Thread Bare Oriental Rugs – A Growing Trend in Interior Design

If you happen to skim through recent issues of interior design magazines such as Architectural Digest, Elle Décor or Veranda you may have noticed a growing trend of very prestigious designers incorporating worn or even threadbare oriental rugs into their gorgeously appointed rooms. This trend seems to transcend styles ranging from very formal and traditional to transitional and even contemporary.

In my own Nejad Oriental Rug Gallery in Bucks County, PA, we have seen a surge in the number of designers and clients, especially from Philadelphia’s Main Line, Princeton New Jersey, New York and Washington DC suburbs, purchasing antique Persian Rugs that have a good amount of wear and fading. Earlier this month, a client brought in the recent Wall Street Journal Magazine June 2012 featuring renowned furniture maker and interior designer Christian Liaigre’s home on the Rue de Verneuil in Paris. One of the photographs highlighted a beautiful antique threadbare runner in his hallway.  This rug had exactly the look my client wanted for his Manhattan apartment and with our enormous inventory of Antique Persian and Caucasian Rugs he had a fantastic selection from which he purchased several small and large area rugs.

As a designer, I always find it interesting to watch how these early trends find their way into the broader furniture and accessory markets. One example is the recent launch of Restoration Hardware’s Deconstructed Furniture Collection which is made to look unfinished or old shabby chic. Another example is the increase of distressed finishes offered by leading furniture, lighting and accessory manufactures.

Embracing this trend, this month I have begun preliminary designs for a new rug collection that will feature traditional Persian Rug designs such as Heriz, Serapi, Mohtashan, Kashan and Mahal in muted vegetable dyes with plenty of abrash and simulated wear. I am working closely with my master weaver on the best techniques to accomplish the look of wear without compromising the structural integrity and longevity of the rugs. If all goes well, I should have the first samples of this collection in Doylestown by the end of the year.

Happy Rug Shopping!

Doylestown’s Memorial Day & County Seat Bicentennial Celebration

One of the most charming small towns in America has to be Doylestown, Bucks County and if you thought it was a special place before, wait until you see all of the celebrations taking place over the next few days commemorating the Memorial Day Holiday and our County Seat Bicentennial. 

I have always felt very privileged to have our Nejad Oriental Rug Gallery right in the center of town at Main and State Streets.  For almost thirty years, I have had a front row seat to enjoy all of the town’s wonderful seasonal festivities and talk with the many out of town visitors about the rich history of Doylestown and our treasure trove of cultural attractions.

For this very special Memorial Day and Bicentennial, the Doylestown community of residents and business owners really came together to create numerous events for the entire family to enjoy. Kicking off the long weekend is an exciting 2012 5K Race through Doylestown with an expected eight hundred runners showing off their patriotic spirit by wearing the colors of red, white and blue.

One of the major highlights of the celebration is Doylestown’s Memorial Day parade.  The oldest Memorial Day Parade in the country, for 144 years spectators have honored the soldiers who sacrificed so much to serve our great country.  My father and uncle were both World War II veterans and this parade has always been a proud and emotional event for me.

Also not to be missed activities include a very interesting lecture at The Doylestown Historical  Society discussing the Native American Alliance of Bucks County and The Lenape Nation, a fascinating slide presentation at the County Theater by Milton Rutherford and a talk by Bob Goodman portraying President Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 presented at Puck’s located at Printers Alley.

 For those longing for a bit of nostalgia, you can attend Doylestown’s antique car show at Font Hill Museum, a special art exhibition at the Gratz Gallery featuring paintings of the changing landscape of Bucks County and a 200 Years of Fashion event at Eldie Mansion.  We’ll even have a “Best Old Time Moustache” contest resurrecting the men’s style of the day.

You can also discover Doylestown by guided Horse and Buggy Rides, taking you back to the turn of the century when riding in carriages was the way to get around town.  Or if you prefer to go it on foot, you can join one of the Crossroads and Courthouse walking tours to learn about Doylestown’s architecturally important historic buildings.  Also not to be
missed is The James Lorrah Memorial home built in 1844, opening its doors and welcoming visitors to explore the birthplace of renowned archaeologist and historian Henry Mercer.

Nejad Oriental Rug Gallery is in located in one of Doylestown’s oldest and most important architectural historic buildings dating back to 1833.  As part of the celebration, we will have on display numerous magnificent handmade oriental antique rugs form the turn of the century and we will offer talks about the interior decorating styles of the day.

I hope you and your family take advantage of many of the above events and enjoy all of the best Doylestown has to offer!