Welcome

A warm welcome especially to those who have recently subscribed to my newsletter.

If you have any special requests for topics to be covered do let me know.

Case Studies

Mellow salmon-pinks

Victoria in south London wanted a carpet (4 x 3 m) for her lounge that was mellow in tone had soft pinks and duck-egg blue so that it would compliment the existing patterned fabrics. As muted colours worked best in the room we agreed that that I sought out some older rugs rather than new.

This Egyptian Heriz chosen is about 40 years old, went very well with the decor of the room, in particular an armchair in soft pinks and blues.

Deep reds

Annie in southwest London already had a deep red zigzag Gabbeh for her sitting room and wanted a second rug to go in front of the fire place.

The rug Annie chose, a Lori made in Iran, beautifully compliments the existing rug in colour and style and is a good contrast against the pine floor. Lori rugs have the added advantage that they are good value.

Suits baby

Eileen who lives in the Cotswolds had already a number of Gabbehs in her home. Throughout the house they had wooden flooring and with their new baby having arrived she wanted one for the sitting room and another for their office. She and her husband had tried a few other suppliers with no success.

Most Gabbehs tend to have a border with motifs of animals or people. They purchased two Gabbehs. The detail shown was for their sitting room, is full of character and having a thick pile is excellent for their baby.

Tips

Wine spills

If you ever spill wine on one of your rugs do not use salt to absorb the wine. The problem is that when the rug is cleaned the salt will react with the cleaning solution and alter the colour of the rug, often bleaching it.

The best approach is use paper towels to absorb the wine and if need be arrange to have it cleaned.

Moths

The webbing clothes moth (Tineola biselliella) can be a serious pest. The larvae consume fibres such as wool in clothing and carpets leading to the destruction of the fabric. The female will lay her eggs in dark undisturbed areas typically close to the ground as they are poor flyers.

If you see moths do give me a call to obtain some moth traps. The traps I use are based on a pheromone lure so are very safe. The moths are attracted to the pheromone and are caught on the sticky surface.

Glossary - H

In each newsletter I cover the a letter of the alphabet - here the letter 'H' - with a selection of rugs and technical information.

Hook

A weaver may use the hook to pull yarn through the warps (vertical threads) to tie knots and is very useful for finely woven rugs. The Tabriz is traditionally woven in this way.

Heriz

This is a town in Iran about 40 miles west of Tabriz. Heriz rugs are coarsely knotted and most designs will have a large bold geometric central medallion, partially repeated in the 4 corners and is heraldic in style. The predominent colours are deep red and bright blue with highlights in ivory. They are prized for their durability and are often used in hallways of homes and indeed hotels.

The Heriz detail shown is an all-over design with excellent dyes and workmanship.

Hereke

A town in western Turkey about 45 miles west of Istanbul. It is best known for the finely woven rugs of Bursa silk. The skill, artistry and technique is outstanding. The palette will include a range of red, blue, gold and green. Due to the fineness of the weave (700-800 knots per square inch) the designs can be very intricate.

The Hereke weavers also produce good quality rugs tradional in style and often floral.

Herati

The herati or fish in the pond design comes from the town of Herat in Afghanistan, previously part of Persia. It is a commonly used repeat design comprised of a flower centered in a diamond with curving leaves outside of the diamond. In Persian mythology four fish support the world. Many versions exist: curvilinear, geometric, simple and complex.