Furniture Interior Design Rugs

Since this weekend marks the beginning of our oriental rug 10 day only sale we thought it would be nice to talk about rugs in our design blog.  The following information is provided by our rug partners of over 20 years... 

What is an Oriental rug?

A true Oriental rug is characterized not only by where it is made but also by how it is made. Oriental rugs are made of piles that are knotted by hand. The piles are the fibers that, once looped and sheared, give the rug its soft, rich feeling. The formal traditions of rug weaving are thought to have originated in Asia and the Middle East, hence the term "Oriental" rug.

Commercial carpet is made by machines. Even the individual fibers are spun by machines. 

Because they are individually designed and hand-knotted, Oriental rugs are recognized not only as superior floor coverings or wall decorations, but as fine artworks. This distinctive personal touch, as well as its beautiful design, gives your rug its value. 

Who made the first Oriental Rugs?

Oriental carpet weaving has been traced back to the 5th century BCE, in the Pazyryk Valley of Siberia, near the outer Mongolian border in the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia. In 1947, Russian archaeologist discovered a carpet preserved in ice that was thought to have belonged to Scythia chieftain. This carpet is now in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersbury, Russia. It is hand-knotted with a symmetrical knot motif still used in rugs today.

 Ancient Hebrew, Roman,  Babylonian,  Persian, Chinese, Turkish, Pakistani, and Indian cultures all valued carpet weaving as fine art. One rug from the Sassnid Dynasty in Persia, "Spring of Khosrows," measured 100' x 400' and weighed several tons due to jewels and pearls worked into the weave. When the Arabs invaded Persia, however, they slashed the carpet into sections, and this great work of art was lost forever. 

The chinese, dating back to Sung Dynasty (960 to 1279 CE), created rugs with Buddhist and Taoist designs in factory workshops under the domain of the emperors. Marco Polo brought many of these rugs back to Europe during his travels. 

When Cleopatra was presented  to Julius Caesar, emperor of Rome, she was rolled up in a carpet. The Romans prized rugs for their own floors and walls.

We have a lot of exciting events happening at both our Decatur and Huntsville locations. This is one of the best times of year to buy the world's most comfortable recliner!! The Stressless Consul chair is on sale for just $995 and you get a free swing table with any Stressless purchase, so come in soon to take advantage of these savings! Speaking of Stressless, the Huntsville gallery will be having a new Stressless Zone grand opening in late August/Early September. We will be having an evening event complete with food and beverages, so plan on coming to celebrate with us. Be sure to sign up for the e-newsletter, so you can stay up to date with the latest events and specials. Also, we added a new product catalog to the website, so you can see many of our products from the comfort of your own home. It also has a room planner feature that will let you play with your own design ideas!

Our designers have had a busy summer. The neutral pallets they have been using are truly beautiful. Aylin just finished an amazing custom bed treatment that could have been pictured in a design magazine. We will post pictures as soon as it comes in. Remember, we are here to help you, so please take advantage of all of our services. Sometimes it is easy to forget what differentiates stores and we really feel that our service sets us apart.... that and our commitment to quality. Do you know how exciting it is for us when someone comes in and wants to talk about dovetail construction? Don't be satisfied on your furniture shopping journey until you understand how the piece is made and what goes into a particular product.

This weekend the largest rug sale of the year begins... for 10 days only Rick Perkins will be discounting rugs up to 70%. Come in to the Huntsville Showroom early for the largest selection and go ahead and complete your room with the perfect hand knotted rug. Again our rugs are all New Zealand wool and are hand knotted and many of the rugs use vegetable dyes which are good for you and for the planet! If a hand knotted rug isn't what you are looking for we would be happy to help you select a custom carpet or sisal rug at our Decatur design center. 

That's all for now. We are always happy to see you, so please come visit soon and tell us what you've been up to this summer. 

When you visit Townhouse Galleries you will see many different styles of furniture represented on our showroom floors.  What distinguishes the pieces you see there from other sellers are the stories behind the designs and craftsmanship of our products. To us, this business is not all about selling you something! We want you to leave with an appreciation of the design and craftsmanship of the pieces you might already have or those pieces you purchase from us! Perhaps it could be said of these times, that there is a renewal of commitment to quality. We’ve certainly been hearing from more of you about a renewed commitment to quality products. A decision to invest in quality paves the way for a more sustainable future. Imagine the difference it makes in the volume in landfills, the use of raw materials, and in your bank account if a sofa lasts 20 years instead of 3. Consumers drive the market, so we want to thank you for your commitment to the quality of furniture and designs that we’ve offered for years! This blog series will offer a historical glimpse behind the familiar designs you see in furniture stores.

 What makes Arts and Crafts furniture so special? Exploring the history of this particular movement is intriguing and we think exceptionally relevant, given the times.  The Arts and Crafts movement in the late 1800s was a reaction  to the Industrial Revolution.  During that period, life was often characterized as fast paced with rapid urban development and the rise of middle-class industrialists. This period lead to more mass production and a diminishing quality to goods. The Arts and Crafts movement saw a revival of a slower pace, a commitment to quality, and of a less mechanized society.  William Morris, the founding father of the movement, believed in traditional craftsmanship and good-quality materials.  The furniture pieces themselves demonstrate a focus on the natural beauty of the timbers used in their construction. The details of construction, such as marquetry, exposed construction, handcrafted hardware, and rich inlays were often used as decorative features.