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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Oriental Weavers Rugs: Trend-Setters In The Industry


As many homes have chosen to have a wooden floor these days, small or large area rugs have also become must-have pieces of accessories to these homes. It has always been a tradition that when you add an area rug in your room, you are most likely to buy one from the East, such as those sold by Oriental Weavers rugs.

The company, Oriental Weavers, has been in the business for at least two decades and is one of the largest manufacturers of rugs around the world. Oriental Weavers rugs are famous for their trend-setting and fashionable designs. The research and development department of the company continuously do their jobs in researching the demands of the market to provide the varied designs of Oriental Weavers rugs. The materials used in Oriental Weavers rugs are wool, polypropylene or both.

How to Choose the Right Oriental Weavers Rugs

With the wide array of Oriental Weavers rugs that you can find in the market, it is best that you decide first whether you have to settle with large area rugs, or several small rugs. If you wish to have your entire room fitted with a single large area rug, then you can choose one of Oriental Weavers rugs which have the size of either 9-feet by 12-feet, or 12-feet by 15-feet. The most common size of Oriental Weavers rugs used in the dining and living room is 8-feet by 11-feet. Oriental Weavers rugs of these sizes are usually large enough to accommodate your dining table and chairs.

If you want a combination of small and large area rugs in a room, make sure that their colors and designs complement each other. You would not want your visitors to feel awkward when they enter your home because the colors and designs of your Oriental Weavers rugs are not in harmony.

Friday, April 24, 2009

How to select the right oriental rug weaving and repair services



Instructions

Step1

Selecting a oriental rug weaving and repair provider isn’t always as easy as it may seem but making the wrong decision can lead to the loss of a family heirloom or fine investment quality rug. Use these quick tips and questions to learn how to select the right rug weaving and repair services to assure your rug retains the full value and beauty you have come to expect.

1. Risk Free Consultation. Don’t assume the consultation is free. Many oriental rug weavers and repair services charge for consultation or will only waive the consultation fee if you use their services. Often service charges are higher than average so the consultation isn’t really “free” but rather “hidden”. Instead, search for a service provider that provides a free – no obligation – consultation.

Step2

2. Process & Procedure. Ask how work is performed. There is a great deal of variation between rug care experts; in fact, many are not experts at all. Be sure to ask questions about the type of rug, weave used, dyes, proper cleaning and other pertinent information to verify the technician is knowledgeable about hand woven rugs in general.

Step3

3. Outsourced or In-house. Find out exactly who will perform the rug weaving and repair then verify they are licensed, bonded, insured and qualified to perform the work. There are only a limited number of oriental rug weaving experts throughout the nation so search for a company that has a contractual relationship with a qualified expert that specializes in rug weaving and repair.

Step4

4. Matching. The older and more delicate a rug is the more difficult it can be to match the fibers and colors especially if the repair requires replacement of missing fibers. One common method includes using old discarded rugs of the same type, age, geographical region etc as replacement fibers.

Step5

5. Clean. It is a good idea to have your rug cleaned at the same time you have it repaired; it can assist in proper color correction and fiber matching. Make sure the company knows the proper method to clean delicate rugs and doesn’t use harsh chemical baths that could fade the colors nor simply “beat” the rug to remove dust.

Step6

6. Experience. It is absolutely imperative to go with a well known company with a solid reputation when it comes to rug weaving and repair services. Find out how long the company has been in business, make sure the current owners are not new and verify insurance information.


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Acquiring a oriental rug? Check dye, wool Deseret News



Tulips and carnations bloom against the purple-red background of a 16th-century Turkish carpet. The effect is dazzling, says William Seward, "a visual feast." Seward, who has studied weavers' techniques in Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, is a dealer in Oriental carpets -- rugs hand-woven in the Middle East and Asia.

Seward says the Turkish antique rug has two attributes you should look for when shopping for a carpet for your home: natural dyes that boost its visual allure and durable wool that extends its life span. Yet only about one in 20 new Oriental carpets offer both.

Rugs made with natural dyes -- derived from plants and insects -- have colors that seem to shift hues. This jewel-like effect is lacking in rugs with synthetically dyed yarns. Seward demonstrates the difference by displaying a new rug made with naturally dyed fibers. As you step around the rug, its tomato-red flickers a shade of violet.

Carpets crafted with natural dyes generally cost almost twice as much as rugs made with synthetic dyes. In this case, the rug with natural dyes is priced at $99 a square foot -- or $4,850 for a 7-by- 7-foot size -- while the synthetically dyed rug costs $60 a square foot -- or $2,100 for a 5-by-7-foot size.

A rug's durability depends mainly on the quality of the wool. A carpet with the finest wool costs up to 25 percent more than one with mediocre wool. But better wool can extend a rug's life span by half.

Although dye type and wool quality are the most critical factors, some merchants play up the knot count per square inch. The higher the knot count, the finer the weave. Finely woven rugs render intricate patterns in sharp detail. But many modern homes with subdued decor are best matched with more coarsely woven rugs in simple patterns, Seward says.

Seward recommends four wholesalers that he says sell only rugs made with natural dyes and durable wool: Garuda Woven Art, www.garudawovenart.com; Miri & Jalili, www.jalilirugs.com; Woven Legends, www.wovenlegends.com; and Yayla, www.yayla.com. Although you cannot order from them directly, you can locate dealers through the Web sites.

Once you purchase a rug, consider insuring it. Most homeowners' policies set a carpet's replacement value by estimating the price of comparable rugs at the time of your claim. Seward recommends that you insure separately any carpet worth more than $5,000 because a separate policy allows you to lock in your purchase price as the reimbursement value. The cost is about $5 per year for every $1,000 of value.

San Francisco's KRIMSA Fine Rugs & Decor Selected



SAN FRANCISCO -- KRIMSA Fine Rugs & Decor, the innovative San Francisco dealer in heirloom-quality rugs, has been notified of its selection as the 2007 Rug Retailer of the Year.

In only its fifth year, KRIMSA, located at 2190 Union Street at Fillmore, becomes just the 14th merchant nationwide to be recognized with the prestigious annual honor, the highest of the "ROY Awards" that are presented at Atlanta International Area Rug Market.

"We are elated at the choice of KRIMSA as Rug Retailer of the Year," said co-owner Paul Ramsey. "Our original fine carpet store, Shaver-Ramsey Oriental Rugs & Decor in Denver, was honored with this award three years ago after being in business for more than twenty-five years."

With no access to the deliberations of the independent panel that chose KRIMSA, Ramsey can only speculate that there were many factors influencing the decision. "KRIMSA, uniquely, is open to the public, not just to designers like many of the city's other Oriental rug dealers. Because KRIMSA targets a broader market, it has exposed thousands of people to the world's finest weavings," he said.

"When we opened KRIMSA, some questioned whether the city needed another Oriental rug store," said co-owner Elizabeth Vehko. "However, we felt that offering unique and beautiful rugs in a gallery setting, along with working with both designers and the general public, would prove successful. We are now the only retail rug store in the city with exclusive agreements from some of the world's preeminent weaving groups, including Woven Legends, Zollanvari, Megerian, Rugs by Robinson, Anadol and Tamarian."

Vehko added that she is pleased at how quickly KRIMSA has become a draw for out-of-town visitors, as well as for residents of San Francisco and the Bay Area. "Our original concept was to bring a store full of colorful, handmade, high-quality rugs and textiles to the public," said Vehko. "Our desire to educate the public has succeeded by offering lectures, showing films and providing weaving demonstrations."

In addition to standing out aesthetically, Ramsey notes that KRIMSA is committed to giving back to the community, another possible contributing factor to its selection as Rug Retailer of the Year. It has hosted meetings of the San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society and held a reception for the famed quilters from Gee's Bend, Ala., whose work has been displayed in museums around the world, including the de Young Museum. In addition, the company hosted weavers from Sarawak, Malaysia, in conjunction with the Textile Arts Council.

Claremont Rug Company Assembles Rare Collection : Oriental Weavers Rug



Thematic Exhibition Highlights "The Art of Timeless Beauty"

BERKELEY, Calif. -- An exceptional collection of more than 60 antique Oriental weavers rug created in the 19th century by tribal weavers will go on display, Friday, October 3, at the Claremont II Rug Gallery as part of an exhibition entitled, "The Art of Timeless Beauty."

The collection features rugs seldom available for sale and is believed to be the largest exhibition of rare tribal rugs in the world in recent years.

Claremont Rug Company founder and president Jan David Winitz said that many of the rugs in the group "are of a type that many dealers might have only one of in their own personal collections and seldom offer for sale.

"Over the past decade, tribal rugs of this quality have been increasingly limited to the private collections of connoisseurs," he said. "They rarely even come to the auction market, and when they do they regularly sell far above the high estimate. Because of our long-established reputation, we are often offered exclusive access to the finest rugs, as was the case with the Hudson River Valley Collection that we acquired earlier this year."

"Virtually all of the rugs on display were acquired from long-established American and European collections and have not been viewed publicly during our generation. They feature numerous seldom-encountered motifs and color palettes," said Winitz, who created the internationally-known Claremont Rug Company nearly three decades ago.

"As part of a tradition stemming about three millennia, rugs of unimaginable beauty were woven adapting the traditional archetypal designs and color combinations of eight major tribal groups. As their nomadic lifestyle changed irreversibly at the start of the 20th century, a limited number of these masterworks are left for us to marvel at today," he said. "The recent interest by major publications is another indicator that art collectors and investors are taking serious interest in the best antique weavers rug."

Speaking of his recent lectures, Winitz said, "The response was tremendously gratifyingly. They confirmed there is a true thirst for knowledge among rug aficionados who are beginning to look beyond the decorative value of rugs."

Somerville will be the primary speaker at the October 5 event entitled, "Antique Tribal Rugs: Unchanged since Biblical Times." To illustrate his lecture, Somerville will present a wide collection of extraordinary tribal rugs, rare photos and a film. There is no charge for the event. However, seating is limited and RSVPs are recommended.

Oriental Weavers Rug can Claim that Rugs Rule



There is a traditional form of carpeting found in homes around Japan called tatami mats. These oriental rugs are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, dating right back to the 12th century. You have to pay attention to certain rules because the number and layout of tatami mats can bring you either good or bad fortune. You want to avoid laying them in a grid pattern, as this will bring bad luck. If there is a death in the family, this is the only time the mats can be laid in a grid pattern.

Oriental rugs come in all shapes, and sizes and origins. There is a traditional form of carpeting found in homes around Japan called tatami mats. These oriental weavers rugs are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, dating right back to the 12th century where tatami mats were used as luxury goods by emperors, religious leaders, nobles, and high-ranking officials. The color of the fabric used on the edges showed the rank of individual households of those that owned them. The tatami mats come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses.It was a custom that was carried on until the 17th century when this special mat found its way into the homes of ordinary people. Before the arrival of tatami mats, sleeping mats were made simply from straw and were usually thicker, until the tatami evolved. Early in the 15th century and beyond, people began to use them as floor coverings for the first time, which evolved into a way of life, thus giving birth to Japan's unique tatami culture. Various forms of mats such as oriental weaver rugs were used prior to the introduction of the tatami mat.

The tatami mat comes in three different parts, the rush or reed cover, the straw core and the decorative cloth edging. The Japanese refer to these parts of the tatami mat as the omote, tatami goto and the tatami beri. The tatami omote is made from a soft reed and each mat needs about 4,000 to 5,000 rushes. The omote is then woven together with hemp or cotton string. To make the straw core, commonly referred to as the tatami goto, a length of 40 cm of straw is reduced to just 5 cm. Then, to finish, the cloth is used for the border of the mat. Deeply rooted in their culture for many centuries, Japanese life centered around the tatami mat. They entertained guests, played, worked, slept and ate in elegant tatami-carpeted rooms. Oriental weaver rugs come in various shapes and sizes but the tatami mat could be found in a rectangular, square, triangular or even octagonal shape. The size was determined on where you lived, so basically everyone had a custom floor mat. Kyoma mats that are roughly 3' x 6' were used in Kyoto, whereas if you lived in East Edoma, the common measurement was 5' x 8', which was more popular. Today, you can have a tatami mat made into your own custom floor mat and you'll see all sorts of their from sizes and styles.

There are also health benefits to be derived from tatami mats. The inner core of these oriental weaver rugs is squashed tight and full of air thus making it very effective for absorbing heat. Japanese scholars claimed that the tatami mat could absorb 500 cc of water from the air. They claimed that if the atmosphere was dry the water would naturally evaporate. Tatami is made from soft reed, and according to ancient Chinese medicine, it calms the spirit, and the mind and body will be relaxed by the natural smell. When it comes to designing your tatami custom floor mat for size and fit, you have to pay attention to certain rules because the number and layout of tatami mats can bring you either good or bad fortune. You want to avoid laying them in a grid pattern, as this will bring bad luck. If there is a death in the family, this is the only time the mats can be laid in a grid pattern. The size of a room in Japan is usually measured by the number of tatami mats. Japanese stores are designed to be the size of 5 ½ tatami mats to ensure that you have good fortune no matter what kind of business you're in. The tatami mat is traditional to the unique way of Japanese living. These special mats are associated with tea ceremonies and Japanese religious rites. The Japanese believe that these fascinating everyday objects can lead one on the way to spiritual enlightenment! Japanese culture, dictated the concept of the tatami room. The tatami mat is truly unique and speaks for the discipline and health consciousness of the Japanese culture.


How To Know a Genuine Oriental Weavers Rug



When you are looking for something special to put on your hardwood or tile floor, you will probably think of using an Oriental weavers rug. But how do you know the difference between an Oriental weavers rug and one that is just pretty to look at? Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping for your new Oriental area rug.

One thing that is very common to find when shopping is to have several styles of patterned rugs lumped into the general heading of Oriental weavers rug. Often, even some rug retailers will sell a mix of both machine and hand made rugs under the very same title or brand. In fact, only hand knotted rugs are true Oriental weavers rugs, but this is often not made known by the sales force in the retailer or on their website.

Oriental rugs are a pile or a flat woven fabric that has been hand-knotted in the Middle or Far East. Only rugs from Afghanistan, China, India, Nepal, Iran, Tibet, Turkey and Pakistan are considered genuine oriental rugs along with some of the old Soviet Union territories, Egypt and North African countries as well as Romania and Albania. If you are being sold a rug as genuine and it was made in Belgium, South America, Western Europe or the United States, then that sales person either doesn’t know what he is talking about or is hoping you don’t know better. The same is true if the rug is made on a machine or is constructed of nylon or polypropylene.

Now, just because you have found a patterned rug that has been made in one of the countries listed above, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is a authentic Oriental weavers rug. You can have a hand made rug that is not actually hand knotted. For example, hand tufted rugs are easily mistaken for hand knotted rugs.

If you are unsure if the rug you are considering taking home is actually hand knotted or hand tufted, there are two ways you can know for sure. One is to look at the back of the rug itself. The fringe that will be on both pieces will most likely give you the answer you are searching for. If the fringe is sewn on, it is not a genuine Oriental rug.

But genuine Oriental rugs fringe actually comes directly from the material being on the loom instead of it being sewn on afterwards. The other way to be sure you are getting a genuine Oriental weavers rug is to look at the price tag. A hand knotted rug will cost roughly twice as much as a hand tufted rug.

If you are going to take the plunge and invest several hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in an Oriental area rug, then be sure you know your facts before you go shopping. Just make sure you don’t end up paying a premium price but get a non-genuine premium Oriental weavers rug.