In the 17th century French artists and weavers invented the art of weaving rugs with depth perspective. This technique is so artistically demanding it has never been copied by the rug weavers of the east and even today only European rugs such as Aubusson, Savonnerie and Needlepoints have three dimensional patterns. Cream and blue Aubusson carpet in French provincial style dining room with rustic stone walls and chandelier. Read More
In the 17th century French artists and weavers employed by King Henri IV invented the art of making Savonnerie Rugs. We explore why these rugs command over a million dollars at Sotheby's, what makes them so artistically and technically demanding to make and why their technique has never been copied by oriental rug weavers. 1. This Savonnerie carpet with vibrant blues, gold and red can pose a challenge to a decorator. But the early 20th century Parisian decorator knew how to create a fabulous setting for it in the Salon des Huets in the Musee Nissim de Camondo, Paris. Read More
Tags: Rug School, Savonnerie Rugs
It is hard to imagine that in this day when most things are made by machine a 9'x12' Asmara Needlepoint rug has 1.5 million individual hand made stitches (1,555,200 to be exact). The only people who are not surprised are needlepoint hobbyists who know how much time it takes to complete just a few inches of petit point (a late 19th century French term meaning ‘little stitch’)let alone a large room size needlepoint rug with millions of stitches and hundreds of colors! Today we pull back the curtain to reveal how needlepoint rugs were made at London's famous Royal School of Needlework and at the Asmara Needlepoint Studio in China. Read More
A hand made wool needlepoint rug has a flat texture resembling an antique rug in which the pile has worn down. Decorators prefer needlepoint rugs to new oriental rugs when they are decorating with antique furniture. But people unfamiliar with needlepoints can mistakenly assume they are fragile. This is untrue as proved by the experience of thousands of customers and interior designers who have used them in their own homes and say they are very durable and easy to clean. Room images at the end of this post show how decorators add glamour to living rooms, dining rooms, libraries, bedrooms and bathrooms with needlepoint rugs. A runner made from the borders of the Canterbury Needlepoint Rug 2818B adds verve to a bathroom designed by Markham Roberts. (Short on time? Click here to buy Needlepoint Rugs) Read More
In two recent blog posts How to Decorate with Art Deco Rugs- 12 Celebrated Interiors and Art Deco Rugs in Thierry Despont's Fabulous Interiors we studied stylish interiors with modern versions of Art Deco rugs. Today we will look at some famous antique Art Deco rugs made in the 1920's and 30's and get a sense of the high prices they have been fetching at Paris auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's. Read More
Geometric Needlepoint Rugs Inspired by the Geometry in Majolica Read More
Dolce & Gabbana Fall and Winter 2012 Fashions Celebrate Floral Needlepoint Rugs. “We’re not about minimalism, we’re massimalismo,” Stefano Gabbana was quoted in Vogue. Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce have built a multimillion-dollar luxury business based on the culture and fashions of Sicily, where as an infant Domenico Dolce slept in his father’s tailoring workshop and watched his parents hand stitch outfits for the local congregation for the high holidays. Read More
Tags: needlepoint rugs, Rug School
Today's post completes a three part series on how women's fashions, architecture and history influence and are in turn influenced by Aubusson rugs and needlepoint rugs. As a designer of the Asmara Decorative Rug Collections I am fascinated by the creative exchange between separate domains. I hope you enjoy our brief excursions to understand the influence of history, architecture and culture on Needlepoint rugs and Aubusson rugs. Read More
Tags: needlepoint rugs, Rug School
Every Asmara needlepoint rug starts out as an idea which is translated into a quick pencil sketch which goes through several revisions and discussions between artist Elizabeth Moisan and myself. When a sketch looks promising, Elizabeth mixes colors in Gouache. It usually takes several failed attempts before we get just the right colors. Elizabeth then hand paints the design on poster board. A painting usually goes through several revisions and if we are happy with the final result we send it over to Asmara's needlepoint rug making artists. The pictures tell the story from here. Read More
Tags: needlepoint rugs, Rug School
Why it is important to select the right texture when decorating with needlepoint rugs Read More
Tags: needlepoint rugs, Rug School
