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A traditional carpet can fit within a modern setting, as illustrated here where it adds colour and warmth to an open-concept layout.

How to use traditional Oriental rugs in today's spaces.

No matter the colour, or pattern, origin or age, a quality Oriental rug is always in style. They are great at hiding dirt and stains, they last forever, and can work with just about any décor style.

However, with the trend toward neutral colour and style palettes incorporating an Oriental carpet requires some dexterity with pattern.

"Always start with the rug," says designer Jennifer Reid of Barlow Reid Design Inc. "It's one of the most expensive items you'll purchase for the room, and likely the piece you will hold on to the longest. Once you love the rug, then everything else falls into place easily."

The rug provides the colour palette, so the rest should be relatively easy, she says. "Starting with a fabric or a piece of art, then trying to fill the room around it is more difficult and then you will end up with a carpet that's maybe not your first choice."

Ms. Reid says when she takes her clients in to the Imperial Carpet showroom, which has "literally thousands of rugs, they really only end up loving one or two, so it's important to nail down that piece first."

It's possible to incorporate what you already have, especially if you're willing to paint a room again, and reupholster furniture, Ms. Reid adds. "Some of the newer more abstract and colourful rugs don't fit into every space, so you need to be open to starting with one of those."

She has a client who selected an abstract cream, yellow and pink oriental carpet with a custom border in pink for her home in Lawrence Park. "It's stunning, slightly vintage, worn looking, and we put it with a muted grey sofa, bergere chairs painted bright yellow and upholstered in a gorgeous embroidered yellow, pink and grey floral. We live in a grey climate for so much of the year, we really need some colour in our homes."

Room size has an impact as well. Imperial Carpet & Home owners John and Helen Kozoronis, who've been in business more than four decades, say there's much less demand for small carpets.

People are buying large rural or suburban estate homes or spacious loft-type condos and want carpets to pull their rooms together. They're also looking for a modern colour palette to go with their contemporary furnishings.

The Kozoronises design their own rugs, staying with a traditional design more relevant to the Canadian and American markets. Even their traditional designs are often toned down, with some distressed or stone-washed, while others in pale neutral colours have raised portions to add depth and texture.

The rugs are made of either New Zealand or Himalayan wool, often mixed with new silk, but one new collection is made from bamboo fibres, yet feels like wool.

Tapis Rugs and Carpet is another Toronto retailer that carries Persian hand-knotted carpets, as well as traditional, tribal and antique rugs, and modern Gabbeh and Tibetan carpets.

You don't have to toss away the more traditional Orientals. Designer Jenn Hannotte often works with what her clients have and that frequently includes an Oriental carpet. "It can work," she says, "but it's a real balancing act, and necessitates keeping everything around it cooler in tone. When the space is modern and minimal, you can pull off a heavier rug."

  Photo suppled by Jenn Hannotte

While the terms ‘Oriental’ and ‘Persian’ are used interchangeably to describe the hand-knotted rugs, Oriental rugs are hand-knotted in Asia. Iran, China, India, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, Tibet and Nepal. Persian rugs are Oriental rugs hand-knotted in Iran (formerly known as Persia).
Source: www.arearugfacts.com
QUICK TIPS FOR MATCHING
ORIENTAL WITH MODERN
» Keep patterns in the same colour family. If the carpet is predominantly blue, layer more blues of varying intensity.

Water it down with neutrals. White walls and white furniture do a lot to subdue the effects of highly detailed carpets. You can go with a brighter, more vivid colour scheme, as long as you keep it monochromatic. Walls, sofas, chairs, drapes and pillows should be in a similar colouration as the rug.

» Traditional carpets are classic, so keep your furnishings similarly classic. (Even if they’re modern, they can be classic).

» If you have only small rugs and don’t have the budget to splurge on a single large one, layer the smaller ones for a tapestry effect.

» If you’re buying a new Oriental carpet, make sure you do so on approval, so you can bring it back if it doesn’t work in your room. Most carpet showrooms encourage you to bring in photos and fabric swatches. They also have designers on hand to help.

» Today, the look is worn in. If your Oriental is much more vivid, it is possible to have a chemical wash done to make your rug more variegated. But only let an expert handle this.

This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.

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