Brandon Oriental Rugs: rug store Bucks County

Showing posts with label rug store Bucks County. Show all posts

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Rug Selections from the Top of the Pile by Brandon Oriental Rugs for Bucks County, PA Farmhouse Renovation

This is another in a series of How-to videos regarding use of Real Handmade Oriental Rugs from Bucks County, PA oriental rug store Brandon Oriental Rugs. "Brandon Oriental Rugs helps you make your world your way."

The rugs seen in this video are just some of the many selections Brandon Oriental Rugs found, and custom picked, to help new homeowners in Upper Bucks County, PA complete renovation of their two hundred year old farmhouse. All of these rugs (and many others further down in the piles) will be delivered to the home for evaluation and final approval by the homeowners.

https://youtu.be/91R4yohrJjg

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Doylestown Township, PA Homeowners Choose a Handmade Oriental Rug from Brandon Oriental Rugs (www.BrandonRugs.com) to Complete the Family Room of Their New Home

The hand-knotted oriental rug seen in the picture was chosen by customers of Brandon Oriental Rugs (www.BrandonRugs.com) to complete the furnishing of the family room of their new home in Doylestown Township, Pennsylvania. The rug they selected to fill the open floor between their sectional sofa and entertainment console is a 9x12 India Agra design. It is made with vegetal dyed premium grade wool pile; and beautifully detailed with 100 hand-tied knots per square inch construction.

This rug at the heart of their home promises to be a durable witness to all of their growing family's activities in the years ahead. It is no insignificant place; and the choice of such a well-made, beautiful oriental rug is testimony to how important it is to the young homeowners.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Oriental Rugs Are Not Just "Art for the Floor"; They Have Multi-Dimensional Capabilities as Essential Elements of Room Decor (Photos)

The photos from a rug exhibit discussed in a past issue of Hali magazine (http://bit.ly/1weMzJp) show that rugs can perform stupendously as pictures at an exhibition.

Though not all rug styles are suited for duty on the walls, not all rugs are necessarily relegated to service on the floor.

Many rugs are quite versatile, having design characteristics that allow their display within the home in different ways.

(Photos from HALI News and Events November 10, 2014 "100 Kilms, Volkspark Halle". http://bit.ly/1weMzJp)

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Is Your Interior Design Depressing You?

By Joseph Pubillones
(DailyHerald.com http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140913/entlife/140919600)

From time to time, someone will corner me and confess to me that they are depressed; they whisper that they believe their decorating is making them sick. They tell me that their interiors are not to their liking because of choices made by their spouse, their designer, or because of their own misguided attempts at decorating.

Is it possible for their environment to make them feel sick? Yes (as I think about it), it is possible for design to alter moods.

In the mid-1950s, Norbett Mintz, a researcher at Brandeis University, and his mentor, the renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow, decided to conduct research about the effects of "beauty" on behavior. Mintz had already conducted experiments about the effects of color on human behavior and concluded that color selection has a palpable effect on personal behavior.

A room's design can have an impact on your mood. Mismatched colors or an
overstuffed room can affect your ability to relax and feel comfortable.

In their experiment about beauty, they designed three rooms. The first was "the ugly room", replete with clashing colors and patterns, disorganization and too much furniture for the size of the space. The second was "the average room", arranged with a monochromatic scheme, basic furniture pieces and subtly colored nondescript art. The third was "the beautiful room", decorated with quality case-goods, and fashionable fabrics and colors. Overwhelmingly, the test group rejected "the ugly room". "The average room" and "the beautiful room" were tied as the preferred room. When asked to describe the rooms, the test group was best able to describe "the beautiful room".

As a designer, this is not news to me. There are rooms, especially those that I like, that I can describe with remarkable detail. Although our notion of what is beautiful varies from person to person, it can be said that beautiful design is more memorable. We can deduce that each person prefers the beautiful.

From the time we are born, there are foods that are preferred -- some love sweets; others prefer more savory flavors. Over time, our taste buds evolve, and what was once a favorite food can become insipid or nauseating. The same is true for interior design. Over time, everyone develops preferences about what makes us feel comfortable and at home.

When I hear that someone's home is depressing, I am concerned. I suggest immediate action to change what is most bothersome. If it is wall color: a painting party is overdue. If it is furniture: I ask them to consider new upholstery; a new furniture arrangement; or substituting new pieces for those that offend. And for those too timid or dismayed to tackle their problems head-on and alone, I suggest hiring a professional interior designer.

[Comment by Brandon Oriental Rugs: Good quality is evident in the words we use when we appreciate its presence: beauty, harmony, integrity, excellence. These are appealing impressions it makes upon our minds and spirits. It can't be faked. Attempts to put a stamp of "quality" -- as in "good quality" -- upon things which possess or convey "bad quality" doesn't fool anyone who appreciates quality and the benefits it inherently brings.]

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Why You Should Hire a Professional Interior Designer

by Cindy Beyer — August 27, 2014 at 1:00 pm
(http://www.restonnow.com/2014/08/27/why-you-should-hire-a-professional-interior-designer)
The interior of your home says a lot about you. Your home is your castle. Many of my clients have said they couldn’t imagine the results after their project was completed. They say it was the WOW factor. I say, that is why you hired a professional designer.

There are many situations that warrant the hiring a professional interior designer. This includes something as simple as choosing paint and window covering to full scale renovation work such as a new kitchen, bath or lower level. In addition to achieving that WOW factor, a professional interior designer will save their clients’ money in many ways, most importantly the avoidance of costly mistakes.

Not only will a professional designer understand the context of the project, they will have access to many resources and their trained eye can make a world of difference in the final result. And those final results also will improve the value of your home.

Professional interior designers are able to work closely with architects and contractors and are comfortable with drawing floor plans, as well as understanding the implications of how interiors will be used as it relates to structural and available floor space.

Beyond floor plans, program management, installation and understanding how structural design will be used in a practical setting, a professional interior designer will also be knowledgeable in color and fabric design, space planning, window coverings, furniture design, architecture and much more. So when you see the initials ASID and NCIDQ next to an interior designer’s name, know they have been through significant amount of formal certification.

When hiring a professional interior designer, it is important to have an understanding of the scope of the work to be done. Before my initial meeting with a new client, I ask them to spend some time making a list of their needs as well as any pictures they saved of items or rooms they like. Upon our first meeting, I take photos and measurements. Together,we then develop a detailed itemized list covering all areas of concern. The next step is to draw up and present a floor plan. Depending on the type of project this could include floor plans and furniture placement as well as construction and lighting if needed.

Once the plan is approved appropriate furnishings and finishes are selected. This can be fun - and exhausting as well. I often present my clients with many samples from which to choose. After the furniture choices, I develop a comprehensive budget itemizing all purchases.

I also may call on several of the contractors I work with such as electricians, plumbers, cabinet wholesalers and cabinet makers, painters, as well as drapery workrooms and installers. It has taken many years to compile trusted associates, which is an important part of being a good designer.

Lead times for good furniture and furnishings can take from 6-12 weeks depending on availability. This extra time gives sufficient time to finish the required preparatory work, and allows clients time to dispose of old furniture.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Homeowners Select Persian Kashan Rug from Bucks County Oriental Rug Store Brandon Oriental Rugs (www.BrandonRugs.com) for Family Room of Their Upper Montgomery County Farmhouse

Our customers, have a lovely home near the Greenlane Reservoir in Upper Montgomery County, and have decorated it throughout with beautiful handmade oriental rugs. After many years they decided they wanted to move a rug they'd been using in their family room to another location in the home, and asked us for help in finding a suitable replacement for the room. Their stipulations were that they wanted a real hand-knotted rug, preferably made in Iran, with rich colors, and well-made for a heavily used room that frequently hosts gatherings of their large family.

The rug they selected is a 3-meter x 4-meter hand-knotted Persian "Gul-Kashan" that they were able to acquire at a very attractive price (considering the current trade embargo trade with Iran) thanks to a generous promotion by our source.

Rich in color, and nicely detailed, the rug provides elegance in keeping with the rest of our customer's home, while being comfortable and practical for a lifetime of use in their family room.

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Monday, May 19, 2014

Handwoven Bulgarian Rugs Making Their Mark

[We have not yet seen any of these Bulgarian rugs through our sources, but the volatility of events in the traditional rug making countries (especially the day to day uncertainties of economies in flux in major producers like Turkey, Pakistan, India and China) might permit rugs from Bulgaria to fill a need in growing worldwide demand for handmade rugs.]

HANDMADE PRODUCTION: Women work on a carpet in a tiny factory in Kostandovo, a small village
in Bulgaria’s southern Rhodope mountains. (Agence France Presse 5/17/14)

Handwoven Bulgarian rugs making their mark

In a tiny Bulgarian factory, nimble fingers tie and cut, assembling knots of dyed wool into lavish floral patterns: In a few months, the carpet will be fit for royalty.
Hand-knotted and flat-weave rugs made in Kostandovo, a small village in Bulgaria’s southern Rhodope mountains, have graced the floors of 10 Downing Street and Chequers, the British prime minister’s country retreat, as well as the Bank of England, royal palaces and Vienna’s Albertina museum.
Other top clients have included Prince Charles and the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, manager Nino Parpulov said.
“No one can match us at the moment. We are the only ones who offer such large sizes, complicated patterns and multiple colors,” he told AFP on a recent visit to the factory.
“Carpets of 60, 70, 80 square meters (600 to 800 square feet) are a piece of cake for us,” the 57-year-old ex-forestry engineer added.
“We are probably the last hand makers in Europe,” said Parpulov’s British business partner, David Bamford.
The 28 women working at the Hemus factory take several months to complete a single giant-size carpet — their largest creations have reached over 120 square meters (1,300 square feet).
They usually make just about 10 such tapestries a year, at a sale price of approximately $200 per square meter.
The factory also dyes the wool for the rugs, exactly matching the colors and design of the ceiling, wallpaper and furniture of their clients’ stately homes.
Almost any shape and design is possible, and the weavers can also make exact replicas of ancient rugs.
The women sit at the large wooden looms for hours, surrounded by boxes full of skeins of wool of every color.
The major challenge on large rugs is to make sure the knotting is uniform throughout as “every hand knots differently,” Parpulov said.
The largest loom at the factory is eight meters (26 feet) wide and the carpets are customarily made in one piece to prevent deformations.
One carpet — an 18-meter-wide one for Britain’s Osborne House, the former residence of Queen Victoria — was made in three parts.
“It is nice to know that what you’re making will go where you will never go and that royal feet will tread on it,” said Svetla Lambova, 39, taking a break from her carpet work.
Lambova is one of 16 local women who swapped the greenhouses and potato and onion fields in one of Bulgaria’s poorest regions to undergo a training course at the factory last year. Ten of them stayed.
“I thought it would be very hard to learn and I would not get used to the work... I am still much slower than the other weavers,” she said.
“Half of the women in the course gave up,” said Svetla Mundova, 40, another of the newly employed weavers, while tying and combing the threads of a large beige and brown carpet.
When Parpulov came to the former state-owned factory as manager in the 1990s, 1,100 women worked there.
A lack of orders and the disappearance of communist-era state subsidies had put the factory on the brink of bankruptcy and led to a stark fall in employees, many of whom retired, he said. It took years of hard work, court battles and bank negotiations to get the company back on its feet. In the end he and Bamford were able to buy it.
“But with three or four weavers going into pension every year, I realized last year that in five years’ time I will be left with five or six of the 18 workers I had,” Parpulov said.
He made it his “top priority” to recruit and train more women, and succeeded with the help of a 74,000-leva (38,000 euro, $52,000) grant by the US-funded Trust for Social Achievement.
He now dreams of substituting the wood-fired stoves in the smoky factory hall with central heating, and of finding clients in Bulgaria to give him the funds necessary to train more weavers.
Until recently, his company had not sold a single large carpet. (!!!)
Now, a beige and moss-colored rug with carmine grapes adorns a reception room at Bulgaria’s famous Rila Monastery.
“I can say now with a clear conscience that I have left something in my own country — a small pearl that fell from the pouch,” Parpulov said.