Kyrgyzstan Rug - Reweaving Magic/Securing

A wife came in a few weeks ago distraught because her new dog chewed on a very special rug of her husbands, leaving in tattered in many places. Take a look below:

After calming the wife down we stepped her through what options were available. The best way to bring this rug back to its original shape was to do reweaving on all the spots that had been eaten away; and this is exactly what she opted for. We let our one of our master weavers start on the job and in just a couple weeks we had results that would totally astonish the owner. Take a look at the results below:

As you can see all the bitten off pieces have been rewoven beautifully and the ends were secured to make the foundation even stronger. Our customer was absolutely thrilled; we later found out that the husband had exactly the same sentiments. If you have a rug that has been tattered/torn bring it in to Rug Ideas so we can help you with options to bring back its vibrancy and life!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Sheepskin Repair

During this spring it seems like pets have run a muck with their owner's rugs. Todays post involves a black sheepskin rug that was chewed up by a Labrador puppy. Take a look below:

The owner of the rug was quite upset when he brought in the rug, as it wasn't his dog that did the damage... it was his boss'! We quickly put his anger/distress to rest, letting him know our master weaver could restore the rug back to its original condition. The repair took about half a week and came out great. Take a look at the pics below:

There is no way to tell a dog had chewed through the sheepskin and its now ready again for use at the owners home. If you have a sheepskin that needs repair or cleaning, bring it in to us at Rug Ideas where we can help you with all of your rug needs!

 Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Varamin Rug History/Culture

Tehran became the capital city of Persia in 1795 by Agha Mohammad Khan who was a monarch of the Qajar dynasty. Tribal khans and chieftains from allover Iran, in search of closer relations with the Shah and his court (which meant more power and wealth), moved to the new capital from their ancestral lands, accompanied by their followers. With the arrival of each new group of immigrants, others from their wider tribal affiliates followed.

Although, the rapidly expanding metropolis was able to accommodate the new comers, it was far from suitable for their traditional pastoral lifestyle, their herds and tents.The nearby Varamin plain, some forty kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Tehran, easily answered this need. Until recently, Varamin preserved its separate rural identity, with many villages, tribal tents and numerous flocks of sheep and herds of camels.

In Varamin, the immigrants regrouped in their new homeland in tribal and ethnic concentrations. Thus we find Kurds and Lors in the north, Arabs in the south and Turks everywhere but the majority in the east. In the past 100-150 years, people of Varamin favored making gelims (flat weaves with no pile) over piled rugs. In recent years, however, the situation is reversed so that today, rug weaving has replaced gelim weaving as a typical Varamin textile. In preparing the above mentioned text, we have used the following: Tanavoli, Parviz 

Rustic & Tribal Weaves from Varamin Yassavoli Publications, Tehran 2001

Relying on the rich weaving culture of the region, we have been using some old designs with new color palettes and new European and American standard sizes to produce Persian Varamin Collection. All the rugs in this unique collection, are made from the best hand-spun wool and vegetal dye available through our world wide known master dyer. Three major designs are: camel foot design, pond (hozy) design, and panel Shah Abbasi design. 

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Sarouk Rug Cleaning - WOW!

A family came in with a few rugs recently; one of them was a Persian Sarouk Rug that had MANY stains. Take a look at some pics below:

The Sarouk was a mess, littered with stains. The customers opted for a deep cleaning which we started soon afterwards. Our facility handles all types of rugs and we knew just how to tackle this stain problem for the Sarouk. Take a look at the results below:

The stains have all been eliminated and the rug looks outstanding! The owners could not believe we were able to get all the different stains out and gave us a testimonial shortly afterwards. We were extremely happy with the results and we now have our customers confidence for any more rugs of their's that need cleaning or repair. All there is to say is, "WOW!"

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Qashqai Rugs

Weavers of highly desired Persian tribal rugs, the Qashqai people possess a history and culture rich in both struggle and inspiration. It is the combination of these two elements which give their rugs their unusual sense of spontaneity and aliveness.

Since the Qashqai people for many generations inhabited Central Asia and the Caucasus before travelling to southern Persia, their weavings are enhanced by influences from all three regions. Similar to the rugs of the Turkmen people in Central Asia, Qashqai weaving has a boldness and directness, particularly in their dominant triangular central medallion. Through their sojourn in mountainous Azerbaijan, the Qashqai acquired the Caucasian weavers’ love of striking colors and daring combinations of tones. Finally, in their present location they have been inspired by the artistry of Persian city weaving, as well as by that of other nearby tribes. In short, Qashqai weaving synthesizes instinctive creativity with refinement, depth of color with richness of symbolism.

A weaver will work on their own rug for a period of time, move over to the loom of her neighbor, and then to that of yet another friend, before returning to her own weaving. At the same time, another group of women scour the nearby countryside, gathering mountain herbs, barks, and berries to boil in their collective dyebath. This continual interchange of creative energy, along with the deep spirit of interconnectedness of a people engaging together in simple physical activity, undoubtedly is a key element in Qashqai weaving.

A large part of the Qashqai carpets’ tremendous appeal in the West is the weavers’ refusal to sacrifice quality for the sake of expediency. As late as the 1940s, when the weavings of most others tribal groups had bowed to the influence of commercialism which called for more coarsely woven pieces employing the much easier-to-use chemical dyes, there was almost exclusive use of natural vegetable dyestuffs and more traditional weaving techniques among the Qashqai. This attention to detail, in which each step of the weaving process was performed to perfection, is clearly seen in the tribe’s flatwoven kilims and various woven bags, both of which have received attention and admiration equal to their pile rugs. For a tribe which is on the move between summer and winter pastures at least four months a year, conveniently carried kilims and durable storage bags are of central value. For a people who view their daily life as sacred, everything used in their day-to-day activity deserves to express its maker’s highest aspirations.

The Qashqai carpet continues to hold a special place in the world of oriental rugs, as it expresses a superlative level of both craftsmanship and creative inspiration. And it is no wonder, when two elements remain central in Qashqai culture – “il rah,” the tribal road, and their joyous weaving. As the Qashqai say – “Where I am is my carpet. Where my carpet and I am is my home.”

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Come See Our Rug Selection For Sale!

At Rug ideas we have a large inventory of rugs ranging from simple machine made area rugs to antique 100 year old Persian and Oriental rugs. Whatever your taste, we are sure to have a rug to fit your needs. Take a look at 2 Gabbeh rugs that a customer recently purchased:

These Gabbeh rugs are made by ladies of the Qashqai tribe in southwest Iran with hand spun wool and natural dye. The designs are simple like kids' paintings which gives some a certain peace of mind. They are nature friendly(sometimes called "green rugs") and bring a touch of style when decorating any room in the household. While they are tribal art they look very contemporary and modern. 

We sold these 2 pieces to a client in Colorado and will ship them shortly. Both rugs are from our own looms imported prior to the embargo which went into effect on September 29, 2010. Whether you are looking for a handmade Gabbeh rug like the ones above or any other kind, come see our wide selection for sale at our Los Angeles Showroom. You'll be glad you did!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085

Love for an Area Rug

Last week a unique area rug came in for a deep cleaning. The customer bought this rug while living on the east coast and has had it for about 10 years. Take a look at some of the before pics:

The rug had multiple stains that marred the surface. The owner thought that the stains probably would not come out and was doing the cleaning mainly because it hadn't been cleaned in about 5 years and needed to be sanitized and deodorized. Boy did they have a surprise coming. Take a look at the after pics below:

The deep cleaning did the job and now the carpet looks brand new. The owner was so happy they have decided to bring in some of their Persian rugs to get the same great Rug Ideas treatment. Bring in your area rugs for cleaning to the place where they get all the LOVE they need... Rug Ideas!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085

Tabriz Rug Restoration

Today's blog focus' mainly on pics to describe the before and after. As they say, "a picture says a thousand words". Take a look at some before pics of this Tabriz rug:

As you can see both the ends and the sides of the rug had started falling apart, taking away the sturdiness of the rug that those 4 sides once gave. The rug owner chose to have the rug deep cleaned first before we started the repairs, so along with the repairs shown in the next few pics you can also notice the color vibrancy has returned. Take a look:

The ends have been secured and look fantastic, the sides were completely redone by hand and the cleaning gives it that like new glow. If your rug is showing signs of distress bring it in to Rug Ideas so we can step you through the options to bring back the vibrancy and life to whatever rug you may have!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085

No Rug Left Behind

No matter what your rug needs are we here at Rug Ideas want to help you find a solution to your problem, whether it be via cleaning, repair or restoration. While we are confident and comfortable dealing with 100 year old antique Persian rugs we also love helping customers with their flokati, shag, kilim, tapestry & machine made/area rugs that need attention as well. Take a look below at some of our services:

Cleaning is usually the first step to help bringing our customers rugs back to life. As third generation rug experts and enthusiasts we know rugs; this is our secret of how we can do professional and expert Oriental carpet, Persian rug, area rug, kilim, and tapestry cleaning. We treat each rug individually and pre-test all your rugs for wear, tear and also bleeding or any other possible damage which may occur to your rugs. We care for Rugs and kilims as these are not mere floor coverings. Each piece is pure art, history and love.

Pet Urine Stains:

We receive many rugs everyday with cat or dog urine stains on them. Don't get mad at your pets, we will take care of the urine stain removal. Give the job to the experts who know rugs and their construction, dyes and the safe chemicals and non-toxic solutions to use. We have this luxury because we are the third generation in the rug business and we have been dealing with rugs since 1953. Let us employ more than five decades of experience to provide you with excellent results.

Perhaps you need a rug appraisal. You might need one if:

1- You have inherited an Oriental, Persian or area rug and would like to know its value.

2- You want to know the value of your rug for trusts or estates.

3- You would like the value of your rug for insurance purposes.

4- You want to buy a rug and would like to know if its price is fair or not.

5- You want to sell you rug but do not know how much it is worth in today's market.

6- You want to give you rug to someone you love and want to know the value of your rug.

Rug Pads:

Use our top of the line rug pads and underlays for protection of your Oriental, Persian and area rugs and your floor. We recommend these rug pads to our customers to help keep their rugs secure in their place and prevent wrinkling of the rugs. They give you the right type of cushioning and great comfort that you will love the feeling of walking on your rugs.

Water Damage Restoration:

When water damage happens, Oriental and area rugs absorb a large amount of water. In this case high amounts of bacteria will reside inside the pile and construction of the rug. First we extract all the excess water form the rug. This is a very important step as it prevents mold from growing Then we wash the rug with water and soap to get the dirt out of the pile and construction. We let the rug dry in the sun. After this step, we start removing the bleedings and the color run stains with very light and non-toxic chemicals. If needed we restore the colors so your beautiful rug looks nice and wonderful again.

Leather Strip installation: Some of our customers come in with the problem of curling of the sides on their rug. Changing humidity or temperature, as well as storing a rug rolled up, can cause the edges of a rug to curl. Sometimes wefts may shrink and cause the curling on the edges. Using a rug pad help prevent the edges from curling but if it has already occurred we at Rug Ideas have a solution. Leather strip installation is a great way to remedy these problems.

Spill Protector/Moth Proofing:

Two spray services we offer to our customers are Spill Protector and Moth Proofing. We have tested our latest and most advanced products and we are now ready to share it with our customers. 

With our Spill Protector service you can enjoy your rug with peace of mind knowing that your rug is protected against any liquid spills. The Spill Protector is an odorless, non toxic spray that will give you just enough time to run into the kitchen and grab a towel to remove the liquid from the surface of your rugs if a spill happens to occur.

Moth Proofing is a great service for those who have had moth problems in the past. This spray is also non toxic and is a light coating that acts as a bitterant to the moths; it gives the wool a bad taste to moths, preventing them from propagating on wool that has been sprayed.

Spot Dyeing:

Your rug is too bright and gets dirty too soon and too often, or you do not like the color of your rug; we have a solution. We can dye it and make it look darker without loosing the design. You do not have to change your rug or through it away. We have the artists to do this kind of masking with color fast non-toxic dye stuff. Just bring us the rug, or e-mail us the photo of the rug. We will get back to you with our suggestions and free estimate on the cost of this custom-made job. We will lift up the spirit of your rug.

No matter what type of rug/carpet you have, we at Rug Ideas can help you with our great selection of services to get your rug back into shape, looking great and ready for years of more use. Give us a call or stop by our showroom so we can give our half century's worth of experience to you and your rugs; we want no rug left behind!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085