Pink Kitchen Runner

Creating a custom rug for a kitchen runner is a great way to pack a punch of color in your space.  This pink runner in my "Rocky Medallion" pattern was specified by Darsi Floersch at Martha O'Hara Interiors for her beautiful client project.  The project was also an ASID award winner this year.

Don't be afraid to invest in a custom rug for a kitchen space.  If the rug is hand-knotted, all wool and small enough...it can be washed in your laundry or bath tub!  Just be sure to use mild soap (shampoo is a good option...you're basically just giving the sheep a bath :)) and cool water.  Never wash a wool rug in hot water or it may shrink the fibers.  Also, make sure to rinse well.  It will be good as new once the rug dries.  I do it all the time!

Tip: Never immerse a hand-tufted rug in water or the backing will break down--hand-tufted rugs have a cloth backing glued onto the back of the rug.  In a hand-knotted rug, you can actually see the knots on the back of the rug.

Picture is courtesy of houzz.com.

contemporary kitchen design by minneapolis interior designer Martha O'Hara Interiors

Rocky Medallion runner on loom in Nepal

Lilu Interiors---An Inspired Team

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to work with the interior designers at Lilu Interiors to create some custom rugs for their client.  The couple is young and loves bright colors...a dream come true for a rug designer who also loves color (in the state of Minnesota where beige and grey are often the preferred color choices)!


After a few renditions, we landed on this Moroccan-inspired rug design in a field of blue with pops of pink, chartreuse and chocolate brown.  In a unique living room setting, Lilu created 3 separate sitting areas but coordinated them beautifully.  The art, pillows and unusual fringed throw on the sofa pull the central part of the living room together and yield a fun, bright and playful space to enjoy family and friends.

Keep it coming Lilu ladies!!

Interior Design by Lilu Interiors/Photos: Susan Gilmore
Rug design by Julie Dasher

Rug design by Julie Dasher

Rug design by Julie Dasher

Merry Rugs!

This is the display in our showroom in Suite 542 at International Market Square in Minneapolis.

Casbah Tangerine...Hot and Spicy!

With the recent announcement of the Pantone color of the year for 2012, I couldn't resist showing you "Casbah Tangerine"....a hot and spicy coloring with tangerine orange and salsa red.  I prefer the design without the border.  How about you?

Flat weave rugs on the stretcher in Nepal

Have you ever wondered how the weavers get the rugs into a perfect rectangle after removing them from the loom?  Well, being a lifelong quilter, I wondered if the rug workshops blocked the rugs when damp and then let them dry to a perfect shape.  In fact, my supplier in Nepal uses a stretcher to create the perfect rectangle.  Here are pictures of 2 flat weave rugs on the stretcher in Nepal.

Update a traditional rug pattern with modern colors

The lotus flower design is a traditional motif in Tibetan rugs.  However, the traditional colors used in the lotus flower rugs may not be suited for today's interiors.  It's an easy problem to fix.  Simply, update the colors in a traditional design to reflect more modern colors.  Here's an example.

Lotus Flower design in traditional colors
Image courtesy of Wikepedia

Modern colors in a traditional lotus flower design
Round Rug--colored by Julie Dasher Designs

Raised Silk--A Beautiful Touch in a Rug

I love the color purple and what could be a prettier use of that color than in raised Chinese silk in a rug design...   I created this trellis pattern for a client in Florida who loves the color too.  The silk is raised about 2 mm higher than the wool pile in the background.  The border is the same color as the background but in a loop pile instead of a cut pile, which makes the color look a shade lighter.