Get Grounded

It is amazing how much the floor and the lighting does to a space. The large vintage rug calms and grounds our winter bedroom that would feel much too light and sterile without it.

My home went through a major renovation some ten, fifteen years ago and, let’s face it, times were different then. All over the Nordic, people painted their homes in light colors, and that’s just lovely, I still adore a light home.

It is time to make some changes, however, add fresh coats of paint and tweak the color scheme into something just a little bit warmer. While waiting, I change my place mainly with light, textiles, plants and overall care.

Large handmade rugs are a thing in my home. No matter how subtle they might be design wise, I think people sense the time and skill that went into the making. They are not the cheapest of rugs and I think they should not be either – it might take months or a full year to finish a hand-knotted piece. (Think about what you make in a year and do the math.)

By common definition antique rugs are more than a hundred years old and vintage rugs are more than twenty years old. Both words are used quite liberally these days, so I think it is always good to ask where, when and by whom a piece was produced.

This beauty comes from Turkey and I found it in Mattocenter, Helsinki. It is an old rug that has been redone by shaving the pile off. A relatively small procedure makes all the difference because once the pile is cut short, the offwhite cotton foundation is exposed, which gives the rug a faded, melange look.