What's under your feet? Tips on finding the perfect area rug.

I see so many clients unable to make a decision when it comes to buying an area rug. What makes choosing an area rug for your home so difficult anyway? First of all you have to figure out the right size, pick one too big and it covers all the beautiful hardwood you just installed (might have well kept the old wall to wall carpeting), too small and it looks like an island floating in the lagoon. Then you have to decide on the color, design, style, shape, quality, and material. If those aren't enough decisions to make you have to wade through an overwhelming selection with a wide price range. No wonder people have difficulty deciding and walk out empty handed. Here are a few tips which will help you to start the shopping.

Size does matter, to determine the maximum-size rug that will fit in a room, subtract three feet from the room's width and length, which will create a frame of flooring between the rug and the walls. For a dining room, choose an area rug that is four feet wider and longer than your table so that the chairs will remain on the carpet even when pulled out. There is nothing more annoying than sitting at a table and having your chair wobble because the back legs of the chair are on the bare floor and the front legs are on the rug. In a living or family room, the furniture should be sitting on or touching the rug. For the front door my fellow decorator Janice Funston points out " If your guests start doing an awkward dance once you let them in your house it means a) they started partying without you or b) the rug at your front door is much too small, and they are trying to be polite and not step off of it with their shoes on." Get yourself a nice generous sized rug for the front door. A 2'x3' rug is perfect for in front of the sink or tub where generally only one person at one time stands.

Define the quality and type of material that you need your rug to be. How much traffic will the rug be exposed to? Is there a traffic path right through where the rug will be? Will the rug be in an area that is not used much. These are factors you must consider when deciding on the rug material. Rugs basically fall under two categories:

Natural: Animal or plant fibers, including wool, cotton, sisal, jute, seagrass or bamboo.

Synthetic: Man-made material such as viscose, rayon, nylon,acrylic or polypropylene/olefin.

The characteristics for a few of the more popular rug materials are defined below.

Wool absorbs and retains dyes amazingly well. It is naturally resistant to fire, water and stains. Wool is a resilient material and it has greater durability than synthetic material. If you want to add a soft, beautiful, natural and luxurious rug to your space try a Flokati rug. These beautiful rugs have been hand made in Greece from wool for hundreds of years.

Polypropylene or olefin fibers are petroleum-based products that are derived from propylene and ethylene gases.

an amazing high end line of poly rugs called the Elementz Fettuccine Shag, they are woven in satin ribbon-like strands with a glorious sheen available in 7 different hues (Wine, Silver, Gold, Black, Bronze, Raisin & Champagne). Olefin, which has a soft wool-like feel, is one of the more widely used synthetic fibers for machine made rugs. Polypropylene can be heat-set to give it more durability and less sheen, for a look that is

more like wool.

Polypropylene/olefin rugs

are

popular but beca

use they are lightweight, they may not be the best choice for areas with high traffic although Dash & Albert Rug Company has some rugs made of superheroic polypropylene. These indoor/outdoor area rugs are terrific for high-traffic areas and muddy messes. Scrubbable, bleachable and UV-treated for outdoor use, this collection of woven rugs can stand up to all that you dish out.

These fibers are strong, colorfast, quick drying, abrasion resistant, mildew resistant, along with soil and stain resistant. Rugs made from these materials are at the lower end of the cost scale, making them more affordable than some other types of rugs.

Foreign Accents has

Nylon, another of the synthetic rug materials, is widely used in rug making. Nylon rugs have great characteristics such as uniformity and strength as well as stain and soil resistance. Nylon area rugs come in an unlimited variety of colors and they can be easily cleaned. The resilient nature of nylon rigs makes them a good choice for placing under furniture and for areas of heavy traffic. The cost of a nylon rug is usually less than that of rugs made from natural materials. However, nylon rugs do not hold their value as well as a quality wool area rug.

Remember when you walk into a room thirty percent of what you see is the floor.

If you need help finding that perfect area rug contact me.

Dressing Windows To Look Fabulous

Windows are  just like people, they need to be dressed to look their best.  As with humans, very few windows deserve to be left naked.  In fact, most windows, whether they are wide, thin, tall or short, should have some kind of treatment on them to make them look amazing.  Many flaws can be camouflaged with the proper window covering.   Another fact, great looking windows don't come cheap.




Some windows have been left in the 80's and are dressed with (sorry if I offend anyone) vertical blinds.  It doesn't matter how they have changed the choice of materials, they are still vertical blinds and I still have distaste for them.  My favorite choice for windows; interior custom shutters, with drapes.  A beautiful combination.  Second choice; drapes with a beautiful fabric, lined and hung from a nice looking rod.  I am quite partial to roman blinds also.

 


I'm not a big fan of horizontal blinds (mini blinds) or the vertical blinds with the sheer material between the blades.  Both are dust collectors, very hard to clean and make horrible noise when the breeze blows in from an open window.  I never left my window open in the summer when I had horizontal blinds.  Now, with my fine-looking shutters, I leave the window open all summer and get soothing breezes blowing through my bedroom without all the noise.  I like to keep things as low maintenance and as quiet as possible. 

Rules for decorating windows

• Never have your drapes too short
• Mount your drapes as close to the ceiling as possible, it makes your windows look more grand
• Never use vertical blinds
• Make sure you have enough fullness in your drapes.  If you try to save some money by only buying one panel when you should have two, it will show. 
• Always try to use a drapery panel that is lined with the exception of sheers.  It will save the  fabric from fading and you won't see through it when the sun shines
• Always take the proper measurements before purchasing your window treatments
• Don't put short drapes on a short window, take them to the floor



Photo courtesy of Pine Cone Hill

Choosing  a window dressing is just like choosing fashion, you get what you pay for.  If you need help making a fashion statement on your windows, email me or call me at Henry's Purveyor of Fine Things.

Feng Shui Workshop

                         Introduction to Feng Shui Workshop

Learn long-established techniques for improving balance in your life. Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese technique for creating life success, improved abundance, great relationships and good health. When you balance the energy in your surroundings, you balance and improve your personal energy and so many aspects of your life will improve.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

11 am – 3 pm

Henry’s Purveyor of Fine Things

12222 Jasper Avenue

Edmonton, AB T5N 3K3

To register call 780 454 6660

Or email

Kirsten@henrysfinethings.ca

Cost $149.00 + gst

plus

$25.00 + gst for "In The Feng Shui Zone"

written by Dr. Debra Ford Msc.D - an easy to follow, step-by-step guide to creating spaces that nourish and support you and those you love.

Focus will be on the key energy zones of your home.

Please bring floor plan or drawing of your space.

Instructor: Dr. Debra Ford Msc.D

Calgary, Alberta

http://www.henrysfinethings.ca/

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What's Going on in Your Bedroom?

Ah ... the month of love is upon us.  The first thing I think about when February or Valentine's Day approaches  is "How is the energy in the bedroom and love zone flowing?". Not only am I an interior decorator but also a zone feng shui master.  After years of training and applying feng shui principles I am very sensitive to the energy of my space and others.
The bedroom is a place to sleep, relax and feel loved.  It should be uncluttered, beautiful, calming and quiet.  It should also be romantic.  There are many basic rules in feng shui that we take into account when analyzing a clients home.  The first we need to find out is what is going on in the lives of the people living in the home.  If the bedrooms energy is out of whack, it usually reflects in what is going on in their lives.  For example the client might say that they have trouble sleeping.  It could be that their bed is in the wrong position, under a window, or perhaps they have a metal headboard or worse, no headboard at all.   There could be a number of other reasons for the sleepless nights.  My job is to try to figure out what it is and suggest placements and cures.  Another common complaint of the client, if single, might be they want a romantic relationship or if they are a couple they may be having relationship issues.   Everything in the bedroom and the love and relationship zone is about love, whether it is self love or the love of someone else.  We try to place items in this area in pairs, for example, two matching nightstands and lamps, this signifies equality and balance in their relationship.

There are many other cures for the bedroom or love zone such as color, zone  elements,  placement of objects, size of bed and so on.  The mood and functionality of the bedroom can be fixed with interior decorating.

I can't think of a more perfect gift for Valentines Day.  A beautiful, balanced, romantic, restful bedroom.  If you need help creating that space contact me.  Happy Valentines Day!

"January Blues"

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays and some real crummy weather, many of us suffer from the "January Blues". I, like many others, reminisce about the past year and think of all the things I never got done. For as long as I can remember, the beginning of each new year I have made a list of the things I want to accomplish. Most of the items on my list are always decorating tasks, I am a decorator after all. I am sure I can find an old list from when we moved in our present home almost 18 years ago and find there are things that should still be on my current to do list. So while you're moping around the house this January, sit down and take a good look around your space. Try to look at it through someone else's eyes (take a few pictures it will really open your eyes). What I mean by this is we see our space all the time and we tend to block out the things we don't like. We walk by these nasty things day after day and after awhile we don't see them anymore. Visualize how you would like your home to look and feel. Looking at your space in this way will give you a lot of things to put on your decorating to do list, believe me I know.

I'm calling this blog "January Blues", not only because of the ho hum feeling we get in this month but because I really am partial to blues. I like my blues with a touch of green. Bluish greens, serene calming and refreshing. It's funny because I just found out today I have a blue personality and my second strongest personality color is green.

I love what Benjamin Moore has to say about blue.

Blue can be the calming colour of a mellow summer sky or the deep, velvety hue of a magical midnight dream. Light blues confer tranquility and serenity, while deeper tones are regal and uplifting colours that can take away your “blues”.

Below are the Benjamin Moore designer favorite blues.

Stratford blue (CC-830)
Purple undertones make this rich hue almost periwinkle, a bewitching colour evocative of bright starry nights.

Gossamer blue (2123-40)
A timeless mid-tone that's soft and subtle, gossamer blue evokes the mellow, relaxed feeling of faded blue jeans and lazy summer days.

Ice sculpture (CC-938)
More on the purple side of blue, this light tone is cool and serene. A chameleon colour, it combines the icy richness of blue with the warm undertones of red.

Blue nose (CC-800)
The depth of this saturated blue makes it almost a traditional hue. Its versatility makes it a good choice for any room in your home.

I'd like to add a few of my own to the list. My own personal preferences for blue choices from Benjamin Moore are:

Blue lake
2053-40
Just as the name implies. Visions of a crystal clear, cool mountain lake come to mind when looking at this color. But it can also remind you of the beautiful warm waters of the Caribbean at the same time. Warm yet cool, I like that. Summed up in one word, relaxing.

Varadero, Cuba & Benjamin Moore Blue Lake 2053-40

Wythe blue

HC-143
A time honoured colour that works beautifully in any type of space. It is called blue, but you could call it a green depending on the mood and light of the room. I adore it because it goes with so many other colors, white, brown, green, and looks especially fabulous with red.

Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue HC-143

Color affects the way we feel. Blue is connected to calmness, cleanliness, serenity and wisdom. It is also know to lower the pulse rate. Green brings to mind nature, health and abundance. It is also connected to money and good luck. We associate green with freshness, coolness, clarity and growth. Green is often used in decorating for it's calming effect and thought to relieve stress. If you use bluish greens in your decorating palette the very least you can expect is to have a space that is calming, serene, fresh, and cool. If you're suffering from the "January Blues" that's not such a bad thing to day dream about.

If you need help to chase away the "January Blues" in your paint palette you can contact me.