Barber & Osgerby -

The New York Times blog “The Moment” has a post on new carpets by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for The Rug Company. Fun and happy, but sophisticated too.

John Lewis –

A “William Morris-inspired” wool / viscose carpet by Sanderson, sold through the British company John Lewis.

Ninxia Rug at Sandra Whitman –

I find decorative arts of all kinds can have amazing power to re-shape, dislodge, and entirely shock my sense of time as an historical progression of the “old” leading to the “new”. The carpet above (shown in close-up) is a case in point. According to dealer Sandra Whitman it was made in China between 1723 and 1735. That means this very “new” looking carpet (replete with a simplified color palette, abstracted open field and streamlined border) was sitting in China decades before the U.S. Declaration of Independence or the French Revolution. That unwires my brain a bit.

Lapchi –

I just spent too much time looking through almost every thumbnail, close-up and alternate view on Lapchi’s website, a company specializing in “handwoven carpets in silk and wool”. It’s almost impossible to get a real sense of the character, quality, or even the pattern of carpets through the computer screen but I do like Lapchi’s Palampore design, above. In the carmelian color shown it’s rich and romantic without being too traditional. In lighter colorways it has an almost Arts and Crafts feel, as if adapted from a William Morris pattern book.

Alicia Keshishian –

Alicia Keshishian describes herself as “fearless” when it comes to color and I think her “geology” rug (above) proves the point! It’s pretty hard to be timid in the face of something so bold. For more about Alicia’s carpet company click here.

Kasthall –

120 years old and still looking fresh, Kasthall is a Swedish company that produces carpet for both wall-to-wall  for area carpets. They have some great textures and colors, like the woven Greta in “multi-dark” above. Plus, they’re working hard to be eco-friendly!

Farmhouse Pallette -

A lovely carpet in a lovely house, via “An Artful Clutter” in The New York Times. Carpet is from Antik.

Photograph by Tony Cenicola.

Jane Doyle –

Recent print references to Sol LeWitt (The New York Times Style Magazine / The World of Interiors), Betty Draper’s post-Rome house-dress (last night’s episode) and The September Issue’s exposition on color block (still in theaters) make Jane Doyle’s contemporary rag rugs feel all the more “of the moment”. Available for purchase directly from her website.

Felt Carpets at Stephanie Odegard –

One new thing I learned today: Stephanie Odegard is now selling carpets made from brightly colored  strips of felt sewn together with a strong contrasting thread. There are lots of custom possibilities, from the range and combination of colors to the thickness of the felt.  — It all has a very soft modern / contemporary organic feel.

You won’t find good pictures on their website but Odegard showrooms will be able to tell you more. And if you’re in Dallas, they’re having a big sale this weekend.

Tulus at Double Knot –

The New York City carpet gallery Double Knot has an interesting assortment of long-haired tribal carpets on their website — a la the detail shown above. This type of carpet has been on the periphery of my awareness for awhile but this is the first time I’ve actually taken a few moments to look for some history and definitions. For starters, the carpet shown above is referenced as a “Tulu” carpet and other web references link the word “Tulu” to Turkey in particular and to the function of the carpet as a sleeping mat. Complicating things, however, is another name for a similar long-haired type, the Konya “Yatak”. Konya is a region of Turkey, but I guess the carpets produced in this subset are called Yataks, not Tulus… I’m going to stop here since this is basically all hearsay at the moment. I’ll work on firmer definitions but in the meantime the carpets are worth admiring, whatever their title.