lexingtonorientalrugs.com Blog

If you have read this blog before, you have heard us talking  about Team Lexington Oriental Rugs.  It’s
a group of employees, clients, and friends that get together to participate in community events, charity road races, and habitat builds.  Team LOR is just our way of giving back to the community that has supported us while having a little fun along the way.

Some of our team members are taking on a new challenge… the 2012 Warrior Dash on June 23^rd.
Just imagine it like a 3.5 mile obstacle course… with mud, fire, ropes, walls, and barbed wire.   Check out the event here:   warriordash.com

Why are we doing this? We like punishment (have you seen how many rugs we unload when we get
new shipments.)  And we love raising money for great charities.  In this case, we are running for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made there have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today’s most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly.

We are going to do our best to raise as much money as possible for this great cause.

You can join in the fight by making a donation on our team page.  100% of the donations go to St. Jude.   Donate here :  http://bit.ly/LOrzH1

We may not look or feel great after the Warrior Dash, but we will sleep well later that night knowing we did our best to help those in need.  Hopefully we can share that warm feeling with you, too!

If you have been keeping up with the news lately, you may have seen a headline stating that the monster coffee giant Starbucks will be discontinuing use of a red dye made from crushed insects… and many of you may be shuddering at the thought of that in your Strawberry Frappuccino at this very moment. Don’t spit out your delicious drink just yet, insect dyes may be more prominent (and promising) than you know.

Specifically, the coffee giant said in a blog post that it would discontinue use of cochineal extract as a red food dye after complaints from vegetarian groups and PETA. In defense of the company, they had switched to the ingredient in response to customers demanding more natural ingredients. Cochineal red dye is more common than you may think. It is often found in juices, yogurts… and rugs.

While red color can be extracted from several insects, the most important of the insect dyes has proven to be cochineal. The cochineal insect produces an acid that acts as a deterrent to predators, which, when combined with aluminum or calcium salts makes carmine dye. These dyes have been prized throughout history for the bluish-red shade that they create, but have gradually diminished with the creation of synthetic dyes. More recent health fears over the use of artificial food additives have increased demand and cultivation, leading to an increase of the dye found in oriental rugs.

Still, the abundance of synthetic dyes and the added cost of acquiring enough dye for a rug limits the use to mainly highlight colors.

While insect dyes may add to the “Yuck Factor” in your drinks, they have a long and rich history in textiles and oriental rugs that are not only safe, but also beautiful. Frankly, we enjoy our strawberry and crème frappucinos too much to worry about it anyway. For more interesting oriental rug facts and stories, check out our website at www.lexingtonorientalrugs.com or our facebook page at www.facebook.com/rugslex.

The amazing beauty of a well-made oriental rug can often overshadow the process and journey that it took to make it here in the first place.  Many times the story of the people and the companies behind the product are the only thing more amazing than the product itself. And when one of those companies goes out of it’s way to make life in their home better for everyone… well that’s just plain awesome.

We have been working with Jaipur Rugs for a long time.  We love their rugs.  We love their people.  And we are constantly amazed by their commitment to making India better every day.  We stand by our committment to be a socially and environmentally responsible company and we are proud to be associated with Jaipur Rugs.

Finding the perfect oriental rug can be a daunting challenge.  Trust us, we know.  We’ve been helping people find the perfect rugs and furniture since 1960.  We not only specialize in making your home beautiful, but we also share your experiences when we work on our own homes.  These experiences over time have allowed us to develop a method that simplifies the search process. 

With so many rugs out there, the search is almost as much of a process of elimination as it is a journey to find a rug that knocks you off your feet.  Our professional staff is trained in the art of asking questions.  Lots of ‘em.  We use the answers to these questions to narrow down our extensive inventory to only the rugs that fit you needs and wants.  So we have created a checklist that will help both you and us find the perfect rug for your home.

The first thing we need to know is what type of room the rug will be going in.  Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and baths all have different requirements as far as size and durability, so let us know the specific type of room you are shopping for.  For example, a kitchen or bathroom rug needs to be durable and should be dense enough to be able to handle getting damp fairly often.  Dining room rugs need to be large enough to accommodate chairs as they are pushed back from the table and should be durable enough to withstand the legs from the chairs constantly being moved across the pile.

The second thing we need to know is an approximate size that you need.  Not all rugs come in different sizes, and most dealers have their inventory grouped by size.   Some rough dimensions of the room and a rough estimate of the area that you wish to cover are helpful.  You may also want to bring photos of the room to help us visualize the space if they are available.  Knowing a general size range will narrow down a large inventory dramatically.

The third part of the checklist is color.  Color is one of the most challenging parts of the search process.  They key here is to let us know what colors you have that are not going to change in the room.  Wall and paint colors, fabric colors, accents… all of these can be very useful, especially if you can bring photos!  Just remember to keep an open mind when it comes to color.  Our staff consists of trained, professional interior designers.  It is often that we have a client that tells us that they do not want a specific color in a rugs and are then delighted to find the perfect rug that is dominantly that color!  Most rug dealers will allow you to take a rug on trial anyway, so keep an open mind and be willing to try something new.

Part five is pattern.  Pattern is one of the main reasons that we employ a staff of interior designers.  Many of our clients are afraid of mixing and matching patterns… and rightfully so.  It is very easy to marry patterns that overwhelm the eyes and make visitors to the room beg for mercy.  The trick is to vary the sizes and shapes of the motifs within the pattern and to break up the space with textures or areas with no pattern.  Again, bringing pictures or samples of your patterns will help our designers find exactly what you are searching for.

Part six is perhaps the toughest, because generally, we will not ask you about it: Price Range.  Do some research before coming in to get an idea of a price range that you are comfortable with.  Our store offers no hassle everyday low pricing.  We do not haggle or play games with our prices and every rug is clearly marked with all information including the current pricing.  Having a realistic idea of your comfortable price can help us narrow down the inventory; otherwise, we will show you all rugs that meet your other wants and needs.  You can use our website to get a good idea of our price ranges for different sizes, constructions, and styles.

You may have noticed that there are a few points that we have not touched on such as antique rugs, or construction types.  If you are looking for a very specific type of rug, or are a collector, let us know.  Otherwise, simply keep an open mind and focus on finding a selection of rugs that you love, and then narrow them down by their individual merits.

Have you already found a few that may be the “one?”  Take them home and try them first.  Nearly all reputable oriental rug dealers have a trial period.  If they do not… walk away.  Oriental rugs have a tendency to look different in varying light and decors, so make sure that you get a chance to look at a rug in your own home before making a purchasing decision.

Ever wonder what you might have in common with people that walked the earth over 2500 years ago?  Chances are that it wouldn’t be much.  One thing that you would have in common… cold feet.  As it turns out, ancient peoples disliked cold floors just as much as you do.  How did they remedy this terrible problem?  Just like you, with oriental rugs!

Some of these ancient rugs have amazingly managed to survive thousands of years to be placed in museums around the world today.  Most of these are reduced to fragments, teasing at the amazing textile art that they used to be.  But one famous carpet, the Pazyryk, has managed to survive in a nearly-intact remarkably well preserved state.

The finding of the Pazyryk Carpet essentially re-wrote many of the textbooks about textile manufacturing of the ancient world.  The fragments that existed just didn’t have enough structure to explain the techniques and technologies that were used.  In 1949, Soviet archaeologists excavated a Scythian burial site in Pazyryk, and the entire oriental rug world changed instantly.

The tombs in the area dated back as far as the 4^th or 5^th Century BCE and because the tombs were dug deep into the permafrost and then covered in layers of timber and stone, the mummified bodies and contents within the tomb were well preserved.  These tombs were often reserved for nobility and therefore contained items that would be considered treasures including many finely woven carpet and kilim fragments.

The Pazyryk Carpet is so special because it is nearly completely intact and allows the study of the construction, materials, weave, design, and dyes.  The design is sophisticated, showing five elaborate border stripes, with one stripe depicting horsemen, and another depicting deer.  The central field shows a repeating pattern of a carved tile that has been found throughout the eastern world.  The size is 5’11”x6’6” and is finely knotted with approximately 277 KPSI. 

While the rug was found in Pazyryk, its actual origins are debated.  The pattern and knotting technique suggest that the rug trade thrived at the time and that this rug had travelled to the area from Armenia.

The Pazyryk Carpet currently resides in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

When I was growing up, I can remember that this time of the year meant that my awesome Mother would be giving the entire home an intensive Spring Cleaning.  Trust me, it was not as fun as you might be imagining.  It usually ended up with me and my brothers cleaning the windows… not nearly as fun as soccer in the yard.

Luckily for you, giving your oriental rug a spring cleaning “tune-up.”  Requires much less effort and allows for much more time spent playing soccer in the yard.  Here are some steps that our professionals at Lexington Oriental Rugs suggest as a quick way to keep your rug structurally healthy and looking great:

First, give you rug a quick look-over.  You need to be looking for any bald spots from wear and tear, spots and stains, and fringe damage.  Be sure to check the bound edges of the rug (selvedge) for any breaks or fraying.  Also, be sure that you check any areas that may be hidden under furniture (this is where bugs like to hide.)  If you find any areas that need to be repaired- contact your rug professional immediately.  Taking care of small repairs early insure the long life of your investment and won’t turn into major repair expenses in the future.

Proper Vacuuming Pattern

Second, give your rug a thorough vacuuming.  Sounds easy, we know, but there is a distinct method that we use to get the maximum effectiveness out of vacuuming.  Start by moving any furniture off of the rug- you may need a little room to work here.  Next, vacuum that top (piled) side of the rug moving parallel to the fringe and perpendicular to the selvedges.  This makes sure that you are not moving against the nap of the rug which may actually push dirt and dust deeper into the pile.  Now (this is the hard part), flip your rug over and vacuum the back side (knotted) of the rug.  The beater bar will “massage” out dirt and dust that may still be trapped in the pile.  When you are done, flip your rug back over, being careful to avoid any dirt and dust that may have collected on the floor.  Finally, vacuum the front of the rug again using the same method as before.

If you found any spots or stains during the initial look-over, try to remove them using water or club soda.  Saturate the spots with either water or clear club soda.  (Club soda sometimes work better than water because the bubbles help break up stains.)  Once saturated, use a clean towel to blot away as much of the moisture as possible.  Repeat until the stain is gone.  Allow the rug to dry; it can also be handy to place a clean paper towel underneath the rug between the rug and your floors to expedite drying time.  If you are unable to get the stain out using these methods, contact your rug professional, they will tell you what to do.

There is also a list of actions not to do.  Do not steam clean your rug.  Do not dry clean it.  No shampoos, no chemical spot cleaners, no enzymes, no Oxyclean.  If you cannot remove the stain with water, call your rug professional first before trying anything else.  (These methods can cause damage to your rug or induce color bleed.)

If you haven’t rotated your rug in the last year, now is the time.  By periodically rotating your rug, you ensure even wear and tear and traffic patterns.

For more information on how to maintain and ensure the long life of your oriental rug investment, contact your local oriental rug professional.  Or if you like, check out some of the great information on our website at www.lexingtonorientalrugs.com

Saturdays at the store typically start a little different for our staff.  The store opens at 10am instead of 9, and that gives us a little more time to enjoy a cup of coffee or spend some time with the family.  But not every Saturday is spent basking in the luxury of this extra hour of time… some Saturday mornings, our staff is out braving the elements and physical limits of our being in pursuit of raising money for local charities.

Luckily, this last Saturday the elements did not require much bravery.   The time in the morning, however, that required a little more determination.  No sleeping late for Team Lexington Oriental Rugs, our day started at Keeneland at 7am. 

The 2012 Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon happened on March 31^st and Team LOR was there with a team of runners ready to tackle the challenge.  That’s right.  13.1 miles of hills and valleys through some of the most beautiful countryside on the planet.  Over 2400 brave souls took on the challenge in order to raise money for some of the best non-profit groups on the Bluegrass such as Lexington Habitat for Humanity, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the YMCA, and Girls on the Run.

While the majority of our group was happy to compete in the relay portion of the event, two of our team members were able to run the full event in amazing time.  A very special thanks and many applause to Meghan and Danielle for tackling this awesome challenge!  Thanks to all of our team members and all of our awesome clients that we saw at the event participating.

Team Lexington Oriental Rugs is a group of company employees, clients, and friends that are interested in giving back to the community through local charity events and fundraisers. Events vary from charity road races to Habitat for Humanity builds. You may be able to recognize a team member by their brightly colored shirts, with a team logo on the front and a quirky nickname on the back. If you would like to join our team, it’s free, and we are always looking for members. We usually sponsor our members, and members will also get a free team shirt/jersey. And, of course, the events are always fun and rewarding. You can learn more by contacting Chad at 859-254-4412 or by visiting our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rugslex.

Diagram of soumac weaves.

It looks like a normal oriental rug (squinting).  It sounds like an oriental rugs (stomping feet across the carpet).  It tastes like an oriental rug (chewing on fringe.)  It must be an oriental rug…  Well, yes and no.  What we are looking at today are called soumacs, and they are a type of oriental rug in a class of their own.

Soumacs are commonly and generally called flatweaves.  They can also sometimes be called kilims, but there are structural differences between soumac and kilim weaves.  Soumacs are pileless and are constructed using a network of continuous weaves on a cotton warp and weft instead of individual knots.

Soumacs generally require less time and skilled labor to produce, and therefore usually cost less to produce.  This cost effectiveness combined with a unique texture that many times mimics worn antiques and a unique range of color palletes have made the soumac very popular among interior designers and decorators.

Close-up of the Soumac texture.

This weaving technique is very popular and can be found in almost every major weaving area and is credited as one of the world’s oldest weaving techniques.  Some fragments have even been dated to over 4000 years old (Chinese and Egyptian.) 

While there are many variations of a soumac weave, the most popular exhibit a neat trait;  they are reversible, and each side shows a different texture.  One side shows the overlapped thread and resembles a square knot (even though it isn’t a knot) while the other side resembles a chevron ( shaped like a “v”.)  This texture difference is one of the major points in it’s popularity.  Clients of ours will typically fall in love with the texture of a particular side and the pileless texture often works very well with other textured fabrics on furniture.

Reverse side Soumac texture.

You should check out some of our favorite soumac collections from Kalaty and Jaipur and Nourison.  While having the same basic weave, each uses a different wool, different patterns, and different colorations.  We love them all and hope that you will too… now quit chewing on our fringe!

Symphony 04 Latte

We are lucky enough to have grown up and established our business in the heart of the Bluegrass, in Lexington, Kentucky.   If you are not from the area, and stop in for a visit, you will probably find that we have our own style and culture here that is a little different from the rest of the nation.  Things move a little slower (except for our racehorses), and we enjoy the best that Southern hospitality and style have to offer.

Our interior design style follows the same roots.  It is steeped in tradition and quality, and makes efforts not to stray too far outside of the “norm” for Bluegrass style.

Oriental rugs, of course, follow the design style for the area.  Simply visit our store and you will find that the vast majority of our rugs follow very traditional colors and patterns.  When we do look to move beyond the “traditional” style… we find that the majority of our clients look for something more transitional than contemporary.

Symphony 01 Light Green

Maybe that’s why we love the Symphony Collection by Nourison so much.  It seems to fit the bill for what our slightly more contemporary customers are looking for.  The current transitional trend is moving towards overall patterns (no major geometrics, no powerful florals, no large medallions) and simple borders.  Our clients are asking for soft contrasts and tones.  Our clients are asking for grays and taupe color palletes.  The Symphony Collection fills this need.

The Symphony Collection by Nourison is hand-tufted using a dense premium wool background and a soft artificial silk to highlight the pattern.  The designs are traditional with a contemporary twist.  The colors are soft, muted, and tend to move towards the gray end of the color spectrum.

Symphony 05 Charcoal

Our customers love the style and the price; we love the durability and value.  Nourison has mastered the construction of high-end tufted rugs and we generally have no maintenance issues with them at all.  This collection is built for everyday living and high traffic.  So dance on them, spill on them, let the kids crawl on them… the rug can take it and continue to look good in the process for generations to come.

The Symphony Collection is elegant, stylish, and well constructed.  We love it and think that you will too.  Stop in and say hello and check out this collection today!

Check the collection out on our website: http://www.lexingtonorientalrugs.com/nourison/towncoindex4.html