1. SOFTEN THE LOOK
A rug underfoot softens the look and feel of a space. This design pictured is based on an oil painting, At The End of the Day, by artist George Morton Clarke and comes with a hefty price tag. The full design required is 2.75m by 3.65m, which costs €22,500. Hand-knotted in Nepal using 50 per cent Tibetan highland wool and 50 per cent fine Chinese silk it takes two years of work to produce and will feel absolutely wonderful underfoot. Could you hang it? Absolutely, says Conrad Lyons, managing director of Rug Art. "You can fix it to batons to give a significant piece of art that would also give you outstanding noise insulation properties." How do you keep it moth-free? "You can have the rug sprayed but periodic inspection is required to maintain it as a moth-free zone, Lyons says. rugart.ie.
2. COMING FULL CIRCLE
Cork-based graphic artist Deirdre Breen is the latest talent to collaborate with Irish rug maker Ceadogán. Inspired by geometry her Ripple Effect collection was born from a shape that is often central in her work – the circle. Some of the pieces have irregular shapes and curved edges. "Colour was also really important, and we spent a lot of time testing combinations and palettes early in the process. The yarn can be very different on the spool to when it's tufted – hue and brightness can change a lot." Hand-tufted by Ceadogán Rugmakers using a tufting gun Locamotion, pictured, costs €1,670 for a 1.67cm diameter round made from 100 per cent pure wool and can also be made to measure. Her print work can be seen in The Devlin in Ranelagh, on its stairwell and on the second floor corridor, on a mural at The Glucksman, UCC and at a pop-up showroom, 79 Main Street, Wexford, to celebrate the Wexford Opera Festival and runs until tomorrow, November 3rd. ceadogan.ie.
3. FLAT WEAVE
The flat weave rug, made of cotton chenille, is from Belgium brand Louis de Poortere’s Uyuni Colchani range. Named after Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, this Cloud and Sun design comes in six different sizes ranging from 200cm by 140cm to 290 by 390cm and costs from €451 to €1821 to order at Myles Quirke Rugs and other brand stockists.
Mylesquirke.ie; louisdepoortere.be
4. THE IKEA VERSION
This white and red rug, designed to look like tiles, is the Simsted design from Ikea. Machine woven and made of stain-resisting polypropylene any dried food can be simply vacuumend up. Any wet mess should be absorbed with paper towels, dampened with cloth and mild detergent. The 200cm square costs €129 and will warm up the look of a kitchen, and will feel especially good on breakfast feet in winter.
5. THE PERSIAN RUG
This knitted design by Aridna Miquel and Nani Marquina for their eponymous label Nanimarquina, is made from natural jute fibre using traditional Soumak techniques, from the Caucasus, parts of Persia, including the border with Afghanistan and Turkish Anatolia. It is a lovely way to add warmth to an open plan kitchen diner and being 100 per cent natural it is more easily cleaned than man-made fibres although red wine spillages will most likely leave their mark. It comes in two sizes; 170cm by 240cm and 200cm by 300cm and costs about €1910 and €2,720 respectively, excluding delivery, from The Conran Shop. conranshop.co.uk.
6. FANTASY AND TRADITION
Designer Florence Bourel interprets all the fantasy and wealth of Rajasthan's traditional block print motifs with this Baya rug by Toulemonde Bochart. It offers an abundance of colour patchworked into hand-tufted creation that looks modern but doffs a creative cap at tradition. A clend of wool and viscose, that the firm calls art silk, comes in two standard sizes, 170cm by 240cm and 200cm by 300cm, respectively €1,622 and €2,395 from Dun Laoghaire-based Lost Weekend. It can also be made to measure and costs from €765 per square metre. lostweekend.ie.
7. THE RUNNER
A runner is a rug that works in a hall or stairs setting and Roger Oates is one of the best-known flat weave firms for designing timeless patterns that work especially well in period properties. It has just partnered with London Irish designer Abigail Ahern for a collection that mines her typically dark colour palette. Pictured is Kyoto Blossom from another new range. It is from Dun Laoghaire-based For Floors. forfloors.ie; rogeroates.com
8. COSY UNDERFOOT
Many homes no longer have carpets in the living rooms and anyone prone to allergies or dust sensitivities may also have gone for a scandi look in the bedroom. This is easy to clean but lacks a certain cosy sensibility underfoot. A rug at the foot of a bed looks lovely and adds extra texture to whatever bed dressing you opt for but one set at the side of the bed, where it is the first sensory experience your feet have on a cold winter's morning will make getting up in the dark just a little bit easier. Pictured is abstract blue grey polypropylene design, 133cm by 190cm that costs €60 at branches of Woodies, reduced from €75, or a Lowry plain, 200cm by 300cm, which costs from about €1,190, excluding delivery, from Sofa.com. woodies.ie; sofa.com.
9. PURE WOOL
Cork-based Rugs.ie is stocking a new collection from Lorena Canals called Woolable that are handcrafted, hand-knotted pure wool rugs that are machine washable – a godsend to pet owners and those sensitive to dust. The firm has a shop in Douglas where you view and touch the creations. Pictured is Into The Blue. It comes in two sizes, 140cm by 200cm, €295 or 200cm by 300cm, €695. The range includes Lakota, in a grey blue design called Night that works really well in a bathroom where the smallest of its three sizes, 80cm by 140cm, is perfect, €139. Rugs.ie.
10. ANTIQUE RUGS
You can pick up vintage and antique rugs at auction but you really need to inspect the rug first to determine its condition and to see if there has been any moth damage. It would be wise to spray any purchases with Zero, a highly effective clothes mothkiller, before bringing into the house. This spray, which you can get in good hardware stockists, is fairly toxic so only use in a well-aerated space. This super fine Hereke vintage design is from Turkey and measures 199cm by 138cm. It is currently reduced by 20 per cent to €2,240 at Francis Street-based Oriental Rugs. orientalrugs.ie
