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And Now a Rug Related Tutorial

06/22/2012

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We certainly have been talking about rugs a lot this week!  I know they've been on my mind a lot lately. I have been ignoring/fixating on a problem in our living room for over a month.  Every time I'd enter the room I would cringe and think, "If only I were more like my Mom".  Because my Mom made sure this never happened in my childhood home.   Red kool-aid was outlawed, banished to the yard; along with play-doh and silly putty.  
I had tried all my usual tricks on this beast of a stain and as a last ditch effort I scheduled an appointment with a green carpet cleaner.  They came and cleaned my rug, and it looked pretty good, except for the red kool-aid stain that remained.  I had all but resigned myself to the fact that our nicest accessory was marred.  Well, my friend Mindy told me not to give up hope.  She sent me a link to an article about how to remove kool-aid from white carpet, and this morning I woke up determined to give it a go.  In typical Andrea fashion it had to be done right then.  So I just used what I had on hand.  
  1. Blue Windex, even an off brand.  I assumed that because the rug was slightly blue itself this wouldn't be a problem.  If I had this to do over again I would use a mixture of water and ammonia in place of the windex.
  2. The only white towel we have in the house.  I pretty sure it will have to be cut up and used as rags from now on.
  3. An iron; filled with water, on steam setting, and set to the cotton/linen selection.  
I started with the least conspicuous spot, and got more aggressive as my confidence in the process grew!  I sprayed the spot with the windex and immediately put a single layer of the towel on top and set the iron on top of that.  I waited three minutes and lifted up the iron to see that pink from the stain had transferred to the towel.  Not only had pink transferred, but so had some brown dye from the rug.  I immediately pulled up the towel and looked at the rug. At this point I judged that I couldn't tell that any of the original colors of the rug had lightened, so I kept going.  In the picture below you can see pink, blue, and brown colors having transferred to the rug.  Pink=kool-aid; Blue=windex; Brown=original rug color. 
Tips to consider:  
  1. Be as precise as possible with the windex, I tried really hard to keep it to the stained area. 
  2. Check to make sure your iron is not too hot while it sits on the stain for those three minutes, I would hate for you to burn your rug!
  3. I cleared the area of people while I did this project.  I didn't want my kids to burn themselves on the iron, but I also didn't want anyone breathing the fumes of the heated windex.  I did try to go green :)
  4. Soak the stain with the solution.  The iron should make that sizzling sound.  
  5. I had to repeat this process at least three times per spot.  But check out my results!
Beautiful as ever!  

                                                                                                                     -Andrea

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Painted Rug Round Up

10/31/2011

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When I first noticed the trend of painted rugs I had my doubts.  But I've become converted.  Today I want to show you some of my favorite tutorials for DIY painted rugs, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be a believer to.  This trend really lends itself to the DIYer, inexpensive and readily available rugs + inexpensive and powerful paint = a big hit!   Click on the pictures and you'll be taken to the tutorials.  

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This rug was painted on top of a foam puzzle mats
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Decorative border using a stencil
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Handmade Stencil - oh chevron how we all love you
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Fantastic Stripe
I love this idea for a rug that's been stained - a little paint and that stain is a mere memory.  And what about those foam puzzle mats that your children no longer play with - that could be a great bath mat!   I also love this idea for a rug under a kitchen table - if you sealed your rug with some polyurethane I bet that would add a significant level of stain repellent power.  Another great thing about this trend is that it comes with such a small price tag so you could make seasonal changes, wouldn't a painted kitchen mat make a great neighbor gift for the holidays?  I'm certain my kids could make a great mat for their grandmas.  There are loads of possibilities!  
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Rug Basics

10/19/2011

5 Comments

 
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Madeline Weinrib
Growing up my parents had a long standing joke to torment us kids; "We're going rug shopping!".  Truth be told, my Mom and Dad have a thing for rugs.  They were always on the hunt for the perfect rug for very specific spots.  Over the years they've collected some beauties, my current favorite is their broadloom in their basement; it's a fantastic plaid that really warms up their space and draws your eye all around the room.  Rugs can do that.  They can make spaces feel expansive and inviting; or they can make that same space seem awkward and misshaped.  I'm going to give you a few tips to make your next rug purchase a great one.

1. Bigger is usually better.  If you've dealing with a small space, then a rug that fills nearly all the available space will make the area feel larger.
2. At least the front two legs of any pieces of a grouping of furniture need to be on the rug, this helps anchor the space and will encourage conversation and use.  
3. A rug should lie about 1/3 the way under your furniture. 
4. I do not have a rug under my dining room table, you don't have to either.  I'm not sure I ever will have a rug under my table, but now is definitely not the time as it would be the worlds most effective dirt and food catcher.  We haven't had a meal without a major spill in about 6 years, I'm not counting on that changing anytime soon.  
5. If you do have a rug under your table I would make sure it is a rug with a very tight weave as to make crumbs sit on top of the rug instead of becoming embedded.
6. It is my personal opinion that ideally a rug under a dining table should be large enough that when a dining chair is pulled out to sit on it is resting all the way on the rug, as to not teeter-totter between the rug and the floor.  

Some of my favorite online sources for rugs are:

eSale Rugs
overstock
abchome
madeline weinrib
angela adams
RUGSUSA

Some of these websites are more expensive than others, but there is a good range of price points within this list.  The rug below is from IKEA and is only $350 for an 8x11.   I've seen this rug used in really expensive rooms and really inexpensive rooms.  The reason people love it so is because it adds a sense of motion and drama in a room.  The stripes could help balance out a room that is too long and narrow, or it could draw you into an open concept living room.  Maybe it could work in your home! 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 -Andrea
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