral with this Premier superwashed Chinese rug.

Have fun introducing Living Coral into your home this year.