We've been scouring the interwebs for designer styles that we can help the general public achieve, and what we've noticed most of late is the vast number of spaces using shag style carpets. Shag carpets can be the shabby chic touch you need, or provide the clean base for your space. Let's explore some of the fun spaces we've found on instagram, and see what we can offer that will get you that designer look.
They say diamonds are a girls best friend, but I'm beginning to think it's the shag carpet's best friend. Wonky diamonds seem to win the shagtastic style vote, as they are literally everywhere we look these days.
Here's a look at some of our own designs that will get your space on its way to being just as fantastic as the designer looks above:
And now, for some of our own rugs in designer spaces:
So, if you're ready to get shagtastic, give a hollar, and we'll get you on your way to stylin' on em.
Of course we love on any kind of woven art - weaving is kind of our thing. So finding these shag art carpets by Kahove was pretty exciting. Taking classic art pieces, like the Mona Lisa and Starry Night, and turning them into shag carpets Kahove breathes new and exciting life into them. What do you think, would you put one in your home?
Choosing the right rug for your space always starts with measuring the room it will live in. While this seems like an obvious first step, you'd be surprised how many people glance at a space and take guesses.
The problem with taking guesses is that you may end up with a carpet who's scale doesn't match the space it's in - wether that is too large, or too small, the fit and feel just isn't right and now you're forced to live with it or invest in another carpet.
If you're going for the wall to wall look, then measuring the room accurately is highly important. If it's just an inch or two off in any direction, the end result you're going for will not be achieved.
Sometimes it may not be the room in particular that needs measuring, but the specific space within the room. Maybe you want to delineate separate living areas with floor coverings. One way of deciding what size rug is the best for that space would be to use painters tape to measure out your ideal rug dimensions.
design #8105 Barbara Goldfarb, Design Logicdesign #10010 Patrick Printy
If you're purchasing a new pre-made rug, it's good to keep in mind the standard room sizes available when laying your tape lines. If you're ready to invest in something that's custom made just for you and your space, simply lay the tape exactly where you want the rug to sit. If you're going for an antique rug, the best thing to do is to layout two different tape lines - one for the smallest size you're willing to use, and one for the largest size - and then try all the workable options you find in the space before committing. Even if you're using tape to decide on a rug size, it's still good to double check yourself before heading out to shop.
Better safe than sorry, right?
There are so many ways to communicate ideas through fiber arts, and embroidery is one form that we tend to think of as a tradition lost in time. We connect these strings of thought to a period where girls were taught to do needlework as a right of passage; we immediately think of cross-stitching and flowers. But, in the modern world many women have owned this craft and experimented with various and unique ways of expressing themselves through thread.
What we love most about Stacey's work is her incredible use of color and composition. Her skilled execution of stitches and layering are also impressive. We never get bored looking at her page, as her style always seems to be evolving - going through a variety of applications of her medium; from geometric to free flowing, abstract to natural, and sometimes scientific and cellular.
Han's playful experimentation of medium and imagery is grossly appealing. The way she embellishes photos, postcards, stamps, and natural elements weaving together concept and form is uniquely fascinating.
Is there something familiar about her work? Absolutely. Knie states, "I’ve been embroidering viruses for over 8 years now", and with the impact that Covid-19 has had in the world, this seems more contextual now than ever before. Her love of science and space are apparent in her work, and we love the way her stitches preserves microscopic views.
If texture is your thing, Hughes nails it. Her use of a variety of threads and yarns, each with their own unique properties, combine in 3 dimensional application for a finished product that is bursting with color and personality. There's something abstractly floral about her work, which bursts off the hoop like a beautiful bouquet.
Bennings' pictorial embroidery has an illustrative quality to it that is so graphic in nature, we would love to see it in book format (an embroidered book). Her focus seems to be plant life, but she also captures landscapes and personal human moments in time (such as reading a good book or mixing a drink).
We just love how Wilde's work transports us to the ocean, with textures and 3 dimensional applications that are so realistic that we can't help but hear the lapping of the waves on the sand. Her color selections are very natural and soothing - adding to the connection of environment and application.
Reinterpreting the tattoo art paintings of her daughter (@gan_dalf) into embroidery so accurately, you almost see it in ink. Besides appreciating the skill of her craft, we love to see a great mother daughter collaboration.
Natalie's work falls into two main categories for us. There's the embroidery on paper using basic lines and geometry, and including natural materials, that has a clean and simple yet powerful appeal. And then there's the dissection of color in imagery, sometimes skewing photos with a time warp reminiscent effect.
Emily's embroidery inspired by natural textures often brings us to the ocean floor or on a study of geological forms, but there's an abstract quality to the layers she creates which is almost cellular in essence - bringing our thoughts to the base elements of nature's structure.
In the digital age we find ourselves glued to our screens, scrolling past the many videos, photos, and graphic arts created with the aid of computers or other technological devices - often forgetting the painstaking traditions of hand crafted arts, such as weaving or embroidery. But, artists from around the world continue to create these handmade labors of love, connecting the past with the present in new and sometimes unexpected ways.
Brooklyn based artist Erin M. Riley is the most notable example of a weaver who connects the traditional weaving methods of times past with her experiences a person raised in the digital age (or “as a queer human who grew up in chat rooms” as she puts it).
Some of her work expresses imagery that many people may find disturbingly personal or compromising - such as masturbation or the tweezing of nipple hairs, as well as woven depictions of pornhub screenshots. Then of course there are her mirror selfies (inclusive of her colorful body art) and still life depictions of items and photos which tell her story - a tribute to personal growth. What we find most interesting from Riley's vast body of work are the sociopolitical commentaries which are portrayed through woven imagery - statements about drug use or alcoholism, police brutality, the gap between classes of people, women's rights, etc.
Her skill as an artist is evident through the details of her work, as is the strength of her convictions and her understanding of the world around her.
To see more of Erin's incredible work check out her instagram page.
This year is a learning curve for everyone in so many aspects of life; and now as we find ourselves in a time which traditionally represents back to school, we are learning that changing our traditions is not as easy as we would like it to be.
As our homes become our classrooms, we are pushing ourselves to change the ways that we and our children learn and grow.
It's no secret that basic geometry, bright colors, and interesting textures can enhance creative thought and critical thinking. That's why we're sharing designs which bring us back to the basics of learning.
Colors can enhance our mood too. Lively colors promote a healthy level of energy - which is more important than ever in a world where classes involve sitting in front of a computer all day long.
If we can promote happiness and creativity through the spaces we live (and now work, learn, and play) in, perhaps we can retain some sort of normalcy within the balance of our wold.
Let's try to design spaces which aid us in navigating this new and strange normal.
Let's make it a priority to create compelling spaces to help us do that.
Lets celebrate all the vibrant things that there are to be grateful for in life, by filling our homes with color!
Lets embrace the unexpected new ways of learning in a way that enriches our souls.
While we may still be adjusting to the new systems that we find ourselves navigating, there's no reason we can't have fun while we do that in the most efficient way possible.
Bringing bold colors and basic shapes into our interior environments just might be the basic building blocks we need to move forward into this new system of education we find ourselves in, and may even enhance our learning curve in a positive way.
