Guest Author - Iris ten Holder



When choosing a design for a handmade rug, it is important to analyze the current décor. The new rug needs to conform to the style, and take into account pattern, color and texture.

Pattern

Are there patterns in your room? If the patterns are bold and strong, use some of the colors and make the design plain or with a small pattern. If there are small patterns, the design of the rug could be bolder, if you wish. To maintain a pleasant balance have for example several small patterns and one bold pattern, or if there are several small patterns and have a simple, dark or light rug. If the appearance of the room is delicate, a bolder pattern may change this impression. If this is what you wish, that’s fine; it is just another consideration.

Color

What is the color source in the room? A patterned surface - a rug, drapes, and a sofa - from which all the colors in the room are derived, is the color source. Perhaps there are many colors, but there is no pattern in which they appear together. A rug can become the color source by drawing on the colors in the room and combining them in the rug. This color source can be a great help when adding other furnishings.

Color properties need to be considered as well. There are warm and cool colors. Colors can have a different value – light, medium or dark - or a different intensity. If a room has only light colors, or is bright with many colors, a darker rug could provide a balance.

Texture

Generally we use predominantly smooth surfaces and shiny textures in a formal setting, while earthy tones and coarser textures belong more in an informal setting. Opposites attract and enhance; therefore in each environment we will find some of both. Use textures so they enhance each other.



One great source of inspiration for me has been Beginnings of Interior Environments by Phyllis Sloan Allen, Lynn M. Jones and Miriam F. Stimpson. What better source to get information than a handbook for interior designers to get to know what principles can guide us in choosing how we create our living environment. In this book you will find extensive discussions about principles of design—scale and proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis and harmony—color properties, fibers, and a short history of rugs and carpets.