Tania Johnson: Nature Inspired Rug Design

Meet Tania Johnson, founder of Tania Johnson Design. She specializes in custom made, contemporary, hand knotted rugs, based on a rich heritage as a textile designer for such brands as Martha Stewart, Chilewich, Vera Wang, and Calvin Klein Home. In fact, as a designer for Calvin Klein Home, she created the brand’s first rug collection in 2002.

Tania's publicist, Dania Ahmad, shared with me news about Tania's latest collection which is "inspired by the natural world, the way light creates shadows and reflections, the microscopic details found in nature and the infinite textures created through layering."  You can imagine how intrigued I was.

As Dania explained, "Johnson creates ethereal designs and translates them into intricately woven rugs. The collectable pieces feature original, cutting-edge designs, and are hand knotted by artisans in Nepal using lustrous combinations of silk, wool and pashmina."

Can you imagine walking up such deliciousness?  I can.

Tania Johnson is New York based albeit British born designer who graduated from London’s Royal College of Art with a Master of Arts in woven textiles. According to Dania, Tania Johnson "takes a hands-on approach to her business which is reflected in her commitment to promoting fair labor standards in the carpet industry. She works with GoodWeave, a certification program which aims to eliminate child labor and to improve working conditions for adults; any carpet with the GoodWeave label means that the rug was made only by adult artisans. In addition, the certification program helps fund educational opportunities for children as well as support and resources for families and weaving communities in South Asia."

My recent email exchanges with Dania focused on Tania Johnson's recent rug introductions, consisting of "four stunning hand  knotted rug designs ... The  earthy but contemporary patterns are inspired by intricate  details  of  nature - among them delicate plays of  light,  shadows and  reflection.  Johnson portrays these elements  through  meticulous  color  choices, very high knot counts, and combinations of silk and wool that create nuanced textures and sheens.... As with the other designs in the collection each of these  rugs - Reflected  Trees,  Textured  Daisy,  Branches, Drops of Light - is a bespoke collector's piece that pushes the boundaries of creative and technical possibilities."

Per the press release: “As an avid world traveler and photographer I have found my rug designs to serve as the perfect canvas for capturing memories from my travels. The inspiration for the patterns often comes from the subtlest details of my own photographs - rain falling on tree branches, or a close-up of a Nepalese Buddhist shrine. The colors and materials allow me to translate these small frozen moments into usable pieces of art,” said Johnson.

Furthermore, "as with the other designs in the collection each of these rugs - Reflected Trees, Textured Daisy, Branches, Drops of Light - is a bespoke collector’s piece that pushes the boundaries of creative and technical possibilities. The designs benefit from Johnson’s penchant for very low pile heights. This detail offers an added layer of luxury and a supple and sumptuous surface quality that is equally pleasing to the eye and to the touch. The entire Tania Johnson Design collection is ideal for a wide range of residential and hospitality settings – from a living room or foyer to a hotel lobby."

Go ahead, feast your eyes!

Reflected Trees – An image of trees reflected in a lake. As the sun moves across a lake, an image fleetingly appears only to be replaced moments later by a new pattern. The use of warm colors and blending of different shades with varying percentages of wool and silk in a single knot recreates the beautiful interplay of light and movement in the original photograph. Boasting a burnt orange ground, Reflected Trees is made from wool and silk. 100 knots per inch, 4mm pile.

Textured Daisy - A daisy’s shadow falls on a stony path, creating a softly blurred flower pattern on a textured ground. Subtle shades of color are finely knotted in wool to create the blurred edges while an uneven silk grid is layered on top to add movement and sheen. Textured Daisy is made from wool and silk, 200 knots per inch, 3mm pile.

Drops of Light - Light is captured as it falls in drops. Through the use of high knot count and tonal shades, the delicate nuances of light are recreated within the lemon colored wool ground, while the drops shine in silk. Drops of Light is made from wool and silk. 200 knots per inch, 3mm pile

Branches - Tree branches in the rain are viewed through a gauzy mesh. Made from pure silk, the rug gradually shifts and transforms from an intricate design to a sheen of olive green tones as one moves around it. Branches is made from 100% silk. 200 knots per inch, 4mm pile.

If you'd like to order a Tania Johnson rug, you'll be interested to know that the standard sizes for Tania Johnson Design rugs are 5'x8', 6'x9', 9'x12' and 10'x14'. At the same time, everything in the line is made to order and completely customizable - which means that you will have a field day!

You can also learn more about Tania Johnson design and her inspiration via her blog.

For many of you, I expect that you're looking to create a consistent or integrated feel in your home. And, if you're looking to meld the soft rug interpretations that Tania Johnson has created with hard surface concepts, I suggest you visit the Avente TileTalk Blog and specifically New Leaf Imprint Tiles for Spring which - in my mind - would coordinate beautifully together.

What's your take? Do you enjoy nature inspired designs in rugs as well as tile?

Special thanks to Tania Johnson and Dania Ahmad.

Rug Rag For Area Rug & Carpet Style Inspiration

Area rugs and carpet represent the ultimate flooring design statement. For that reason, I share with you an interview with David Dilmaghani, co-founder of RugRag.com, which specializes in traditional and decorative rugs and carpets, and an article he wrote for The Carpetology Blog about rug and carpet style inspiration.

C.B.: Dave, tell me about Rug Rag. How did the company get started?

DD:  My brother Matthew and I co-founded the website RugRag.com in 2007. Rug Rag is a resource for those interested in learning about Oriental rugs, antique rugs, and area rugs. As the tech man for Rug Rag, Matthew has brought many of our interactive consumer widgets to life. With my specialty in hand knotted rugs, I author the vast majority of information in our Rug archive and on-site tools, and serve as a rug consultant for our readers and their questions on a daily basis.

One of the first tools we created was the Rug Estimator Pro: an interactive sampler tool to help consumers understand some determining factors which go into the assessment of new and used hand knotted carpets. Estimates rendered from this tool are actually derived from several thousand individually assessed and valued carpets from around the world, many of them from notable auctions and inventories of nationally recognized rug importers.

C.B.: How did you become interested in rugs?

DD:  My brother and I come from a long line of history in Persian rugs, so it was natural for me to learn about them at a very young age. Many memories of our younger years consist of being surrounded by carpets at our father's rug showroom in New York. However, it was not until I reached my late teens that a true appreciation for this artisan craft quickly turned into a hobby, and then passion.

C.B.: So your passion for rugs, a marvelously tactile and visual product, led you to the online world. How did that happen?

DD: In the late 90s, I truly pursued my interests in rugs and started researching the subject. As with any research project, there's a very steep learning curve at the beginning. With rugs, the mystique of a fine rug often either intrigues an individual to know more or overwhelms them to the point of confusion. Additionally, a great deal of misinformation on rugs remains rampant online. In many instances, less reputable sellers continue to exploit first time buyer misconceptions with "sale" prices.

We saw a need for a reliable resource for rug information and launched Rug Rag.  It's a destination for consumers to learn with us or, using easy-to-use tools and resources we've made available on our website, they can learn on their own. One example of this is our Oriental rug forum, which continues to be an excellent resource and unadulterated center for interacting with specialists in the field of Oriental rugs.

I spend much of my time attending rug auctions - this picture of me was taken at a recent Sotheby's auction - browsing carpets online and consulting with consumers about their carpets.

C.B.: Absolutely fascinating!

And now, here is the article that David Dilmaghani from RugRag.com shares with us about area rug and carpet style inspiration.

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There is little question that many years ago your interior designer would say timeless designs and classic motifs of reds and blues were the bread and butter of their business. Now, the new wave of area rugs is of an entirely different breed.

Contextually, area rugs are among the easiest and most versatile decorative items within a space. By mere definition, area rugs are movable. By exploiting this inherent characteristic comes clear benefit of freedom. Without question, it is an exciting time to be a consumer in this market as the carpets now available are clearly
aligned with this spirit of decorative freedom.

Centuries ago, it was not uncommon to find what we now call area rugs to be throws and cover-alls above the floor. Carefully draped atop tables and chair-backs of the elite and well-to-do, Post 18th century, area rugs (traditionally hand-knotted rugs) were introduced back onto floors. Not only was this an aesthetic movement, but also in part, to serve their intended utility. Although rugs have been made for many, many centuries with varying techniques, weaving styles and textures, specifically now what is being presented to the market are extraordinarily progressive, and perhaps exponentially more integrative area rugs. Revivals, new weaving styles, materials, motifs, and even artist statements are bringing this somewhat traditional market to an entirely new era of floor covering. With the onslaught of the internet, almost any permutation of an area rug floor covering can spread like wildfire.

As an ode to classic and traditional and classic designs (and a bit of shabby chic) with a twist of color come worn semi-antique Turkish carpets. Exhibiting wear pattern and strong overtones of post-production coloring, Color reform, as ABC calls their line of transformed art, makes new headway by rejuvenating otherwise deemed retired carpets.

Reinventing relics with brilliant, upbeat colors for a dazzled effect is what these whimsical carpets are all about. What a statement in how simple and effective use of color can bring entirely new emphasis on decorative value. Plus, they can be green. Literally and figuratively.

Old design adapted and reintroduced into the marketplace is not limited to Color Reform carpets. Patchwork rugs, perhaps many years ago seen as the “seersucker” of area rugs, are exploding within the marketplace – so much so they’re being woven in one piece as opposed to being sewn together. These sometimes mismatched and haphazard integration of snippet designs completely transcends traditionalism in many ways.

With few exceptions, hand knotted rugs have largely been unbranded for the past century. Samad, a renown importer of fine hand knotted carpets, literally brings art back to the floor with a new twist.

Examples such as the Rex Ray collection provides duality - the prestige of a Samad rug with additional decorative appeal from the work of San Francisco based graphic designer, Rex Ray. Beautifully rendered and expressive designs adapted within the age-old technique of a hand knotted, piled carpet.

Traditional Flokati shag, not entirely dissimilar to the thick piled carpets of the 60s and 70s, seemed to have risen back into the marketplace as a high contender in the 90s and early 2000s. However, it seems many forgot how frightening these types can potentially be to keep clean, let alone vacuuming. Newer developments include a thick pelted felt pile with fat, nubby pile. This translates into an entirely different visual effect, but more so, a completely new consumer experience AND sensation while walking on these unique area rugs.

Timeless and classic motifs of yesteryear continue to have heavy momentum within the new market of area rugs. Although the new market in area rugs is constantly evolving, often incorporating bits and pieces of the old (literally). In a highly interactive world, with constant changes and developments continuing to propel the area rug market forward there is no question that rugs are the best investment of choice: Adaptable decorative items within interior design in many cases, providing a tangible experience in home decor harnessing your
room, whether on the wall, table, or of course the floors.

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Thank you, David, for sharing this marvelous area rug and carpet style inspiration! Rugs truly are the ultimate in design statements and these examples you've shared with us are marvelous!

I'd love to hear reactions to these area rug styles. Which is your favorite? How do you see using such design statements in your home?


You can reach David Dilmaghani on www.RugRag.com, on Facebook or via email at info@rugrag.com.

Karastan Carpet Valentines

"Wool-d You Be My Valentine?" That's the question my friend, Josh Schoenfelder, asked in an email as he shared with me marvelous Valentines from Karastan Carpet.

Josh works for Veeder + Perman which represents Karastan Carpet & Rugs [and Coverings where I offer educational seminars]. He and I have exchanged tweets and emails for over a year - about carpet, Coverings and Tweetups.  One of these days I will make the trek from my office in New Jersey to his in New York City to meet him in person.

Meanwhile, Josh, in honor of Valentine's Day, shared with me these carpet-inspired Karastan-A-Grams that you, too, can share with those who care as much about carpet as you do. He writes:

Hi Christine-

I wanted to send some Karastan-A-Grams your way.

This year, Karastan was “feeling the love” and created the catchy and cute Valentine’s cards using the beautiful designs of Karastan rugs as the artwork. They're also part of a Facebook contest, where consumers can fill out and upload on Karastan's Facebook wall:  www.facebook.com/KarastanCarpetsandRugs.

Thought this might make for a fun blog post? If not, "wool-d" you still be my Valentine? Ha!

Best,
Josh

The last time I wrote a post in honor of Valentine's Day, I focused on the color red. [You might enjoy the post. It's titled Red Around the World.] As much as I enjoyed learning about the different meanings of the color red, I love the idea of Valentines based on carpet and rug artwork.

In addition to the Valentine above, Karastan created four more as you can see below:

So, which is your favorite Karastan Carpet Valentine? Go visit the Karastan Facebook Page and spread the carpet love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Want Carpet? Pick a Number!

From what I've observed, flooring - and carpet - tends not to get the attention and credit it deserves for completing a room design. The floor matters aesthetically and practically. It also creates opportunity for conversation (i.e., human warmth) and I love encountering carpet examples that help make that point. In this case, it's via numbers. Hence the title to this post: Want Carpet? Pick a Number!

More specifically, numbers as in this carpet labeled "The Mathematical Carpet" which I learned about via The Mathematical Carpet in The New York Times.

This "Mathematical Carpet" features - what else but... numbers. The end result is a numbers-based, Abstract-Expressionist inspired carpet designed by Hokanson's Carpet [Note: website relentlessly plays Sinatra's "Do it my way"] in Houston, TX.

Each rug is custom made which -to me- means that you can pick and choose which numbers best suit your fancy.

I particularly love the range of colors and the lack of bland beige-ness.

Imagine the conversations you might have as a result of a number-inspired carpet: the state of the economy, how successful you were in closing your last deal, reviewing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with your children, the order of numbers, probability, proportions in recipes, ... The possibilities are endless!

Wouldn't an alphabet version be fun, too? With a mixture of script and print and a range of handwriting styles. I'd identify it as "The Handwriting Carpet".

What's your reaction? What carpet designs have you come across that lead to interesting conversations? Any that are number-based?

Around the World With Carpet.... At Airports

Bethany Richmond from the Carpet and Rug Institute Blog just published "The Colorful World of Airport Carpet: George Pendle's Carpet For Airports Site". It's a delicious romp around the world with carpet at airports all from the comfort of your computer!

I was so excited about her find that I had to share it with you here.

First, it literally shows you carpet around the world from a multitude of airports.

Next, Carpets For Airports' author - George Pendle - has a delicious sense of humor that will have you in stitches.

Finally, I'm a big believer in carpet in airports - to absorb sound, add warmth and generally create a more welcoming environment there as well as in other public environments. These two posts - Pounding Las Vegas Pavements and A Foot's Perspective - Episode 4 - offer perspective on why.

Check out Bethany's post and visit Carpets For Airports. Will you? Then, let me know which is your favorite carpeted airport!

I can't wait to hear back from you.

Carpet Design Inspiration: Meagan Webb, tx:style Winner

Mannington Commercial has just announced the 2011 tx:style Design Challenge.This is the third year of the competition and the resulting carpet design inspiration is truly electrifying.

I first wrote about tx:style Design Challenge in Mannington Commercial Carpet Design Competition - tx:style in December 2008. I was thrilled to hear back from Carly Rullman from Scout Brand - who coordinates tx:style - about the 2011 tx:style Design Challenge and asked her for perspective on the competition and on carpet design inspiration resulting from the program. Carly graciously put together the following interview with 2009 tx:style Design Challenge winner, Meagan Webb on her Squareberry Collection.

[Note: here are details for participating in the 2011 tx:style Design Challenge.]

From Carpet Concept to Installation: An Interview with 2009 tx:style Design Challenge Winner, Meagan Webb

By Carly J. Rullman

In the Nashville VA Hospital, there lies an area with brand new carpet flooring- a design called Canopy. Inspired by the finite details of nature, Canopy is part of the Squareberry Collection which healthcare designer, Meagan Webb, entered into the 2009 tx:style Design Challenge. Meagan Webb also won the first tx:style Design Challenge.

Now in its third year, the tx:style Design Challenge gives designers a platform to showcase their talents and a shot at having their design turned into a complete product line by Mannington Commercial. Meagan tells us about her experience in going from carpet concept to installation.

What prompted you to enter the tx:style Design Challenge?
I heard about the tx: style Design Challenge at a very sensitive time. The healthcare design firm for which I was employed experienced large layoffs due to the economic challenges that many architecture firms have experienced. I was affected by the layoff; therefore, a former coworker called to check on me and mentioned the contest. She encouraged me to enter, but the catch was—it ended that week! I decided to go for it and got to work immediately.

What inspired the Squareberry design?
I am amazed by the beauty of God’s creation when hiking. The finite detail that was put into creation astounded me. I noticed that not one leaf was identical to the next. As I pondered, I contrasted the way God designed the world with the way man interprets creation. Man sees everything on a grid. Everything has a size, shape and increment.

Squareberry contrasts the organic shapes of creation with the rigid grid that we design and see through our own eyes. This creates a delicate juxtaposition of geometry and organic forms.

Did you have any particular installations in mind when you were designing Squareberry? 
Naturally, I thought of healthcare installations; however, I think the carpet design would work well for hospitality or retail applications, as well.

What 3 words would you use to describe Squareberry?
Organic, geometric, layered.

How was your NeoCon experience? [Note: finalists of the tx:style Design Challenge are awarded a trip to NeoCon World’s Trade Fair in Chicago.]
My 2009 NeoCon experience was indescribable. It was amazing to network with other designers from around the country and share the Squareberry design story. It was intriguing to learn about the other designers’ inspiration stories. Hearing those stories made me realize one can truly find inspiration anywhere. I really enjoyed getting to share this experience with the other extremely talented finalists. It was an opportunity of a lifetime that I will never forget and hope that many other designers get to experience it as well.

What have been the biggest challenges you've faced as a young designer?
The biggest challenge I have faced as a young designer is beginning and continuing my career in the current economic times. I have been forced to be creative and diversify myself as much as possible. While looking for a job, I did residential and commercial freelance work, including landscape design, graphic design and interior design, as well as renovating historic homes in Nashville. This was my opportunity to try new ventures and discover what aspects of design I was passionate about.

What are your goals for Squareberry?
I would love to see the entire Squareberry carpet collection installed in a healthcare facility lobby. I would relish the opportunity to continue designing carpet in the future and hope to build upon this experience. I really enjoyed the detail of pattern making and the process from concept to installation. It opened my eyes to the opportunities in carpet and textile design.

What are your goals as a designer?
I plan to continue my career as a healthcare designer working at the Nashville VA Medical Center serving our veterans. I find healthcare design a rewarding field by knowing I am creating a healing environment for those who are suffering. To keep my creativity fueled, I will purse my personal venture of renovating historic homes and businesses in east Nashville.

Where can someone find an installation of Squareberry?
I recently had the opportunity to install Canopy, a Squareberry carpet coordinate, in the Nashville VA Hospital Medical Services department. This was such a rewarding experience that brought the design to life.

What makes up the Squareberry line exactly?
Squareberry- Juxtaposes organic forms and rigid grid lines.
Canopy-Takes a closer look at the tree. Admiring the vast depth of the tree canopy. The deeper you look the more layers you see.
Bark- Inspired by the texture of bark, a grid like texture that repeats.

Thanks, Meagan!

The Squareberry carpet collection is offered by Mannington Commercial. Meagan Webb currently works as a Healthcare Designer at Nashville VA Hospital and continues to do home and business renovations in east Nashville.

This year’s tx:style Design Challenge launched Dec. 6th, 2010 and goes until Feb. 16, 2011. The contest is open to all practicing designers and architects of varying experiences. To enter your winning design, go to www.manningtontxstyle.com.

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Thank you, Carly and Meagan, and all the best to the Mannington Commercial 2011 tx:style Design Challenge participants!

Photo Credit: 
Photo courtesy of Mannington Commercial.

Carpet Style Trends & Ideas: George Clarke

Did you participate in the 10/15/10 live web chat with UK designer George Clarke?  If not, you can still enjoy the replay and glean carpet style trends, colors and ideas from the lively exchanges that took place. Here is a link to the housetohome webchat with George Clarke.

I thought I would recap for you George's comments relating to carpet since they are so relevant to the Carpetology Blog and bring to life some great carpet style trends and ideas.

By the way, George has carpet in his home. During the webchat he explained that he has carpet in his bedrooms and is about to install 1000 sq. feet of carpet in his newly designed basement because he wants that space to be "sofy, cosy and quiet..."

My friends at Funonthefloor.com invited me to ask the first question. What an honor!

Housetohome:
Let’s kick off with a question from Christine B Whittemore of Carpetology - "My readers are very interested in carpet style trends. What's the best way to incorporate the latest carpet patterns and styles in home design?"

George's response:
Bold colours or simple stripes are a really good way to incorporate the latest trends... this Season's 'Ballet Russe' is a perfect example of a latest trend - get the look with a rich red or plum carpet in a velvet pile - these are perfect and luxurious for bedrooms. There are loads of ideas and more information on this at www.funonthefloor.com.

[Thank you, George, and FunontheFloor!]

George Clarke offered advice on making a "teeny little flat in London" look bigger:  first have a big clear out and declutter, use minimal finishes and over elaborate on furnishings and decoration, integrate storage as much as possible rather than having free standing furniture, use a light coloured carpet on the floor or other light finishes...and paint all of the walls a light bright colour...a matt trade white is my favourite...keep everything minimal and simple. G

On making a space look less gloomy and more cheerful: get as much natural light in there as possible. My house is north facing and I have lots of skylights to get stronger light into all of the rooms. A few bright and bold colours on the wall or on the floor by using bright, colourful carpet can also add colour and vibrancy to a room....light and colour!!!!!! G

On carpet for absorbing sound and as alternative to wood flooing:  I'm a big fan of thick comfortable carpet. Timber flooring has been trendy for years but can often be cold in a room and for flats like yours its impractical. Go soft, cosy and luxurious...visit www.funonthefloor.com...G

[NB: Carpet is also a "brilliant insulator!!!!!!" says George.] 

On which colors are popular trends for carpet:  Abby...no way!...people are far more adventurous now and are avoiding the usual beige. The research and trends today show that people are looking to personalise their style and want to bring more character into their homes...the days of boring bland and neutral are gone! visit www.funonthefloor.com to see the trends for this year...you'll be impressed! G [CB: Hurray! George says it's ok to banish the beige!]

On carpet and kids:  everyone thinks carpet is completely impractical with kids...this aint true...they are much easier to clean and maintain than they used to be so don't compromise on comfort over practicality. There are ways of keeping your carpet in great nick. G

On the best carpet style for high traffic areas - asked by Blue Ant Studio blog:  A carpet labelled ‘Heavy Domestic’ will be good for high traffic areas. Berber carpets, also known as looped pile, are very durable and practical. A cut pile or twist is good for any room in the home.

Your carpet retailer should be able to help you choose one...and visit www.funonthefloor.com for even more inspiration and technical advice. G

[Note for North American readers: 'heavy domestic' is a carpet performance rating in the UK.]

Read through the web chat replay for some of the other tips, trends and ideas that George Clarke shared. As you can tell from these few responses the energy and enthusiasm were high - on George's part and from those participating and asking questions. Don't you think?

For additional resources about carpet trends and design ideas, check out:
www.FunontheFloor.com
George Clarke's Fun on the Floor design blog

And, from HousetoHome, short videos with George Clarke on
+ How to make your home more eco-friendly
+ How to add value to your home
And, finally George Clarke's website!

Las Vegas Style Inspiration: Bathroom Blogfest 2010

Back in February 2010 - seems like ages ago - Surfaces organized an insider's tour in Las Vegas of the Encore, hipper, younger sister to the Wynn, led by the Encore design team. The experience - because it captured intense Las Vegas style inspiration - was unforgettable. Luckily, I had my camera handy and kept it busy thereby allowing me to share with you several bathrooms.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that opulence is a dominant theme throughout the Wynn and Encore in terms of unique materials and themes and fascinating juxtapositions of products.

We started out at the Wynn Las Vegas.  This first bathroom is located in the shopper section - definitely not your average shopping mall public restroom! Notice the beautiful materials and the combinations of colors, shapes and textures. I love the contrast between the bold floor pattern and the more soothing solids of the other surfaces.

Restrooms in the Wynn shopping mall

As you transition from the Wynn to the Encore you notice butterflies. The effect is subtle because the color scheme works together. The Encore theme is the butterfly which symbolizes metamorphosis; it's considered good luck across all cultures.  I took many photos of all of the instances of butterflies: in store windows, on the walls, in sconces.

Carpet transitioning from the Wynn to Encore

This bold butterfly carpet pattern was repeated in tile patterns. Truly marvelous!

Moving on to another bathroom.

We visited the XS Club, inspired by the human body, and were told that this was a place that got pretty wild at night.  Luckily, we were there early in the day and had it all to ourselves.  Check out the women's room....

The Women's Room: What's That in the Mirror?

Understated, utilitarian flash

Functional with glitz

Consider yourself warned!

As you exited the bar to make your way to the foyer, these marvelous torsos lined the wall.

Reminds me of Rodin's Gates of Hell

Love this: Coat Check

[Funny how many casino nightclubs seem inspired by the human body.  Definitely read  Inside Jersey's Best of NJ: The best public bathrooms by Greg Saitz' description of the Caesar's Atlantic City Hotel and Casino bathroom.]

This image I took along our walk. I just had to include it. You are right in concluding that it has nothing to do with the club we just left. I consider it timelessly elegant, possibly even reminiscent of the 60s?.

Lucky Peacock: Gorgeous ostentation

Finally, this bathroom was in one of the special ritzy suites. I couldn't get over the soothing green color scheme and the rich, sparkly insets and details. Luckily, the mirror frames were simple shapes. Isn't that fabric scrumptious?

Pure Bathroom Elegance

Check out Becky Carroll's post Bathroom Blogfest: Stuck in the 60s? for other Las Vegas bathrooms.

What do you think? Are you inspired by Las Vegas Style Inspiration?

Happy Bathoom Blogfest 2010!

Surfaces and Bathroom Blogfest 2010

Surfaces, the annual exposition for the flooring industry, occurs once a year in Las Vegas. For Bathroom Blogfest 2010 - taking place this week - I thought I would share with you what I consider a clever way of showcasing flooring products.

[For more information about Bathroom Blogfest 2010, read the official release and consider visiting BathromBlogfest.com.]

Now, for the record, I don't have much related to carpet or rugs to share with you in this post.  However, Bethany Richmond has a really interesting blogpost about bathroom rugs and carpets you may find inspiring.

I think you'll also enjoy these design related Bathroom Blogfest posts:

• Jeanne Byington writes about Nostalgia and Bathrooms with tons of practical advice.
• Chris Moline shares interesting Bathroom ideas in "Stuck in the 60s?" inspired by Mad Men - this will be fun!
• Paul Anater's post about Bathrooms stuck in the 60s includes a rich selection of photos. His take: being stuck in the 60s may not be a bad thing!
• Renee LeCroy asks Are You Overdue for a Bathroom Redo?

Back to Surfaces...

These pictures below are ones I took on the last day of Surfaces having just finished using the women's bathroom on the ground level of the Sands Convention Center. I couldn't get over how cool the effect was.

The product manufacturer, Armstrong, had vinyl product samples displayed in the women's room.  I wish I had checked whether the men's room had also been decked out. Next time.  In any case, the product does a great job jazzing up, warming up and improving the acoustics of an otherwise uninspired and rather sterile space.

Sands Convention Center Women's Room

Look Down! Armstrong flooring sample

Look down again! Another Armstrong sample

Now, imagine Bethany's bathroom mats on there... Nice, don't you think?

Happy Bathroom Blogfest 2010!

BathroomBlogfest.com.
Like Bathroom Blogfest on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.

Be part of the fun!

This year's participants in Bathroom Blogfest 2010 include:

Blogger	Blog Name	Blog URL
Susan Abbott	Customer Experience Crossroads	Customer Experience Crossroads
Paul Anater	Kitchen and Residential Design	Kitchen and Residential Design
Shannon Bilby	Big Bob's Outlet	http://blog.bigbobsoutlet.com/
Shannon Bilby	Carpets N More Blog	http://blog.carpetsnmore.com/
Shannon Bilby	Dolphin Carpet Blog	http://blog.dolphincarpet.com/
Shannon Bilby	From The Floors Up	http://fromthefloorsup.com/
Shannon Bilby	My Big Bob's Blog	http://blog.mybigbobs.com/
Toby Bloomberg	Diva Marketing	http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/
Laurence Borel	Blog Till You Drop	http://www.laurenceborel.com/
Bill Buyok	Avente Tile Talk Blog	http://tiletalk.blogspot.com/
Jeanne Byington	The Importance of Earnest Service	http://blog.jmbyington.com/
Becky Carroll	Customers Rock!	http://customersrock.net/
Marianna Chapman	Results Revolution	http://www.resultsrevolution.com
Katie Clark	Practial Katie	http://practicalkatie.blogspot.com/
Nora DePalma	American Standard's Professor Toilet	http://www.professortoilet.com/
Nora DePalma	O'Reilly DePalma: The Blog	http://www.oreilly-depalma.com/blog/
Leigh Durst	LivePath Experience Architect Weblog	http://livepath.blogspot.com/
Valerie Fritz	The AwarepointBlog	http://www.awarepointblog.com/
Iris Garrott	Checking In and Checking Out	http://circulating.wordpress.com/
Tish Grier	The Constant Observer	http://spap-oop.blogspot.com
Renee LeCroy	Your Fifth Wall	http://yourfifthwall.com/
Joseph Michelli	Dr. Joseph Michelli's Blog	www.josephmichelli.com/blog
Veronika Miller	Modenus Blog	http://www.modenus.com/blog
Arpi Nalbandian	TILE Magazine Editor Blog	TILE Magazine Editor Blog
Maria Palma	People 2 People Service	http://www.people2peopleservice.com/
Reshma Bachwani Paritosh	The Qualitative Research Blog	The Qualitative Research Blog
David Polinchock	Polinchock's Ponderings	http://blog.polinchock.com/
Victoria Redshaw & Shelley Pond	Scarlet Opus Trends Blog	http://trendsblog.co.uk/
David Reich	My 2 Cents	http://reichcomm.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Sandy Renshaw	Around Des Moines	http://www.arounddesmoines.com/
Sandy Renshaw	Purple Wren	http://www.purplewren.com/
Bethany Richmond	Carpet and Rug Institute Blog	http://www.carpet-and-rug-institute-blog.com/
Bruce Sanders	RIMtailing Blog	http://rimtailing.blogspot.com/
Steve Tokar	Please Be Seated	http://stevetokar.wordpress.com/
Carolyn Townes	Becoming a Woman of Purpose	http://spiritwomen.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Weaver	Experienceology	http://experienceology.blogspot.com/
Christine B. Whittemore	Flooring The Consumer	http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com/
Christine B. Whittemore	Simple Marketing Blog	http://www.simplemarketingblog.com/
Christine & Ted Whittemore	Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog	http://smokerise-nj.blogspot.com/
Christine B. Whittemore	The Carpetology Blog	http://carpetology.blogspot.com/
Linda Wright	LindaLoo Build Business With Better Bathrooms	http://lindaloo.com/

Live UK Design Chat 10/15/10: George Clarke

Are you passionate about Home Design & Improvement [and how carpet fits into the overall picture]? If yes, you might be interested in a HousetoHome Live Web Chat taking place this Friday, October 15, 2010 with George Clark, UK architect, writer and lecturer, hugely successful property TV presenters on UK television and newest addition to Fun on the Floor's panel of experts.

Here are the details:

Location: Go to www.housetohome.co.uk

Time: 1 pm BST or 8 am EST

Be sure to register! Sign up below.




Here is some additional information on George Clarke from my friend Patrick Finn at FunontheFloor.com.

"Many of your UK readers will know George from The Home Show [launched in 2008] and Restoration Man [launched in 2009] programmes that he appears on at Channel 4. After three successful series of Build A New Life for Five from 2003 to 2006, George became the face of architecture at Channel 4.

George will be on hand via this Live Design Web Chat to answer questions on home renovation and design projects so I feel sure that this will be of interest to your audience. May I request that you let your readers know about this unique opportunity to quiz him about anything from carpet tips to basement conversions."

As I mention above, George recently joined the Fun on the Floor panel of carpet experts and now has a home design blog at Fun on the Floor where he adds more useful help and advice on all sorts of home improvement projects there.

Do register for Friday's event to participate in the Live UK Design Chat with George Clarke.  I bet you will be inspired!

By the way, you might also be interested in the HousetoHome Blogs.