Out from the Fringe

Out from the Fringe

Modern oriental rugs hit mainstream

written by Jennifer Dirks

Contemporary versions of the Oriental rug -- in simpler designs and new colors -- are finding their place in modern decor.

"These rugs fit in with the Sub-Zero, and the whole trend to downscale and simplify," says Maurice Whitney, president at M.G. Whitney & Co.'s three-store carpet chain.

These new Oriental versions are casual, using muted colors and designs that more easily blend with rooms than their boldly patterned Oriental rug cousins. "Especially here in the Northwest, people like it because it's rustic," says Faiz Kass-Elias, general manager at Pande Cameron's Seattle store. "There's quite a bit of appeal to that."

Who are the people buying these contemporary rugs? "It has mass appeal," Kass-Elias says. "Buyers are a cross section, from different geographic and income levels."

That's because, unlike the show rugs before them, these rugs also are made to walk on: "These are made to take wear," he says.

Most are made of wool, a material more resistant to soils than any synthetic. Even silk, despite less resistance to scuffs and stains, can take a "sole" searching. "Go ahead and put it on the floor, but just don't put it in a high-traffic entryway for instance," says David Tufenkian, president of Tufenkian Rugs, a family-owned Northwest rug manufacturer.

Design Trends

Contemporary rugs are indeed straying from their formal medallion and floral folds. The new floor covers are getting one all-over color, simple squares, stripes, or stylized and enlarged elements from traditional design.

"The designs don't overpower you," Kass-Elias says. "They blend in with any décor, and the colors are very subtle so they're easy to live with and easy to decorate around."

Traditional Orientals had very bright colors and definitive lines; this new casual style is an anecdote to that.

"The strongest line we have is very simple," Whitney says. "It's done in a solid color, but in high-quality wool that has a lot of the color variances that naturally happen when hand-dying wools. It [also] often combines wool and silk, which gives a little shimmer to the rug."

Can't find a design you want today? Try again tomorrow.

"The designs are constantly evolving," Tufenkian says. For instance, the Tufenkian-family label introduces 50 to 75 new designs each year -- from reinterpretations of traditional Orientals to modern-art equivalents.

Many new designs also leave off the Oriental rug's once-trademark fringe: "It's both for aesthetics and practicality (think vacuuming)," Tufenkian says.

Even traditional fringed rugs are getting a modern touch, with made-to-order "sleeves" fitted over fringed ends. Other options include attaching the fringe beneath the rug, or removing it entirely by re-weaving rug ends. Prices to "de-fringe" -- at places like Andonian Rug Service in Bellevue -- range from $20 to $35 per foot of fringe.

Color Trends

As for color, "We're seeing two different trends," Tufenkian says.

One is earth tones. Hand woven outdoors in places like Armenia, these rugs take their color cues from surrounding stone, ground and foliage. "They have very natural, organic influences," Tufenkian says.

Favorites include subtle greens, eggplants, muted okras, saffron and earthy golden tones, says Kass-Elias at Pande Cameron: "More autumn colors are really what people like. We're also seeing some of the slate colors becoming very popular: plum, burgundy-rust, and black is always popular as an accent color."

The other trend is bold and vivid color: "This year, color is coming back very heavily," Whitney says. "While in the past it was mostly earth tones, now we're seeing reds, bright reds, blues … bold primary colors."

Price and Value

"Sticker shock is normal," Tufenkian says. Expect to pay between $695 and $6,000 for a 6-by-9 handmade Oriental rug. It's less for smaller or less densely woven rugs, and more for larger ones.

"Hand-loomed rugs take hundreds of hours, and require the work of between a dozen and 30 people to create," Tufenkian explains. "If they paid journeyman's wages to these people, a rug would practically cost half of what it costs for a house."

Some stores offer machine-made versions, which start at a few hundred dollars but often don't hold their value. And holding value is why many get into buying Oriental rugs in the first place.

"When you have a quality, handmade rugs that have been kept in good condition and brought back into the resale market, there is usually a buyer," Tufenkian says. Sellers typically recoup 50 percent of original cost.

These trade-ins also are a great resource for first-time or budget-conscious buyers. Resale rugs can be picked up for 20 to 40 percent less than new. Ask rug stores owners if trade-ins are available.

Will these contemporary rugs retain value like the rest? The experts don't know, since contemporary styles haven't yet entered resale markets. "A rug is like a piece of art: it's only worth what you can get someone to pay for it," Whitney says. "If you get something that's more mainstream, and not too wild, then colors constantly recycle. If they're not too wild, they will retain value."

Rolling it out

Ready to take the plunge? Come to the carpet store armed with information: room measurements, color swatches, a diagram of furniture, corresponding fabrics, even magazine clippings of rug favorites.

"Number one, [buyers] have to find a rug they like; look at a rug like a work of art. You have to really like the rug to be happy with your purchase," Kass-Elias says. "Number two, see if it fits your colors in your décor. Number three, make sure it fits the size of your room."

Many Seattle-area showrooms have up to 200 Oriental rug catalogs, all showing different lines of contemporary rugs (rug ads often list nearby showrooms). "The options are unlimited," Whitney says.

As for whole-room decorating, experts recommend starting with the rug. "It is much easier to choose fabrics to go with the carpet, to use wall colors that tie in with the carpet, than it is to get a rug that ties them all together," says one design consultant.

If it's too late for that, then you can always opt for a customized rug. Simply choose the colors matching your decor and, for 10 percent more, the weavers will dye the colors for your rug separately.

"The range of colors we have today, versus if you go back just 15 years, is really quite spectacular," Tufenkian says. "This is an art form which is continually updated. And that makes for lively art."

What makes it Oriental?

With rugs hailing from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Tibet, it seems the "Oriental" rug store is anything but. Why the anomaly? "The term dates from a time that was very Euro centric," says David Tufenkian. "All countries east of Europe were considered 'The Orient.' All countries west were 'The Occident.'"

Today, the term "Oriental rug" still refers to any handmade rug woven in countries east of Europe. Sometimes, the term also is used for any handmade rug or any rug valued for its culture or history.

-- by Jennifer Dirks