Tag: colors
New mood board and color obsession
May 29, 2012
Hi there,
The other day I was looking through all my images searching for inspiring colors and textures for the new rug collection I’m working on, which is at its raw stages as I write this. I have found that many, actually hundreds of the pictures i chose to work from have a monochromatic earth tones subject in it, one way or another. And thinking about it, maybe i’m obsessed with earthy tones without even knowing it.
Whatever it is monochromatic in earth tones doesn’t have to put you or your guests in a coma (i used to think), but it could happen if you don’t know how to work around it. Monochromatic does not have to be cream, beige or gray, it could be any color. Think of it as a rainbow with a twist – a single ray of color shooting out different shades of the same hue. Add to that some texture, which will intensify the tones a little further (some textures reflect light so that’s another color), and you’ve come up with a beautiful formula that can add interest and even drama to an otherwise plain room, or floor.
That being said, a rug is the perfect inspiration to start with when decorating a room if you want to add interest and texture, a beautiful piece of rug can have it all. And you can work around it to decorate the rest of your home. After all, a rug is the first thing you see when you enter a room isn’t it?
Here is my inspirational board, a few collected pieces i’m working with, pulling earth tone colors and textures. It is just gorgeous to look at but even better to work with.
For more updates on the new collection and more see us on facebook.
Sultry colors of Morocco
February 21, 2012
The iridescent blue of the sky and sea…
the rich depth of sepia…
delectable hue of blue/black olives…
the comfort of creams of ancient ruins.
Morocco -
a country i can never get enough of. It’s the love of Morocco that makes me live it more in my mind than in my senses.
It goes without saying that Morocco is a country that’s seductively rich with pure beauty and artistic tradition. Morocco made me wonder how my life would have been like if i had lived there. *sigh*…i don’t even know where to begin.
When i visited morocco i was immediately wowed by the rich deep pigments that painted secluded streets, arts and crafts, architecture and tradition. This gave me an idea to interpret through a modern design, what i think are some of the most magnificent color sceneries I’ve seen anywhere. Sceneries that taught me about color, texture and being bold even for a moment. Sultry rug design was born.
I was so excited to get to work. It’s easy to grab a brush and start painting everything i saw and i would if i could, but i had to hold myself and go slow. I chose to work with an abstract pattern not necessarily showing Moroccan motifs, but there are hints in the design showing that influence. I then played with a limited color palette which plays a big part in the design inspiration, picking hues that have harmonious undertone.
The use of custom blend fibers in cool tonal values play off nicely the negative spaces of the abstract pattern. With meticulous artistic hands that weaved this piece, this is a modern chic hand-made rug where colors and design get equal credit.
Just love…don’t you?
Sultry – hand knotted in Nepal. 100knot construction. custom blend fibers. GoodWeave certified.
View it here or visit our showroom
mood board
November 28, 2011
hope you all had a great long weekend holiday. this year i didn’t work too hard but my younger daughter made me cook again, for thanks giving. i simply roasted baby chickens (cornish hens?) with lots of herbs and seasoning and a couple of side dishes. was delicious. after all, my husband is overseas and i know i will have to repeat this meal when he returns. soon.
in the meantime, while my husband is on a business trip and i stayed here to take care of everything else, he is my eyes and i got a lot of updates from him and our partners in nepal about my new rug collections. i was so excited to received images of the new designs on the loom. it’s just amazing to me, and i’ve said it many times before, how from a simple idea, a sketch or a piece of something, the concept is progressing and finally a beautiful piece of hand made art is created – in my case – a hand made rug. there are so many steps and hands involved in such a creative process you simply have to admire that, don’t you think?
i would love to post all of the images and updates but i don’t want to spoil anything. i even want to surprise myself. i will, however, tease and share with you one of my mood boards. the background in this mood board shows a cropped image of one of my favorite rug designs this year:
my rug design mood board
mood board transports feelings about a product or something you like in particular. it’s a way to communicate a direction in which you are going with your design. i love mood boards (most times they are in my head so you can imagine how many moods i have), and when i look at one of my boards and think about the design behind it, i’m immediately taken to another place…sometimes another era. many times i create mood boards for myself but often, and lately, i’ve been asked to show my mood boards beside telling the inspiration behind the design.
so here it is and please, if you have any thought…share.
appetizing inspiration
September 6, 2011
“when i design a rug, i don’t only design a beautiful floor covering. in my head i design a whole room surrounded by this future to be rug. all the elements of designing a rug are put together. i sense it and i feel it. it’s like composing a beautiful song.”
hello friends,
hope your holiday weekend was relaxing and inspiring. mine was and i thought i’d share this with you.
did i mention before that food has a huge effect on me? well, in a sense it does on all of us but what i mean is that i love to look at food. in all colors and forms. and think what is it that i can do besides eating it. look at these images…i bet you will get inspired too.
i love bright colors. it depends on the subject. bright and shiny food give me excitement. sometimes i’m overflowing with ideas because colors feed my energy level…even if i end up designing something that’s more subtle.
the silky marzipan, fruit even olives look not only scrumptious to eat but to play with too, imagine, create. they remind me of the silk yarn boxes we have in our office. i don’t need any other toys.
all these pictures are from my travels. i’m feeling very lucky when i experience such delight. its amazing to watch how food, as humble as it is in its form or source, can make one take it to the next level.
i design monochromatic rugs that one wants to touch and a lot of times take. our clients simply love them.
monochromatic colors are sophisticated not only to design with but to indulge in. i mean look at this food…the arrangements of tones and varies shades of the same color, the “high and low” of textured food: cookies, dates, apricots, nuts; all have texture, color and visual taste. how can i not think of rugs? pillows? designs? i can talk about it for hours.
this is one of my favorite pictures above. the aubergine olives laying on deep green-blue leaf accompanied by a cobalt blue glass (in the background). such a delight. i wasn’t only inspired by an ocean view for the rug “kesaria” below, but the inspiration above helped me in my choice of colors and texture.
kesaria, hand knotted
and after all this food talk…aren’t you hungry? i know i am…
Quest for the perfect Martini
January 28, 2011
I love celebrations of all kinds and having a good times is always inspiring. I don’t drink but on occasions I’d sip on a good wine poured into a beautiful glass. A favorite is martini glass. Even when empty. It stands tall and the up-side-down triangular form is just so impressive. I bought two.
I was at a family event, a wedding, and there I saw a gorgeous display of empty martini glasses standing on top of each other, forming a giant triangle illuminated by halogen lights shooting from above. It looked like a piece of ice art. That was some display.
No I didn’t take a picture at the time (I’m pinching myself right now for not doing it). I was too busy admiring (who knew).
I had a good time but when I returned home I went straight to work.
Sketches after sketches and all I got was a busy pattern with simple large triangles that didn’t talk to me (yes I should have kept them. I’m bad).
Frustration of sketch/erase and sketch/erase made me put down the pencil and keep the idea in a drawer. Don’t know for how long but it was there for a while.
Many months later my husband looked through my files trying to find something… he found my tini “Martini” design there… “I want it” he told me, “make the rug”…
PHASE II
A fresh and clean illustration sketch helped me get the shapes and scale right where I wanted. Original idea of color palette, tone-on-tone, was the right choice if I wanted to achieve what I looked for: a repeat with movement in subtle variation of texture and tone that will work anywhere anytime.
My Martini design was finally submitted for production.
And so this week RUG ART, us, got our shipment of new rugs and among them is my little happy brand new “Martini” rug.
I’ve experimented with my camera and took some shots before the rug hits the showrooms. Take a look:
We are excited about this rug. It’s fun, modern, young. It works in many room interiors. Tone-on-tone coloration offers the opportunity to splurge on any color around it without losing the atmosphere this design suggests.
On the other hand, for color lovers, this rug can be totally customized to your most desirable shade.
Martini rug beautifully lays on the floor accompanied by our “Noche” custom silk decorative pillow in black taupe.
What a duo.
CHEERS!
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