Word of the Week

The Word of the Week for the ending of August 2009 is:

Backing — Fabrics and yarns that make up the back of the carpet as opposed to the carpet pile or face. In tufted carpet:

• Primary backing — A woven or nonwoven fabric in which the yarn is inserted by the tufting needles.
• Secondary backing — Fabric laminated to the back of the carpet to increase dimensional stability.

In woven carpet, the backing consists of “construction yarns” which are interwoven with the face yarn.

Colors for Fall 2009

A summary of the top Fall 2009 colors that make up the diverse color palette are:

• American Beauty — this flattering true red is neither harsh nor over-the-top. Designed to suit all skintones, this warm but robust hue can be blended with almost any shade.
• Rapture Rose — represents all that is new and fresh about this fall’s designs. With nurturing and feminine tones, this color plays upon the vibrancy of last season’s fuschia but is toned down a little with soft pink. This key shade transcends clothing into cosmetics and accessories.
• Burnt Sienna — more a pinkish, earthy orange, reminiscent of Mediterranean terracotta roof tiles. Warm and comforting, probably the most-fall like of all the Panetone shades.
• Majolica Blue — adding an exotic feel to the color group this cross between teal blue and navy complements oranges and purple hues perfectly.
• Purple Heart — sitting somewhere between true purple and lilac, this refined tone is soft and sensual.
• Warm Olive — a rich yellowy green, reminiscent of an olive in a martini, which, according to Pantone's Fall 2009 report “makes all other colors come alive.”
• Honey Yellow — a warm and welcoming yellow with a hint of honeyed beige. A perfect partner to Burnt Sienna for a wintry feel.
• Crème Brûlée — needs no explanation for those who love its namesake, the delicious French desert. Providing one of fall’s classic neutrals, this paired down mix of gray and ivory beige looks good enough to eat!
• Nomad — another timeless neutral which falls between light gray and beige serves as an anchor for more robust colors
• Iron — represents the “new black” of the season. Neither a true gray nor brown it falls more in the category of a cross between slate and gunmetal. This serves as a grounding color for all other tones.

As you can see below these new colors for Fall can be encompassed into any carpet or rug that you are going to purchase this fall of 2009. Base your carpet and rug choices off of these new darker and richer hues and you will be known as the one who is in the fashion realm of what's hot and what's not. So go ahead and indulge in these decadent colors and see for yourself how wonderful they will make your home look.

Word of the Week

Broadloom —

A term used to denote carpet produced in widths wider than 6 feet. Broadloom is usually 12 feet wide, but may also be 13 feet 6 inches and 15 feet wide.

Word of the Week

Antimicrobial:

A chemical treatment added to carpet to reduce the growth of common bacteria, fungi, yeast, mold and mildew.

Pattern Definition

There are many different types of patterns that can be found on a rug. Here is a quick run down of what each pattern is and what it will look like. Have fun & chose your patterns wisely.

Herati pattern A design consisting of a flower in a diamond, with leaves outside and parallel to the diamond's sides.

Kilim A tapestry-like woven rug.

Baktiari Recognizable by its repeating diamond pattern. Originated by the Baktiari tribes of ancient Persia, the design is among the oldest still in popular use.

Aubusson

The Aubusson design is named after a town in central France where the design originated. The town of Aubusson was noted for its carpets and tapestries since the 15th century.

Heriz Named after a small region in northwest Persia (modern day Iran), the characteristic Heriz design is its dominant eight point geometric central medallion and bold corner motifs related to the central design.

Isfahan Named after the capital of the Persian empire founded in 500 BC, located in central Persia. The design is noted for its arabesque vines, flowerheads and palmettes usually surrounding a central medallion with corner designs adapted from the medallion.

Kashan The Kashan design is named after the city in central Iran between Isfahan and Tehran where the design originated. Kashan has been renown for its rugs for centuries and also as the city from which the three Wise Men left to follow the star of Bethlehem.

Kirman Named after the city in southeast Iran where the design originated, the beauty of the Kirman design is its central, softly curving, floral medallion, a quarter of which is generally repeated in each of the four corners. The border has delicately designed flowers and scrolls.

Sarouk Named after a small village on the edge of the Ferahan region in western Persia where the design originated. The Sarouk design generally used a center medallion on a field of exquisite, detached, floral sprays with a simple border in a contrasting color. It is rich in detail of its leaves, buds and flowers and is known for keeping the design similar in its field, medallion, corners and borders.

Prayer Rug A rug with a representation of mosque or arched prayer area. Columns may be shown supporting the arch with a lamp hanging from the arch’s apex.

Word of the Week

ki⋅lim

[kee-leem, kil-im]

–noun

a pileless, tapestry-woven rug or other covering made in various parts of the Middle East, eastern Europe, and Turkestan.