What markets or design centers do you attend regularly?
I go to the Boston Design Center and the D&D Building in New York City. I have never gone to High Point, as I am usually looking for specific items for a specific client. We go together to shop.
Do you have a favorite source for your rugs?
I have three places I particularly like: Steven King Decorative Carpets at the Design Center, K. Powers & Company in Needham, and Patina Designs. Steven King has a wide variety of beautiful carpets. Some are just gorgeous, like Tufenkian. They also have broadloom, so going there can be one-stop shopping. They also have a wonderful salesperson whom I enjoy working with and who is very helpful. K. Powers is more local but often has some unusual, lovely carpets. Pauleen Curtis of patina-designs.com creates some amazing carpets for my clients. She often goes with me to the client’s home and sketches something right there. She is so creative. But there are lots of wonderful merchants in Boston. These are only a few of the great choices.
Do you have a favorite style or fiber of rug?
Most of my clients want wool and very often vegetable dyes. I don’t buy many wool and silk rugs. Many of my clients have small children, so they want the rug to be cleaned easily. The price is a consideration also.
Are there any design rules you like to follow or perhaps to break?
I think of the rug as a centerpiece, and it can anchor the room, as a work of art can do. I often like to start with the rug but cannot always do that. No, there are no particular rules that I try to follow or to break. The rug color influences the room color. After all a good Oriental carpet can be the most expensive item in the room my client buys. You can change paint or fabric easily, but not necessarily the carpet.
Do you shop online or use catalogs?
I hardly ever use catalogs, although I do like to see them, especially designs not represented in Boston. Occasionally I will purchase something from Company C online, or possibly buy something from Garnett Hill, but generally I do not.
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