Laurel's Design Blog

  In continuation of my last blog about the Interior Designer and a request for a custom canvas rug design to coordinate with turtle pillow shams, samples of the hand painted turtle shell were presented in three different shades and a sample of the herringbone stamp. 

 I was asked to combine the two designs, using the darker shade of the turtle shell as a border measuring 8” and using the herringbone design in the center.

 This is to be a five foot by eight foot canvas rug, so 8” will be in good proportion for a border. I decided to divide these two designs with a solid border of ½” with dark brown. It’s such a delicious rich brown, the name, Turkish coffee, even sounds delicious!

 Now, you will see something very different from any other canvas rug I have made before and that is the addition of the cloth border. This particular designer has asked for this and we already made one custom rug for them with this detail. I have mixed feelings about it. The heavy canvas is folded over the edge and sewn giving the border three thicknesses of material. It is then hand tinted to match the rug. This border will not be as easy to clean as the varnished canvas, nor will it last as long.

 Canvas rugs with three coats of polyurethane have a very long life and I believe will outlast the canvas border. However, the look is very rich and elegant, and the heavy canvas will withstand much wear and tear.

 The combined designs have been put together and photos sent. As mentioned, I used a rich dark brown for the canvas border and was then asked if it could be in black. I then tinted the canvas black and am waiting for my client’s approval.

 As my art progresses I have come to a decision to categorize the designs. Stamps and stencils have one price and now the hand painted orchids, plants and animals have a different price. Hand painted designs, obviously, take much longer than those which are stamped. On this project I’ll be using a combination so I had to figure out the area used for each. Also the canvas border is charged by the linear foot as it goes around the edge.

 It’s a step-by-step learning process for me as I expand not only my business making custom canvas rugs but my abilities as an artist as well!

 I’ll be reporting on the finished canvas rug and the installation along with photos of this custom order.

 

 

The other day I got a call from one of my Interior Designers and he had presented the idea of a canvas rug to one of his clients and they said yes, let’s do it.

Canvas rugs, or floor cloths, are not well known in Costa Rica, but we are working on changing that!

 The first step is to create a design that will work with the existing decor. The designer sent me two photos of pillow shams from the room where the rug will be placed. One had a turtle and the other a herringbone design; the request was to use earthy tones, browns and beiges.

 With each purchase of new paint color we employ, it gets added to our paint sampler so we can readily see the results.  This also allows us to work with combinations of colors. We also use painted canvas strips for the border to see how colors combine.

 From the turtle sham, a tortoise shell pattern in three different shades of browns and beige was painted onto a sample size piece of canvas.  Then, a stamp made for the herringbone design, dipped in a lighter brown color, onto another. The natural grainy effect of the stamp is an attractive contrast with the painted tortoise shell design. 

 To provide the client a visual view of their options, photographs will be taken of the design sampler with various colored canvas strip combinations for the border.  This allows the client to see the colors and design, however, the proportion changes once we start on the actual rug. A rug this size, 5’ x 8’, needs a larger print or it will look too busy.

 This is the beginning of the design process. The interior designer will let me know if the tones are a good match and whether or not this particular design works for his client’s decor.

 Everyone has their own ideas and visions. The challenge is to help express it for them. Often the designs become a part of my inventory. The last collaboration with this interior designer was the basket weave canvas rug which has become one of my most popular sellers.

 I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this project with photos. Once the design is approved by the client, the canvas material will be cut and sewn. We have to expand the work table for this size of canvas rug; it takes up the workshop but it will be a fun challenge and the best part is to see it installed and complete the decorator’s vision!

 

People often ask me, in regards to canvas rugs, "Are they slippery?" The answer: no! The surface of a canvas rug has texture due to the grain of the heavy canvas fabric. And we use a little trick of the trade: putty.

Canvas rugs are best secured when affixed to the floor. We use double sided tape or putty. This keeps the rugs from slipping and the edges from curling; they do not need to be moved to clean. Just sweep or mop!

A canvas runner for your stairway adds distinct interior décor style and actually provides a safety measure against slipping. One client had us create and install a custom canvas runner to protect her newly varnished wood staircase from her dog's nails. We used paint from the walls in the design for the staircase rug which created a dramatic effect.

Another option to a runner is individual mats on each step. These are individual rugs providing a visual separation of each step; and just like a single staircase runner, can keep you, or your dog, from slipping!

Staircase Runner: Make it a Work of Art

Imagine a waterfall going down a flight of stairs, or a flower for each step, or a train of leaves or ferns. Once you start thinking of ART on the floor then you can let your imagination soar. Creating a visual invitation going up a flight of stairs upon a canvas rug and pulling all the aspects of the rest of the room, such as the style of the handrail, or the trim on the ceiling,  can make a staircase a simple yet effective part of you décor.

Give your steps definition. Keep from sliding; save yourself and your steps. Match the steps of the stairs with rugs in your hallway or your living room rug. Be safe! Be pretty! Be creative!