Dabbieri Blog

{ Fresh Design Tip }

Switching over area rugs just prior to the start of springtime and autumn is a longstanding method off keeping your space fresh with a seasonal updates. For designers, it can be an easy, economical and beautiful way to change the mood of an interior while reflecting special attributes of the season.

With fall approaching, it's the perfect time to replace light and breezy summer colors with darker, heavier colors and fibers more suited for cooler weather months.

{ Why Natural/Green Design }

Today, I stumbled upon an interesting and well designed website, geofeat.com. It's home to a global directory of eco-friendly and organic products.

With the ever present issues of global warming, dependence on oil, and endangered resources - Dabbieri's only strengthened it's resolve to offering floor coverings, made of natural and sustainable fibers. Like Dabbieri, interior designers also play an important role in advocating eco-friendly design, by focusing on the use of natural, sustainable or renewable resources. Together, by selecting products that are stylish, yet environmentally friendly, we can employ green design principles to create fresh new styles, colors and textures.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, creators of the green design guidelines known as LEED, individuals spend between 80-90% of their time indoors with just a mere 10-20% spent outside. With a rise in airborne allergies and illnesses such as asthma, materials used to create a client’s interiors are as pivotal to the well-being of the inhabitants as they are to protecting the environment.

When it comes to floor coverings, the “green standard” includes products such as wool, hardwoods and new naturals like bamboo and cork. Not only are these products sustainable and renewable, some – like wool – have also been shown to positively impact humidity levels and indoor air quality. Sisal, jute and sea grass are also beautiful, natural green flooring choices. These continue to be popular in more temperate climates and for use in living spaces such as verandas, family rooms and cabanas. By employing green design, you can enjoy high quality, stylish interiors and feel good about protecting the environment and our natural resources.

{ 10 Tips For Buying Oriental Rugs }

I want to pass along a great website, landryandarcari.com, which lists Ten Tips for Buying an Oriental Rug.

I’ve listed the ten tips below, but the website goes into much more detail. Click to read more about these tips:

1. Know How Rugs Are Made
Oriental rugs are woven on a loom, with strands of wool or cotton called warps stretched from beam to beam (top to bottom)...
2. Learn the Lingo
Before you begin your search, it helps to know some terms identifying the parts of a rug so you can describe what you seek...
3. Shop ‘Til You Drop
Before you go shopping, measure your space and bring a diagram of the room with you...
4. Fall In Love
Don't buy a rug until you find one you love. Examine it carefully, keeping in mind that hand-made items inherently have inconsistencies...
5. Buy for Decorative Value
Buy a new rug because you love the way it looks. Its decorative appeal and usefulness will last for many years...
6. Antiques Are Investments
A substantial number of the Persian rugs currently in this country are antiques (over 70 years old)…
7. Healthy Wool Feels Good
Cool moist climates with good grazing help sheep to produce superior, long staple, lustrous wool. So it follows that New Zealand and Tibetan carpet wools are some of the best in the world…
8. Evaluate the Fineness and Density of the Knots
Knot density (for strength) and fineness (for clear design definition) are important indicators of quality for which some countries use different terms…
9. Try the Rug at Home First
The lighting and character of your room will affect the look of the rug…
10. Choose Your Rug Source Wisely
Choose a store that has been in business in your area for many years. Trustworthy, well-run businesses endure…

I hope you enjoy these great tips on buying Oriental rugs!

{ Receptionist / Sales Assistant Opening }

Contact: Richard Munden, President
Colin Campbell
494 Railway Street
Vancouver, BC
V6A 1B1, Canada
Ph: 604.734.2758
[email protected]
www.colin-campbell.ca

Colin Campbell is a high end carpet, rug and furniture showroom exclusive to the design and architect community in western Canada. The right candidate for this fast paced and progressive company will have good communication skills and a perfect written and verbal understanding of the English language. Must have experience in answering a 7 line telephone system as well as good computer skills. The right person should have an interest or understanding of the design community and be looking for a long term position. Intersted applicants who meet the above requirements should contact Richard Munden directly.

{ 2007 Color Trends }

A little birdie told us...

• All values of chocolate browns and brown in combination with soft blues, greens, reds, and blacks are popular.
• Blue is moving to the mid tones like Caribbean, periwinkle, denim and navy with more of a red cast then the green cast.
• Black and white is still a major statement, not in equal amounts. White is starting to move to off white and white with platinum is very high end.
• Purple in the shade of violet red is gaining momentum. (Watch for rose tones that will be more apparent in 2008.)
• Raspberry is the most important red pink tone.
• Grays keep growing in importance.
• New greens are more creamy and minty - on the dark side, greens are a dirty olive.
• Milk chocolate and gold are a popular combination.
• Red with golds are also still holding their own. (Gold in every value is strong.)
• Beiges are moving more towards taupe tones.
• Oranges from terra cotta to peach to cinnamon are still popular.
• Red and orange have moved toward each other, influencing each other.