Leap into spring with brilliant rugs

I just love brilliant rugs …

Spring is the time of new growth; the shackles of winter are cast off and we dare to hope for a warm, sunny summer. It is also the time of year that we look around our homes and think of recreating some of the rooms, updating the décor and making changes.

Rugs are a great way of adding or changing a room; with the right colour, the right patterns and the right size rug, a room can be transformed from dull and tired, to vibrant and new. ;  Updating décor is not always about changing the wall paper or spending hundreds of pounds. Simply changing the lamp shades, adding new cushions and a well-placed rug is all that it takes.

Rugs and flooring are not immune to the changes of season or new trends and fashion, so what does Spring 2014 hold in store for rugs?

Colour

The trend that moves and changes, but always in a cyclical fashion, is colour and so what colours are interior designers looking to this spring for walls, furnishings and rugs?

·         Warm greys – with undertones of yellow and red, greys can be much warmer in a home, especially when partnered with beige, magnolia or other neutral coloured walls. Giving an impressions of sheer elegance and a timeless classic, rugs with varying shades of grey, or adding a block colour to a room are becoming popular.

·         Gold and brass – silver, aluminium and other similar materials and colours have held court for a long time in the world of interior design. But gold and brass in particular, are starting to make a tentative come back as both a favoured material and colour. Brass is the choice of accessories, whilst gold in the colour to grace walls and furnishings. To be on trend this spring, why not look for rugs that combine these rich colours?

·         Pastels – but not quite as you think! We do not often think of pastels as being a bright colour palette, more subdued and gentle but, spring 2014 is ushering in brighter pastels, especially when paired with traditionally styled furniture. If you have a leaning for the traditional classic interior design, update it to the modern day with bright pastel rugs – block colours or patterned; the choice is yours.

Colours are on thing that change but accessories and other trends come and go too. Patterns of course, always come and go and this spring, it seems that the influence of the far-fling places in patterns is making a comeback. Smaller patterns, busy with intertwining leaves and even fish, are becoming popular especially when the rug complements the room.

Predicted to be popular in spring 2014 are:

·         Taxidermy – not necessarily the heirlooms from the hunting lodges, but papier mache models, taxidermy is the must have accessory in homes across the country. Blend this with traditional or contemporary décor for a quirky addition, rugs can also make taxidermy stand out or give a funky nod to modern tastes.

·         Wallpaper – the accent wall is back! But this time, not with block colour but with vibrant wallpaper. Rugs, working with and complementing the accent wall will bring the two features together, creating a link between the two and making the room feel cohesive, rather than stark. 

·         Upcycling – still on trend for spring 2014 is upcycling but this time with an emphasis on old style school furniture. Obtaining and updating these key pieces work well in most rooms, and with a gorgeous rug to pull the look together, there is now doubt that this will be a popular look.

·         Painted furniture – no longer will second hand piece of furniture loiter forlorn and unloved in second hand shops; snapped up by interior designers and modern homeowners, they will be sanded and painted. Initially, reclaimed furniture was given a new lease of life with bright white paint but now the colour trend is shifting to dazzling pinks, turquoise blue and other dazzling array of hot, vibrant colours. Again, rugs can be used to either blend with the furniture or add another key colour to the over scheme of a room. Block coloured rugs, in differing shades of the same colour, are a popular choice with this scheme.

Rug material

But, before you all rush out and buy second hand furniture, sanding it down to create a hot pink writing desk, spare a thought for the material of the rug you are buying. If your budget can withstand it, organic, natural materials are making a comeback, although this in itself is a slight anomaly as they never went away…

Choosing natural materials is becoming a popular choice, not from ‘saving the world’ aspect but simply because as an investment of your money they give you best return, over the longer term. One material fast becoming a popular option and worth a mention as a possible trend for spring 2014 is the use of wool and silk interwoven using time-honoured methods.

Technology, of course, has given us to great synthetic alternatives so if silk and wool is outside of the budget, there are some great designs and materials to choose from.

And finally…

The colourful front door is making a comeback in spring 2014. Imagine your bright red door opening onto your hallway, with a delightfully patterned rug leading the eye through the hallway… Chris from The Rug Retailer has provided advice into ways you can leap into spring with brilliant rugs.

 

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