Andrew Raquet

 Meg Braff

But earlier this week I received a promotional email from The Rug Market (a wholesale rug source) and this was one of the rugs they have on sale.  Is it me….or is the look similar?

I’ve recently found this company (I am doing a zebra rug from their indoor/outdoor line for Maddie and Harry’s playroom) and went to take a look at the construction of the rugs over at the Market last week.  In terms of price point and perceived quality….I was really impressed. 

So, do you agree…..

See the resemblance?

Because the room has to grow with both Maddie and Harry, I am thinking of doing a Navy and Green combination.

This rug might just have to be my jumping off point….

I haven’t started to think about textiles yet, but I do know I am going to try to keep this room on a budget, and want to use kid friendly fabrics and elements.  Think indoor/outdoor fabric, comfy places to read and play with the trains/dolls, multi-purpose furnishings and loads of storage.  Here are a few inspirational photos I’ve found in this color scheme.

Michael Graydon Photography

Love the colors above, and really love the window treatments!  Below, check out a similar navy zebra rug.  I think this is Jonathan Adler, but am not positive.

Ngoc Minh Ngo Photography

I am pretty sure this next nursery uses the rug I am contemplating.  And by they way, check out the source of the nursery….I just discovered her blog and am hooked!

á la mode

Love this next room, is that grasscloth on the walls?  Totally out of the budget for our playroom….but if funds were unlimited….and I didn’t care about wear and tear from the kiddos….

Michael Grimm Photography

Michael Grimm Photography

I love the textiles and the general feel of this next one.

photo by Laurie Glenn for Southern Living

I just love how versatile this pattern is.

Do you remember the rug Jay Jeffers designed for the Metropolitan Home Modern By Design Showhouse in 2009?

Photo by Matthew Millman. Design by Jay Jeffers

After the showhouse, the rug was relocated to his home.

image via Southeby’s

I actually had my own version made in a custom size for our old dining room.  (This photo was taken for our real estate listing…the room was never finished before we moved.) 

Both rugs were fabricated by Mark Nelson Designs.  Well, until tomorrow Jeffers’ rug is for sale on One Kings Lane for a really great price.  It is a great deal if you like the look.

Recently, there was an article on patterned carpets and how even small spaces would benefit from a little glam on the floor.

Francois Halard/Trunk Archive via WSJ.com

This next image was reportedly from a room designed by David Hicks in 1975.  It amazes me that this room doesn’t feel dated to me.

image courtesy of Ashley Hicks via WSJ.com 

Charlotte Moss has come out with a collection of carpets for Stark Carpet.  I am dying over this ikat.  I would probably never be so bold to use it myself, but how fabulous would this be in an intimate library with lacquered walls?

It is no secret that I am a lover of all things pink, wish I had a place for this beauty from HB Home Design.

In my own home, I am just starting to work on my decorating.  We are meeting with two architects this week to start thinking about our remodel.  Doing much before that wouldn’t be wise, but I am working on the kids’ rooms and I am about to order this one from Stark.  I am doing a custom carpet leaving 6 inches of wood showing around the perimeter.   I think this is a carpet that will grow with Harry as he moves from nursery phase into a more “manly” design.

What about you, do you like patterned carpets?  Are you currently using them in your home or designs?

Sorry for the poor photography.  My camera battery died after I took one picture and I do not have the energy to go back upstairs and play photographer at the moment!  In any case, I plan to use this chest as a combo changing table/dresser.  The black finish will go perfectly with my yellow and grey color scheme.  (By the way, if you live in the DC area be sure to check out the Fabulous Finds website for their next sale.  They had lots of great stuff at this particular sale.)

I have also settled on a crib and am just waiting on finish samples so I can order.  I plan to do a pewter looking finish on this Corsican iron crib…and am pretty anxious to place my order so hopefully my samples will be here tomorrow!  (Ignore the bedding in the photo below…)

Here are my fabric / rug / paint selections to date.

I am using a Schumacher houndstooth in “greige” for the upholstered swivel glider and ottoman.  The yellow/grey Julia Rothman for Hygge & West wallpaper will be on the ceiling.  I am hoping to use Stark’s “Logo” carpet made into an area rug.  Finally, I am trying to decide how to incorporate these fabulous Vanessa Arbuthnott yellow and grey prints into the room.  I love them all and am having a hard time determining which ones to use.  I am thinking of trying to find  a grey linen to do the interior of the bumper with one of these on the reverse (or perhaps all linen with a band of one of these fabrics).  The room has shutters but I still plan to do window treatments….so they will coordinate.  I’ll keep you posted once I’ve made my final selections.

And finally, I am working with the manufacturer of my dining room chandelier to try to work up a birdcage chandelier (inspiration here)  that will work in our space.  We will see if we can come up with a design that isn’t a budget buster….as I know the shelf life on a nursery chandelier for a boy isn’t terribly long!

With the angst over the impending move so far away from family, knowing that my little one will have a place to call home gives me some comfort!

And, on a somewhat related note, I will be guest posting later today for Averill over at Odi et Amo dishing out advice for new moms (as Averill is expecting).  Preparing for the post made me realize how totally unprepared I am for my new man….who is due on the 26th (induction scheduled for the 27th).  Yikes!

image via Dallas, TX MLS listing

Hmmmm….wonder if the sellers would throw in that rug?  Only half kidding here.  I have blogged about this pattern before and I am surprised at how many people find my blog/site from searching this pattern.  I am clearly not the only one who loves it!

Here the pattern is custom cut in the entry hallway of Amanda Nisbet’s Manhattan apartment.  Love everything about this space!  (The lighting is available through Ralph Pucci….and I love how it works with this rug!)

photo by Pieter Estersohn

The below two images come via The Peak of Chic®. I love how the carpet is almost a neutral in this setting….

Jan Showers

And here, adds texture without competing with all that is going on in the room.

Todd Alexander Romano

At Stark, the sky is the limit as everything is available custom.  I absolutely love it used here on this set of stairs that leads up to this home’s playroom…..and then used wall-to-wall in said playroom above the garage.

Sally Wheat via Cote de Texas

Sally Wheat via Cote de Texas

It isn’t cheap….but it isn’t outrageous either.  Last time I priced this for a client it was on back-order.  Apparently they cannot keep this pattern in stock.  So, what do you think….do you love this print or is it not for you?  I am hoping to incorporate the pattern into my new home.

Photograph by John Bessler for Traditional Home

Photograph by Jenifer Jordan for Traditional Home

Photograph by Michal Venera for Traditional Home

Photograph by Nick Johnson for Traditional Home

Photograph by Phillip Ennis for Traditional Home

Photograph by Nick Johnson for Traditional Home

Photograph by Michal Venera for Traditional Home

Photograph by John Bessler for Traditional Home

Photograph by Gordon Beall for Traditional Home

Image via Apartment Therapy

Image via Apartment Therapy

Image via Apartment Therapy

Did you guess it?  The carpet in each of the above images is from Stark Carpet.  Stark has been around for over 67 years and the name alone conjures up images of luxury.  It is a family business that has grown over the years to include fabrics, wall-coverings and furniture, in addition carpets under its large umbrella.

From natural textures like sisal and seagrass, to more contemporary designs by current designers, antiques and reproductions, to completely custom works that have graced such places as The White House and the Smithsonian, Stark has something for everyone.

Below are some images from the various carpet and rug collections at Stark.

Alexa Hampton Carpet Collection

A Favorite from the Alexa Hampton Rug Collection

David Hicks Carpet Collection

I have a sample of the Logo, Desert Night colorway here with me and I am dying to find a place to use it.  I am thinking a man’s office, the colors remind me of a pair of gray dress pants.  The actual sample does not read as black as the image above.

Other designer collections at Stark include Bilhuber, Diamond Baratta, Geoffrey Bradfield, Howard Slatkin, Nina Campbell, and Sherrill Canet.

Of course, Stark has a plethora of animal prints available for any number installations.  Having seen larger samples,  I am loving the antelope and the brown zebra loop.

I am also loving the Ebbe & Flow collection, which is a combination of wool/viscose/cotton.  It almost feels like shag carpet and looks like corduroy, the sheen is to die for.  It is another one I am dying to use.

And, at the risk of providing too much information (maybe I already have) I also love a few of these from the New Oriental Tibetan stocked rugs.

Stark Carpet has a fairly good consumer website.  And, the trade site is excellent (I didn’t even begin to touch on antique rugs, fabrics, furniture or wall-coverings here!)  So, if you are looking for something particular or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I am always willing to help.

Growing up we moved around a lot–and my parents built two custom homes.  My mom always had a designer, and Stark was a name I heard at various times.  My mom used a lot of their wall to wall carpets in the bedrooms.  So, when I first visited with Erica from the Stark Washington DC showroom, my preconceived notion was of products that would be very traditional and a bit predictable.  That notion was certainly dispelled for me–my sample library is brimming with inspiration from Stark.  I hope you like what you have seen as well.

**Note, my original post included links to the full collections I touched on here.  When checking all of the links, I realized they broke when I was not logged in to the trade portal.  So, if you want to see more, shoot me an email, it is no trouble.**

Anyways, here is my black cloud hanging over my head.  I am doing a custom rug in our living room.  And, here is the state it is in at the moment.

The starting point for this rug came from an ad my husband spotted in the June 2009 Veranda.  He thought it might look nice in our living room.  And, by taking the initiative to help in the process, I know he was hoping to keep me more on the traditional side, which is fine.

The other day as I was writing the final check for my dining room “Stump Rug” he casually inquired as to when our living room rug would be in.   I felt a bit guilty telling him I still had not sent back revisions on the art board that was in my possession.  I need to review the board, make modifications, determine if I like the colors, pattern, etc.  I can do this…I just need some quiet time to accomplish it.  And, my goal is to get that done in the next week.  I am hoping by posting it here it will keep me accountable!

So, do you have any projects, big or small, hanging over your head?  I’d love to hear about them.  Misery loves company!