Rugs, Carpets, and Decorating

Throughout the late ’90s and well into the 2000s, Boston’s familiar landscape always included a number of massive cranes, hard at work building or rebuilding part of the city so that more people could move there and enjoy everything the city had to offer.

When the economy crashed – or recessed, or whatever you want to call it – the cranes went south. Building projects were put on indefinite hold or abandoned altogether. New development in the city stalled as people held their breath and waited out the economic downturn.

If you look around now, you’ll see that the cranes have returned. Not only has development returned, but demand – especially for high-end luxury condos – is at an all-time high. People have money to spend again, and it’s not just one generation, but two who are doing exactly the same thing – moving to the city.

The younger generation – those in their 20s and 30s – have experienced what Alvin Toffler predicted in his book Future Shock, which is the transference of wealth from their parents’ generation to them. It’s no surprise that these young people are spending that money on Boston condos. Boston has the culture, the theaters, the sports, the night life, whatever it is they might be looking for. Add to that all of the families growing up in the cities and towns around Boston who brought their kids to the Hub over the years, and it’s no wonder those kids, taken in by Boston’s infectious energy, grew up wanting to be part of it.

The older generation has a different impetus for moving to the city. Some of them are empty-nesters, unhappy in a large empty home. When it’s time for a change, they’re downsizing and heading into Boston. Those who are tired of the Colonial look or the mansion look are seeking something sleek, shiny, and simple. Luxury condos are being built that are 4,000, 5,000, even 6,000 square feet. So people of means in the older generation are not sacrificing living space.

So how does all of this downsizing and upgrading relate to rugs? Well, many of these new luxury condos are blank canvases and need to be decorated. And as we always say, build the room from the rug up.

Many in the younger generation love the contemporary style, and since so many of them are developing an interest in art and design, they’re really artistically sensitive and color savvy. They’re also big embracers of technology, which allows them to do a lot of research and make a lot of choices before we ever meet them. They enjoy the unique and the special, and are less driven by price.

The older generation, surprisingly, also loves the contemporary style, but we find many of them have antique rugs that have been in their family for generations, and they want to use them in the condos on shiny concrete floors, so they seek out our expertise in how best to combine the old and the new, even if they’re in adjacent rooms. Of course, many older families still occupy Beacon Hill and other older neighborhoods, where the antique rugs are still dominant, and they have a real appreciation for the lost art of traditional rug-making.

With our locations in Salem, Back Bay, and shortly Framingham, we’re afforded a unique perspective on city rug buyers and suburban rug buyers, older generations and younger generations, older homes and slick new condos. And the things we learn can only help us better serve our customers.

Here a some examples of newly decorated urban homes.

Courtesy of Kristine Mullaney Design

Courtesy of Daher Interior Design (Michael Lee, photographer)

What’s so special about the upcoming 35^th season of This Old House? Well, aside from the fact that the show has been on PBS for 35 years, they asked us to help them out with the renovation of an 1850s rowhouse in Charlestown as part of the new season. And we were only too happy to accept!

This isn’t the first time we’ve worked with This Old House. We’ve done it twice before, the first time way back in the early 1990s. But it’s always a fun and exciting challenge for us, and that’s why we jumped on board immediately.

 The rowhouse was in pretty rough shape, and the This Old House crew had their work cut out for them. But then, so did we. There were multiple rooms spread out over three floors, and we were tasked with providing the carpets and rugs for the entire space.

 Our first step was to meet with the rowhouse owner and the interior designer to discuss styles, sizes, patterns, and colors for each of the rooms. We were able to come up with multiple options, but what really worked was a rug style that was contemporary, but made in the traditional style that rugs have been made for hundreds of years to give it that classic quality that went well with the old-fashioned feel of the house.

The next step was laying the rugs and installing the carpet, and making sure that the styles that were chosen in our showroom worked well when they were put in place in their respective rooms. Everything worked beautifully.

Finally there was the big reveal, when the This Old House team showed the before and after, and how much they were able to do once they stripped the rowhouse down to a blank canvas. We were immensely proud of what we were able to contribute to that end result.

There’s nothing we love more than taking an old properties and making them sing again. When you watch the episode, see if you don’t agree that this old Charlestown rowhouse is carrying a tune once more.

The series of episodes starts in early October. Visit http://www.thisoldhouse.com for more information.

Kevin O'Connor, host of This Old House with Jerry Arcari, founder of Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting

Once again, we teamed up with New England Home Magazine to highlight the brightest emerging talent in the fields of architecture, home design products, interiors, furniture, and landscape design with the 5 Under 40 Awards.

The winners of this year’s 5 Under 40 are:

(from left to right)

Gregory H. Ehrman (Hutker Architects, Vineyard Haven, MA)
Pauline Curtiss (Patina, Lincoln, MA)
J. Brandon Jones (Glen Gate Company, Wilton, CT)
Jill Goldberg (Hudson Interior Designs, Boston, MA)
Alec Tesa (A. Tesa Architecture, Newport, RI)

The winners were chosen by an all-star committee of regional design leaders: Sally Weston of Sally Weston Associates; Jill Litner Kaplan of Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors; Eric Portnoy and Brent Refsland of Room 68; Michael Blier of Landworks Studio; and Kyle Hoepner, editor-in-chief of New England Home. They had their profiles appear in a special section of the September/October issue of New England Home Magazine, and were presented their awards on September 11, 2014, in our showroom at 333 Stuart Street in Boston.

We continue to be inspired each year by the amazing design choices of the 5 Under 40 winners. They are the people to watch, producing some of the most beautiful and innovative work available today.

Custom rugs were designed by the award winners with expert guidance from Jerry Arcari, and were produced by our talented rug weavers abroad. All five rugs were auctioned off by Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa at the awards ceremony, with all proceeds benefitting Barakat, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based charity that works to empower education in women and children in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  This year, we raised $23,670 for Barakat.

Auctioneers Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa

Congratulations to all this year’s winners! We look forward to seeing more of your work, and to next year’s crop of 5 Under 40.

Members of the Landry & Arcari Staff

As Spring continues to tease us with its entrance in New England, we're itching for the weather stay consistent and begin the transition from cold and snuggly to fresh and new.  But what does this mean in the home?  

For some, it could be a change of couch pillows, a throw blanket, perhaps a tablecloth or two.  For others, it could be a change in seasonal decorations.  For many, maybe a change in home decor doesn't even occur because of busy schedules or a shortage of ideas.  One thing we've noticed  is that many people don't know where to begin, and that serves as an unwanted roadblock when our minds and bodies are thirsting for a change after this long winter!  

But we are firm believers that everyone should love the home they live in.

And we aren't the only ones - thanks to the crew at Northshore Magazine and a handful of other leading design companies on Boston's North Shore (Howell Custom Building Group, Designer Bath, Sue Adams Interiors, Lucia Lighting & Design, and Zen Associates), we've put together a sweepstakes culminating in an event where we hope we can all help you love the home you live in!

Where Do We Begin?

 by March 21, 2014!  It's easy to do, won't take more than 3-5 minutes, and the prizes you could win are phenomenal.

What is a Design Challenge?

Any challenge that presents itself due to the the design of your home, whether inside or outside.  Some examples: 

• Not sure how to bring more natural light into my living room...
• Would love to have a beautiful yard that I can enjoy views of inside even when I can't spend time outside.
• Need new ideas on how to replace the 80s fireplace that's dating my entire room!
• How can I open up the design in my master bed/bath suite and make it a truly relaxing and functional space?

We've broken submissions down into 3 categories this year, so you can tell us about your design challenges in your...

What is a Virtual Redesign?

A virtual redesign is a computer generated model that will help you visualize designs.  Valued at $3500, a virtual redesign is actually the first step to any design project.  Whether you're working with an interior designer, an architect, a custom builder, a landscaper, or any kind of designer - the first step in their project with you will be to draw up plans based on your requests to help you visualize the work to be done.

A winner will be chosen from each category (Interior, Exterior, Master Bed/Bath Suite) - meaning we will be giving away THREE virtual redesigns.

Winning the Mini Home Makeover Package...

Of these 3 virtual redesign winners, ONE will win a $2500 mini home makeover package.  The package includes gift certificates and services from all of our event sponsors.  All of which can be used towards any suggestions illustrated in the virtual redesigns - or towards the winner's own choices.

Winners will be announced at our Love Your Home event on April 17th in our Salem Showroom!  The event is free and open to the public, and all of the sponsors will be there.  We are excited to have Dave Seymour and Peter Souhleris from "Flipping Boston" host the event.

Even if you don't have a design challenge, if you're just looking for ideas - come be inspired by the new virtual redesigns.  Or stop by and visit some of the North Shore's leading design companies conveniently in one place!  You'll be able to ask questions to the experts in: rugs and carpeting, lighting, bath/plumbing, building, landscaping, and interior design.  You can even enter a raffle at the event to win a selection of goodies handpicked by by each of the event sponsors.

Don't forget to to the event, we look forward to seeing you and helping you fall in love with your home all over again!

From recycling soda bottles into carpet fiber, braiding old t-shirts into rag rugs, and weaving silk rugs from old saris, there are many ways to bring recycling into the rug world.  In fact, two of the hottest rug trends right now, the patchwork and the overdyed rug, use recycled vintage rugs.  But how is it that old, unwanted rugs manage to be turned into stylish new rugs?  We’ll walk you through three of the most popular recycled rug styles on the market right now.

Recycling in the rug world all started with a Turkish rug innovator who wanted to create new rugs in a way that insured a positive workspace for the weavers.  Rather than trying to develop a new weaving technique, he stopped to observe a world he knew well.  He saw that design trends, technology, and the rug buying mindset were changing, and as a result, there were a large number of unwanted rugs lying around. 

From this innovator’s dreams came the patchwork rug.  Instead of weaving new rugs, the innovator reduced waste by gathering up old, unwanted rugs.  He reused these rugs by cutting out the sections that were still in good condition.  And by joining these salvaged gems together, he repurposed old rugs into new ones.  The resulting rugs range from playful and cozy to practical and sophisticated.  They can offer a wide range of size and dynamic colors, serving as bold color statements or subtle, calming accents.

Overdyed rugs give a second life to an entire old rug.  The faded traditional designs in overdyed rugs whisper of the past beneath very saturated, newer and more popular hues.  The deep aquas, warm purples, and tangy oranges of overdyed rugs are very much like those we see trending in the fashion industry.  To achieve the subtle monochrome look of overdyes, old rugs are stripped of their more traditional reds, blues, and greens with a special washing process and then dipped entirely into a vat of dye.  The result is a rich color update to a beautiful traditional design, making these rugs easier to incorporate into today’s interior designs.

 

 Finally, one of our favorite repurposed rug techniques involves the artful craftsmanship of a Romanian rug repairman, Theodore Tuduc.  This master repairman removed the pile (or design) knots from the cotton foundations of antique traditional rugs.  He then re-wove the traditional patterns onto the original foundations with yarns also repurposed from vintage rugs.  The benefit of using vintage materials is that after 100 years of foot traffic and washing, what’s left are only the strongest fibers that showcase the original colors with incredible saturation and clarity.  The masterfully woven patterns coupled with the genuine age of the rugs’ materials create truly authentic looking rugs in beautiful, aged colors. 

Though there are many processes through which we include recycled goods in the rug world, these recycled rugs were developed as a result of a passion and love for rugs.  Patchwork, overdyed, and masterfully reinvented rugs - juxtapose rug history and fine vintage materials into some of today’s most popular design trends.

While we are head over heels for rugs here at Landry & Arcari, we also know that not everyone lives, dreams, and breathes the same passion for rugs that we do.  After many years of experience, we know how to make expert functional design suggestions for rugs and carpeting, but nothing beats the trained eye and experience of an interior designer when it comes to the overall look of a yet-to-be-finished room. 

We were lucky to have time to attend the Interior Design Bloggers Conference in Atlanta last week.  Our goal was to gain a deeper understanding of all the additional effort and passion our interior designers put in to be as successful as they are - and we got it!  Along with some excellent design and blogging tips. 

Here are our top 5 takeaways from the conference...

[1] The Power of Contrast

Candice Olson, host of Divine Design, gave very clear descriptions on how she warms up her contemporary designs - with CONTRAST!

Below, Candice adds warmth to the cool, sleek contemporary elements with rustic, traditional elements in this living room.

image via HGTV.com, Candice Olson - Contemporary Interior Design

Candice explained that the coldness of the sleek, polished lines of contemporary design can be intimidating.  Which is why she always includes traditional elements.  People are used to traditional, it's familiar to them, they know it and recognize it.  By adding tasteful traditional elements to contemporary designs, "it's like walking into a party full of strangers and seeing an old friend, you're instantly at ease because they are familiar".

It's why we love our transitional rugs.  Jeff Arcari recently used a similar explanation when describing the appeal of one of our most popular transitional rugs from the Tissage Collection

The traditional Agra pattern of this rug is welcoming and familiar, but the fabulous watercolor effect provides a contemporary twist.  This rug rocks the sweetspot of what it means to be a transitional style element.

[2] Know Who You Are, What You Stand For, and STICK TO IT!

A common theme throughout all of the speakers at DBC2014 was to know who you are, BE who you are, and stay true to yourself.  From Jan Bill’s (www.twowomenandahoe.com) awesome, mile a minute, talk about how she established her captivating social media presence simply by being herself.  To Jeremy Parzen's compassionate story (and impromptu wine tasting!) of how the purpose of his blog, DoBianchi, surfaced organically from his journeys  – every speaker at the conference had a clear sense of who they are, what their business, style, and passions are, and how they share their passions with the world. 

Thanks to DoBianchi for the lovely wine tasting!

As the first day of the conference came to a close, it became very clear that being true to who you are and sharing that with the world has great potential to naturally capture the attention of others, establish your presence in the digital world, and put your company on the map.

While we always shine a spotlight on our rugs - because we love them - Landry & Arcari is a company of enthusiastic, friendly, and passionately rug obsessed individuals.  We have to thank Jerry Arcari for inspiring a love for rugs and carpeting in all of us, and passing his obsession on to his children - Jeff, Julie, and Jay - who continue to grow the community of rug lovers based out of our showrooms today.

Jay, Jerry, Julie, and Jeff Arcari.

[3] Keep it Simple

Whether you're writing a blog post, defining your style, or designing a room - keep it simple!

Jed Williams of BIA Kelsey gave a brief but insightful talk on the business of a blog and how keeping it simple can lead to success.  Jed stressed simplicity - ONE call to action, ONE lead, ONE idea, ONE message.  In today's digital world, everyone's receiving information from multiple sources simultaneously - keep it simple.  It increases the chance that a lead will follow through on your call to action.

It's tough to keep things simple if you don't know who you are or what your brand is (takeaway #2!).  But keynote speaker Timothy Corrigan had that covered.  He stressed the importance of defining your "brand essence" in two words.  He defines his own style and brand essence as "Comfortable Elegance".  Two words easily understandable but broad enough to encompass a variety of designs.

If we were to describe our own brand essence, we would probably say "rug & carpeting obsession".  Walk into any of our showrooms and you'll find rugs piled up to waist height and a wealth of carpet samples and custom opportunities. Why do we have so many rugs, so much carpet, and so many styles?  Because we.are.in.love.with.them.  It might be a bit of an unhealthy obsession, but it means we find the best rugs and carpeting in any and every style.  By doing so, we know we can share rugs and carpet worthy of our clients' longlasting love, because we've already fallen for them!

[4] Give Them What They Want

If you take a look at Jan Bill's Facebook page, her numbers reveal the importance of giving clients what they want.  With over 100,000 followers, 100s of likes and over 1,000 shares per post, we can learn a lot from Jan!  She explained how she gives her followers what they want: useful tips and suggestions pertaining to landscape design (what her business actually does).  But she even takes things a step further.  She assumes that when people are on Facebook, they're looking to take a break and browse through light and digestible information.  If you take a look at her Facebook page, you will only find comics, jokes, and pictures that include landscaping tips and flower choices that reflect Jan's taste in landscape design.

image via Two Women and A Hoe's Facebook

With nearly 8,000 rugs in our inventory, a wealth of in-stock and economical carpeting options, and an expert custom rug program - we pride ourselves on giving our customers what they want.  That also includes a full service rug/carpeting experience from finding a rug, trying it at home (compliments of us!), delivering and installing it, loving it, living it, cleaning it, and repairing it - we give our customers whatever they could possibly need from the rug world!

[5] Embrace Your Community

From the busy Twitter feed (#dbc2014) that was alive throughout the conference to the spirited conversations of attendees, there was a strong sense of community amongst interior designers old and new.  Without the shared stories of success from the interior design keynote speakers, we couldn't have received as much useful information tailored towards building success in the interior design world.

Embrace your community, whether on Twitter, in a community of bloggers, or around town - building and nourishing these connections can only help establish your presence and expertise.

• March 20th-30th, Boston's first annual Design Week.  Many events will be hosted throughout the Boston Area, but we're especially excited for those taking place in the Park Square Design District.
• Stop by our Boston Showroom on March 25th from 5-7PM for some light appetizers and cocktails to meet and mingle with us and ask any lingering rug questions.
• Design Week will be kicked off on March 20th with the ASID Gala, and ramp up to its finish with the AD 20/21 show March 27th-30th.
• Wednesday April 2nd @ 6:30PM Engage, Educate & Empower with Barakat World - Julie Arcari, our CEO, is on the Board of Directors for Barakat World, a charity based in Cambridge, MA whose goal is to empower education for women and children in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  This charity means a lot to us because it directly impacts the rug industry abroad.
• Thursday April 17th @ 6PM - Love Your Home event.  Thanks to our wonderful friendship with Northshore Magazine, we sponsor a sweepstakes with a handful of other Northshore design companies and get to announce the winners of the sweepstakes at a party sponsored by Northshore Magazine!  Dave Seymour and Peter Souhleris of Flippin' Boston will be hosting the party!

Since 2010, Landry & Arcari has teamed up with New England Home Magazine each year to highlight the hottest emerging talent of residential design in New England.  The winners of 5 Under 40 are forerunners in their fields, turning heads with their design work in the realm of  interiors, architecture, landscape, furniture, home design products, and accessories.  Winners are celebrated with recognition in two issues of New England Home Magazine, a special reception, and a unique opportunity to design their own custom rug.  

Over the course of six months, Landry & Arcari brings each winner's rug design into reality via our talented rug weavers abroad.  The completed rugs are then auctioned off at the 5 Under 40 Awards ceremony in September.  All proceeds from the auction benefit Barakat, a Cambridge, Massachusetts based charity that works to empower education in women and children in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  

We must say that here at Landry & Arcari, we continue to be inspired each year by the design choices of the 5 Under 40 Winners.  As nominations for the 2014 awards close this evening, we thought it would be a good time to take a look back at last year's talented winners and designs.

Phoebe Lovejoy Russell of Lovejoy Designs - Inspired by Unique Doorframe Styles of India

Matthew Cunningham of Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design - Inspired by a Mother Elephant Met on Safari in South Africa

Sara Ossana & Jonathan Glatt of O&G Studio - Inspired by a Winter Walk on the Beach

Rina Okawa of Zen Associates, Inc. - Inspired by A Jony Ive quote, "Simplicity involves digging through the depth of complexity," and a Closeup on a Coconut Shell.

Tiffany Eastman of Tiffany Eastman Interiors - Inspired by the Ikat Technique & Creating Chic Traditionalism

We're excited to see what will inspire the 5 Under 40 Designers this year!

So what is an erased motif rug?

Why are erased motif rugs so popular?

Why erased motifs?

Landry & Arcari teamed up with New England Home magazine to announce the winners of the third annual 5 UNDER 40 event.  This competition, juried by a panel of top designers in the region, aims to identify the most promising young New England design talent from a range of disciplines – architecture, interior, furniture, home products, and accessories.

After their selection the winners met with Jerry Arcari, who presented the concepts of rug design.  Rug design is not simply a matter of color.  The rug designers may manipulate material, texture, and weave to produce the desired effect.

On the basis of the information from Jerry Arcari, the five designer set to create their designs.  After about two weeks, they were ready to meet with a Landry  & Arcari staff  rug designer, to solidify designs.  Working with each designer separately, Landry & Arcari helped them select the appropriate colors from a large pool of colors swatches of wool and silk.  Landry & Arcari also assisted in the selection of textural options: incorporating silk or hemp in addition to wool; cutting the pile to variable heights;  adjusting the weave by using looped weave or soumak stitch in addition to cut pile.  Overall this process transformed the ideas into a form that Landry & Arcari could send to the weavers in Nepal to the create the rugs.

For the next three months the weavers in Kathmandu transformed the designs into actual rugs.

Above: Weaving the winner's designs in Kathmandu, Nepal

The culmination of this process is the auctioning of these rugs on September 13 at cocktail party at the Atrium next to Landry & Arcari’s Boston Back Bay showroom.  The proceeds of the auction benefit Barakat, a Cambridge, Massachusetts,  non-profit organization, that promotes educational opportunities for women and children in central and south Asia.

For anyone who is reading this blog before  September 13and is interested in bidding on any of these rugs,  pre-bididng is available online.  Tickets to the cocktail party and the completion of the auction are also available online before the event.

Here are the five rugs:

Designer: John Day; A photo of flowers on a rocky hillside inspired this design.  This design emphasizes texture by having each design element in a different height of pile.  The silk fuschia pile is the highest, the light grey is the lowest.  The size is 5' x 8'.

Designer: Asher Dunn; The different color yarns are intermixed on irregular boundaries. The contrast among colors is enhanced by having each color with different mix of wool and silk.  The size is 4' x 8'.

Designer: Amy Hirsch; The designer created the three-dimensional effect by emphasizing contrast in tone, weave, and material.  The background is ivory soumak-weave wool; the design is brown cut-pile silk.  The size is 5' x 7'9".

Designer: Liz Stiving Nichols; Twenty-five shades of color and gentle curves achieve the subtle organic look of this rug.  For further interest, the design element is placed on a naturally colored hemp background.  Size is 5' x 8'.

Designer: Kelly Taylor; This design plays with color and texture to create a very modern look. The darker grey color has a unique texture from alternating rows of cut pile and looped pile.  The size is 3'1" x 8'.

The 5 Under 40 program spotlights young designers in New England, encourages innovative rug design, and supports the education of girls in Pakistan.

Landry & Arcari is proud to be presenting sponsor of New England Home magazine’s “5 Under 40” awards. An all-star panel of regional designers selects five of the best young designers in the New England Area.

Each of the five winners then designs a rug to be hand-woven on Landry & Arcari’s GoodWeave-certified looms in Nepal. Landry & Arcari has extensive experience weaving custom rugs in Nepal for its customers.

On September 15, there will be an awards dinner to honor the winners and to display the completed rugs. At the awards dinner there will be an auction of the rugs. The proceeds will go to the Barakat, Inc., to fund scholarships for girls in Pakistan. Last year’s auction raised over $9,000 for this cause.

The winners of the 2011 contest will be announced at a special reception on April 14, 2011, and will be profiled in the September/October issue on New England Home.

For more information about the event, see http://www.nehomemag.com/ms/5-under-40/home.

See below for the rugs designed by last year’s winners.  We will show the rugs from this year's winners in a later blog.

Rug design by Hansy Better Barazza, Studio Luz Architects

Rug design by Stephanie Horowitz, ZeroEnergy Design

Rug design by Meichi Peng, Meichi Peng Design Studio

Rug design by Patrick Planeta, Planeta Basque Boston

Rug design by Quentin Kelley, Infusion Furniture