When The Rug Company opened up it’s Dallas showroom in 2011 I quickly became smitten with their gorgeous collection of heirloom quality rugs, especially the pieces by fabulous designers like Kelly Wearstler, Dian Von Furstenburg, Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Alexander McQueen to name a few. Prices point range from high dollar to super affordable and everything in between depending on the construction of the rug.
I thought it would be fun to get a little more insight on flat weave rugs from one of my local showroom reps here in Dallas! I am often asked about flat weave rugs by most of my clients. They are everywhere now and with all of the gorgeous colors and graphic patterns, it’s hard not to take notice. So I went directly to my showroom rep, Oscar for the real scoop on these fab little rugs and here is what he had to say….
Taking in the colorful showroom at The Rug Company designer brunch
Abbe-Is there anything important I should know about flat rugs before I plunge into the great unknown and purchase one?
Oscar-A flat weave is exactly what it is. A flat rug with not much cushion for the feet. It’s a different feel, a more relaxed look.
Abbe - How are these rugs cleaned? Should I consider special cleaning or are they easy to spot clean?
Oscar – Depending on the material, they can be taken to a professional rug cleaner or can be washed at home if you have an industrial sized washer and hung to dry. Most are cotton, talk to your salesperson about the cleaning instructions. Not all rugs are created equal! If you are purchasing from a known retailer, check the cleaning instructions carefully.
Abbe-What kind of rug pad should I use? Can I make the rug feel more cushy under foot?Oscar -Many rugs pads are available. Different height for cushion, sticky ones that stick to your floor and rug to help with rug movement. Since they do not naturally provide lots of cushion, they are great options for dining rooms, bathrooms and entry spaces. If you don’t mind a rug without any pile, they look great in main family rooms too.
Abbe -If my clients have kids, a husband, and a few puppy dogs. Would thick wool rugs be better for that busy family? I don’t want to buy anything that is delicate for them. I also don’t want to use an indoor/outdoor rug or one made from jute or sisal.
Oscar- I would suggest buying a rug that is well made and cleans up easily. A rug rich in lanolin would be best. The lanolin repeals water and dirt so the richer in the lanolin the easier to maintain the rug. A hand knotted rug can last for many generations.
For more affordable flat weave and hand knotted options…check out the entire Studio Collection! Jonathan Adler recently launched a fabulous collection of rugs here…and don’t forget the pillows! Or as they call them, cushions!
I always get so excited when backordered pieces finally arrive and make their way into my client’s home. They have spent weeks, even months waiting on furniture, lighting, rugs and accessories to be delivered. There is nothing better than seeing the smile on their face when they begin to see the overall design come together!
This week, one of our projects it the 75% mark! We still have a few fabulous pieces on the way, accessories and art to be finalized and a bit more installation to schedule but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And of course a wagging tail from the client’s puppy dog always makes me smile!! Here are a few pics from this week’s install, I love showing progress pictures off. Although I add the final professional pictures to my portfolio, showing off before & after insights are always fun!
If you haven’t had a chance to take a look around our newly designed website (thanks to Bittersweet Design Boutique), you should hop on over to see all of the new additions! We have added a few fun short videos to help tell our story as we work on design projects from start to finish, a few sneak peeks and of course an inside look at the overall Studio Ten 25 story.
Here is our “about” video that was made by the oh so talented Laura Busby. I love the way she captures the small details that make us who we are and what we love! You can see all of our videos on the Studio Ten 25 Website or check out our Vimeo page for a few extra pieces!
We have been crazy busy around The Studio the past few months and I can not wait to share a few of the fabulous projects that we are working on. This project has been in the works for a while and all of the pieces are finally starting to come in for the installation. We started with a subtle palette of navy, grey and white and brought the room to life with bold pops of color using pillows, art and accessories! Keep an eye out for a few installation pictures as this project begins to come together!
And of course if you see a few pieces you just can’t live without you can snag them in our exclusively online only boutique, Shop Ten 25.
Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing sneak peeks from Dwell With Dignity’s 2013 Thrift Studio. Thrift Studio is a not-like-any-other-thrift-store THRIFT STORE. Thrift Studio is a bi-annual 30 day pop-up shop created to provide financial viability and fundraising for Dwell with Dignity through selling the overstock of donated, gently used furniture, housewares, accessories and high end designer finds to the public. All proceeds to benefit the future work, growth, organization and structure of Dwell with Dignity!
Tomorrow is the big night!!! The preview party kicks off Thrift Studio and this year is going to bigger than ever. One Kings Lane has partnered with Dwell With Dignity and if you are familiar with One Kings Lane, you know they have some of the most amazing curated sales online. The Tastemaker Tag Sales have been a BIG favorite of mine for years, and I am still pinching myself that I am able to bring a few of my favorite pieces to the Dwell With Dignity Tag Sale!! All of the proceeds from the sale support this fabulous organization so make sure you set your alarm so you don’t miss anything.
Here is a preview of my Tastemaker Tag Sale and a better look at the vignette that I designed for Thrift Studio.
Today The Dallas Morning News featured Dwell With Dignity’s Thrift Studio in a fabulous two page COLOR write up. I say COLOR because I love the fact that they didn’t go with the standard black & white. All of the vignettes in the Thrift Studio are so full of color so I’m happy to see them all in print! You can see the full write up by the lovely Jamie Knodel HERE. If you are in Dallas, pop on over to Dwell With Dignity to snag a ticket to the big April 18th preview party! The first hour of VIP shopping has already sold out but you can still grab a ticket for the rest of the preview party shopping event!
Here are a few pics from today’s article online….
I can’t wait to share all of the final images of the STUDIO TEN 25 space….but of course I have added a few fun sneak peeks under the article. You know I love to show off the details! AND, if you take a look on our NEWLY DESIGNED website, we have a few more fun inside look from the vignette too!
So excited to announce the new look over at www.studioten25.com!!!! We have been busy getting a fresh update added to our design site and I am so excited to see it up! Tons of great videos, before & afters and many many many gorgeous project images with tons of details!!!
A HUGE THANK YOU to the amazing, talented and super fab Rose from Bittersweet design boutique!!!! She rocked this mutha!! Keep your eye out too…the two of us have quite a few things up our sleeves! We would LOVE to know what you think about the new layout!!!!
Mark your calendars! Dwell with Dignity Thrift Studio preview party is 4/18 at the Dallas Design District. Come support a great cause and shop for treasures from some of the best designers in Dallas and special sponsor One Kings Lane.
I am so honored to have been asked to design a vignette this year for the second time! My space is huge (30″ x 15″) and I had a lot of ground to cover. The before and after pieces have been my favorite part of the design. Taking something that looks absolutely pitiful and seeing it transformed into a gorgeous piece that someone can bring home always makes me smile.
Here is a little bit more of a sneak peek of the overall space from our VINE app showing details that help pull it together. I can’t wait to share all of the final images of the space on the 18th!! If you are in Dallas, you must snag a ticket so that you get first dibs on all of the gorgeous pieces!
I recently shared the BEFORE & AFTER of the wingback chairs. You can see more HERE. I can’t thank Megan Adams enough for donating the fabric. Today, I wanted to show off the transformation of the round back chairs that are being used in my vignette.
BEFORE: They were a ratty yellow fabric, torn to shreds and in need of a major overhaul! But I loved their shape and knew that with a little love they could be come something chic.
AFTER: We snagged this textural ivory linen fabric from the donation fabric pile in the Dwell With Dignity warehouse but the chairs were screaming for a little something extra! So when we had a little extra navy fabric left over from the sofa update, I knew it had to become the contrasting cording….
A before and after all in 1 minute and 34 seconds! I am so excited to finally share this video version of one of our latest project updates. The Lash Maxx space was super tiny the first time I began to work with my client, but we made the best of the small space and added plenty of glitzy details. When the space behind the studio became available, my client jumped on it and we began the design for the expansion.
You can see more details on the design process and BEFORE & AFTER images HERE . We are showing off our design concept renderings, detailed drawings of custom elements and fabulous art work from Laura Dro and Stephanie Jimenez and pillows from Aphro Chic, Enjoy the show!!!
Yesterday I stopped by the DLiving set to talk about bringing in vibrant accessories in your home for Spring. We talked about changing out or adding small rugs for added color and pattern, bringing in bold agates, bud vases and colorful lamps. I showed off the new Dhurrie rugs from The Rug Company, Tons of fabulous geodes, vases and frames from Mecox Dallas and chic textural containers and a bright yellow lamp from Arteriors Too.
Then…the major spring before & after happened on set! I spent the rest of the show changing out pieces to on the set to step up the color factor! Take a look at the BEFORE & AFTER shots and be prepared for a major eye-candy overload…we are sharing our sources too!
BEFORE: D TV launched in February of this year and we went with a sophisticated color palette that included a modern graphic rug, bold turquoise seating, art and gorgeous classic tables! You can find details on where to pick up these pieces HERE from our past blog post and HERE on the DHome Blog.
AFTER: After spotting this Sellarsbrook Yellow rug at The Rug Company Dallas showroom, I knew it would be the perfect jumping off point for creating a new look for spring. The Sellarsbrook Blue and Birdie Blossom pillows tied in the spring them too and I love any excuse to change out pillows.
And now to the accessories! I have to give a big THANK YOU to MECOX DALLAS for providing all of the colorful and glitzy accessories for the lounge area! The handblown green and yellow glass knots are the perfect pieces to stack on books, I love how they visually fill a space without looking to chunky. They have a variety of sizes and colors to pick from too!
And these large geode pieces mounted on acrylic bases with brass detailing are beyond amazing. I am seriously going bring a set of these home! I love that Mecox carries pieces like this from local artists too. If the deep pink pieces are not going to work in your space, stop by and talk to the guys about selecting a color that you want, it’s pretty easy! And while you are there, you HAVE TO check out the other trinket boxes, acrylic vases and trays all adorned with colorful geodes!!
And last but not least, these colorful ikat bone inlay trays! They come in a ton of colors as well as multiple sizes. I used them for a pop of color stacked with books and alone on the coffee table to bring in a bit of color too.
