Do you have a favorite source for rugs? 
I have 40 years in the design industry. Stark Carpet is a company I highly respect. They have a good team and help me to save time and energy. Their service can’t be beat. They stand behind their product, which is so important, they work hard and have great stock. Their prices are competitive, not cheap, but certainly well priced for the quality of the product. In my opinion, the soul of the room is in the rugs.
Do you have a favorite style of rug?
The wishes of the client is very important. A handsome wooden floor with a rug is a classic and helps make the room breathe, without an echo. I like to put seagrass or sisal as the bottom layer, then an Oriental on top of that. This is one of my favorite 
looks. I think it must be my Southern upbringing; I grew up in Charleston, SC, where mixing the old with the new happens all the time. Sometimes carpets are badly worn, almost threadbare, but beautiful. I love wide plank floors, which have been around a long time. Without a rug, however, the room becomes an echo chamber. The room seems so cold, so modern. A beautiful carpet makes the room livable. I like to tie the rooms together with rugs. This helps to make it “sizzle.” I was able to do this in a recent project, The Maryland State Senate Caucus Room.
What about color?
I love a beautiful warm color. I am willing to appreciate the present, when I advise clients. However I want a good, soft carpet that enhances the room. The rug can and perhaps should be considered “fine art on the floor.” It is a great investment and can be a great joy to behold. A fine Oriental rug is often passed down from generation to generation. I am happy to see that soft Oriental colors are making a comeback—with their balanced scale and proportion. I just finished a restoration of a large estate, Harleigh, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, with a very long hallway that wound around and went up and down. By bringing the color and patterns together with bright red rugs (see photo), I was able to “make it sing.”
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Photos courtesy of: Erik Kvalsvik
