Persian Rug, Persian Carpet Cleaning in Los Angeles

This rug from the famous Persian city of Kerman was brought into us by two young men who had it sitting under a pool table. Throughout the years, the dust and dirt along with many pet accidents accumulated well beyond our recommended cleaning point. Wool rugs are extremely absorbent and are excellent at hiding dirt. Take a look at the pile of dust we got out by one round of dusting. When you have this much dirt in the fiber of your rug, it acts like sandpaper, wearing out the pile every time you walk over it. Bring in your dusty rugs for a full professional deep cleaning today or schedule your pick up by calling us at 310-860-0460!

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

The 10 Commandments of Rug Care/Maintenance

What do you do with your valuables? You take care of them. Why not do the same thing to your Persian and Oriental rugs? They are expensive and can last for many years and maybe for generations. The more you take care of them, the better they look and the longer they last in your home.

Here at Rug Ideas we present you with some simple and general ideas for your rug protection, care and maintenance. For more precise and detailed instructions, please contact us or consult a professional.
1- Depending on the foot traffic, you should rotate your rug and turn it around maybe once a year for even and balanced wear.
2- Do not let your rug be exposed to direct sunlight. The colors will fade away through time. Use appropriate curtains and draperies
3- Vacuum your rug regularly. Do not wait until it gets dirty. Dust and soil would damage the fiber of your rug resulting in its shorter life. When you vacuum your rug, be careful with the fringe.
4- When something (liquid or …) is spilled or dropped on your rug, act quick before it sets in, absorbed or dried.  Scoop us the spill as much as you can and then use dry cloths, or paper towel to blotter and absorb the liquid as much as you can.
5- Do not try to remove the stains with unknown and un-tested chemicals bought from the stores. Stain removal is a little complicated and depends on the nature of the stains, construction and material of the rug, dye used in the rug and different other variables. This is not a do it yourself job.
6- If the stain is solid (chewing gum, wax and …) use a spoon to remove it and follow the step #4 above.
7- Do not ask wall-wall carpet cleaners to wash your rugs or remove stains from your hand knotted carpets. They do not know the construction of wool/silk rugs and may damage your rugs buy using harsh/strong chemicals.
8- We at Rug Ideas provide special expert rug cleaning with local free pick up and delivery. Contact us for free estimate and more details (tel. 310-860-0460).
9- If your Persian carpet or Oriental rug is damaged, have it fixed by us by expert repairer. It will extend the life of your lovely rug. The damage will progress if you do not take care of it in time.
10- Take different pictures of your rugs and place them where you can find them. Having other information such as size, the country of origin and … may help in the case of theft, fire or other unexpected events.

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

Interior Inspirations - Part 1

Beautiful carpets and rugs are perhaps the most esthetically pleasing, warming, and humanizing elements that can be added to an interior.  Though bold in color and positive in design, most rugs will fit into almost any interior, miraculously adding to its elegance and charm without competing for attention, but amiably blending in- although where a focus is required, a well placed and well chosen rug can command attention. Even the most distinctive carpets will adapt to different styles of homes, rooms and decorative purposes, such as wall hangings, throws, pillows and even upholstery.

For centuries, nomadic peoples have used their weavings to supply them with luxurious furnishings for their far from primitive lifestyles. Flat-weaves have been used as camel and pony trappings; carrying bags for bedding, clothes and food; floor coverings; divisions within the tent; seating and much more. In Western homes, too, they can be used in a great number of different ways.

Rugs are available in many different sizes, designs, colors, textures and weaving techniques; some are so sturdy and stiff that they just ask to be put on the floor, while others are so delicate that they can be hung as pictures on the wall. The colors of both hand-knotted and flat-woven carpets and rugs, although rich and vivid, are, in general, so subtle that they can be used in almost any interior. They will complement a home that already glows with color, while lifting a somewhat bland interior to something quite out of the ordinary.

Sourced from 'Carpet Style' by Barty Phillips

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

Rugs From Iran (Part II)

Because labor and production costs have risen rapidly in Iran and the amount of weaving has declined, rugs from that country may be more costly than those of comparable quality from other rug producing areas. The political situation has also contributed to making Iranian rugs more difficult to obtain.

In October, 1987, the United States imposed trade sanctions against Iran, making import of Persian rugs into  this country illegal. In March of 2000 the embargo was lifted, only to be reimposed by Obama in Sept 2010.   This makes the Persian rugs in circulation here in the States more valuable as we cannot import any into the country. Despite the many problems besetting the country, Persian rugs continue to be much sought after and  prized.

Come down to our showroom at Rug Ideas and we can show you our large selection of great rugs from Iran. From smaller 3 x 5 prayer rugs to large Palacial rugs, we have what you need when it comes to fine Persian rugs.

sourced from 'The Mystique of Oriental Rugs' by O.R.R.A

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

Rugs From Iran (Part I)

For many people, the terms "Oriental Rug" and "Persian Rug" are mistakenly synonymous. The Persian Empire was where rug making reached its zenith during the sixteenth century, and many of the traditional patterns and weaving techniques are still being practiced in Iran. In addition, there are other types of rug weaving in Iran which range with simple pieces produced by nomadic people to sophisticated rugs produced in workshops which have preserved the historic Persian art.

The Persian Empire once extended from China in the East to Hungary in the West. Today only the rugs woven in Iran are referred to as Persian. Iranian rugs are usually named after the town where they are produced, and a few examples are Kerman, Sarouk, Tabriz and Heriz. Each area has its traditional patterns and typical palette of colors. The design in Iranian rugs reflects the Persian passion for detail and displays an intricate interplay between geometric and floral patterns.

Come into Rug Ideas so we can show you our large selection of handmade rugs from Iran... great pieces of artwork that can used in your home.

sourced from 'The Mystique Of Oriental Rugs'

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

Pakistani Rugs

The surrounding countries around Pakistan have had a tremendous impact on Pakistan itself, and the result in the Pakistan rug industry has been a blend of Persian, Caucasian, Turkish and Turkoman designs. When Pakistan was separated from India after World War II, the weaving industry went into a decline. Recent government support has resulted in a thriving industry for the country and the Oriental Rugs being produced there are increasingly more diverse and higher in quality.

There are two major weaving areas in Pakistan. To the East around the city of Lahore, Persian designs are woven in traditional colors, along with the so called Pakistan Bokharas in traditional Turkoman designs. There is much experimentation with vegetable dyes and antique wash. To the north close to the Afghanistan border at Peshawar, are woven a variety of Persian, Afghan and Caucasian design carpets with a more primitive look, having soft vegetable dyes antique colors.

sourced from 'The Mystique of Oriental Rugs' by O.R.R.A

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

Tips On Buying An Oriental Rug

If you are a first time rug buyer, it is particularly important that you establish a good relationship with someone you can trust. This is the person who will help you choose a rug that is right for you, and you should feel comfortable with him and not hesitate to ask questions.

Before you go to look for that perfect rug for your room, it is important to do a little homework to aid in making the proper selection. Measure your room and major pieces of furniture. It may also be helpful to measure and note window and door placements. If you don not start with the rug, have on hand fabric, paint and wallpaper samples. Decide what you want the the final effect to be. Being prepared will save you time and insure better results.

And when you have all of the above information covered, stop into Rug Ideas where we can further help you with your rug buying process. We have an extensive selection of Oriental and Persian rugs in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Let our 60 years of experience help find that perfect piece for your home. Rug is our passion and we are more than happy to help you with all of your rug queries!

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

Decorating with Oriental Rugs

Open virtually any magazine on decorating and you will find Oriental Rugs used as an integral part of the decor. They blend wonderfully with contemporary, formal, ornate, casual and traditional decorating styles. Oriental Rugs are as adaptable to the casual living styles of today as to a formal board room.

The warmth and beauty of Oriental Rugs bring interest and luxury into almost every room in the house. Their amazingly resilient and durable qualities make them perfectly suited for heavily traveled areas as well as seldom-used parlors. Wall-to-wall carpet is no reason to hesitate in purchasing an Oriental Rug. Properly placed on top of existing carpet, an Oriental Rug brings a new dimension to a room, and has the added benefit of being easily transported if you move.

Oriental Rugs do not necessarily have to be regulated to the floor. Flatweave rugs such as Dhurries and Kilims make attractive wall hangings. Fragile antique rugs that are too worn for floor use and fine silk rugs are equally attractive when hung on the wall. Before you set out to buy an Oriental Rug, measure the space you would like to cover. Then think about what colors in your room would be enhanced by the rug and whether you are looking for a complex design or something relatively simple. The dealer can help you determine which patterns are most likely to fit in with your current decor or serve as a basis for a room's decorating scheme.

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

Persian & Oriental Rugs

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think quality rugs and carpets? Persian rugs, naturally. Carpets held significant meaning to the Persians as long as 2500 years ago. The rugs and carpets were so important to the culture that they were commonly incorporated into the literature of the time. Persian artistic influence reached its apex in the 14th to 16th centuries with its carpets, rugs and tapestries (kilims). It began exporting these quality items in the 16th century. Because of the popularity of these products, America and other countries started Iranian factories in the 19th century to keep the art form and productivity alive.

Carpets and rugs are still some of the most valued possessions of Iranians even today. The design of each carpet and rug is unique, and can be individually linked to a specific area, town or tribe. There are some Iranians whose entire fortunes are tied up in these pieces of art.

Oriental rugs and carpeting are an art form of such intricate detail that the words “Oriental rugs” have become nearly synonymous with any kind of carpeting with a pattern design. However, most of these rugs are not really Oriental rugs at all. The genuine articles come from Iran but countries such as China , India , Afghanistan , Turkey and other surrounding nations also make rugs many of which use Persian rug designs. Genuine Oriental rugs and carpets are woven or tied in rows using knots called Persian or Senneh knots.

We know whether the products are made of wool, real or artificial silk. We know the tricks of unscrupulous manufacturers who make cheap imitations. We watch for and produce, and import only the finest products available. Many families teach their members to weave and carry on the fine traditions of oriental carpet weaving. By importing these handmade family products we believe that we are helping the weavers to make rugs while their children attend school.

We have all types of Persian, Oriental and area (machine made) rugs in different color combinations, designs and sizes. We are second generation in rug business since 1953. You can benefit from our decades of experience. We are either board member or member of many professional societies and rug is our passion. You will appreciate our eye for authenticity. The stunning esthetic beauty of our rugs and carpets will capture your imagination.

The tradition of fine Persian and Oriental workmanship and art continues today at our store in Los Angeles . For unsurpassed quality in Persian and Oriental carpets and rugs, visit us at our store in Irvine . You will find no finer merchandise anywhere in southern California . We are also conveniently located within easy travel distance of Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Santa Barbara, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, San Diego, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Lake Forest, Tustin, Santa Ana and others. Trust us—it will be worth the drive.


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

Ten Commandments of Rug Care & Maintenance

What do you do with your valuables? You take care of them. Why not do the same thing to your Persian and Oriental rugs? They are expensive and can last for many years and maybe for generations. The more you take care of them, the better they look and the longer they last in your home.

Here at Rug Ideas we present you with some simple and general ideas for your rug protection, care and maintenance. For more precise and detailed instructions, please contact us or consult a professional.
1- Depending on the foot traffic, you should rotate your rug and turn it around maybe once a year for even and balanced wear.
2- Do not let your rug be exposed to direct sunlight. The colors will fade away through time. Use appropriate curtains and draperies
3- Vacuum your rug regularly. Do not wait until it gets dirty. Dust and soil would damage the fiber of your rug resulting in its shorter life. When you vacuum your rug, be careful with the fringe.
4- When something (liquid or …) is spilled or dropped on your rug, act quick before it sets in, absorbed or dried.  Scoop us the spill as much as you can and then use dry cloths, or paper towel to blotter and absorb the liquid as much as you can.
5- Do not try to remove the stains with unknown and un-tested chemicals bought from the stores. Stain removal is a little complicated and depends on the nature of the stains, construction and material of the rug, dye used in the rug and different other variables. This is not a do it yourself job.
6- If the stain is solid (chewing gum, wax and …) use a spoon to remove it and follow the step #4 above.
7- Do not ask wall-wall carpet cleaners to wash your rugs or remove stains from your hand knotted carpets. They do not know the construction of wool/silk rugs and may damage your rugs buy using harsh/strong chemicals.
8- We at Rug Ideas provide special expert rug cleaning with local free pick up and delivery. Contact us for free estimate and more details (tel. 310-860-0460).
9- If your Persian carpet or Oriental rug is damaged, have it fixed by us by expert repairer. It will extend the life of your lovely rug. The damage will progress if you do not take care of it in time.
10- Take different pictures of your rugs and place them where you can find them. Having other information such as size, the country of origin and … may help in the case of theft, fire or other unexpected events.

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

Rug Cleaning Los Angeles: Expenditure or Investment

Some times we receive or pick up very dirty rugs for professional cleaning. I do not know and do not ask why the customer has not cleaned this rug for many years. Some of them maybe busy. Some maybe concerned with the cost.

When it comes to carpet and rug cleaning, we should have two concerns. First and the foremost is our health (myself, my family, and my pets). We breath what we walk on. Second, the life of our rug. By cleaning our rug, we will extend its life. It is not spending on cleaning. It is investing in our health and in our Persian, Oriental or area rugs.

Here I post few photos of a rug we picked up yesterday for cleaning.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com
310-770-9085

"Zari" Persian Silk and Gold Fabric

" ZARI " ( golden ), is an attributive adjective, which is referred to ZAR (gold). It means made of gold. Therefore, ZARI is a type of brocaded fabric with gold weft".

About 1000 B.C. Zari fabrics were woven in the from of two-weft textiles in East of Iran. In SASANID era (early 7th century), Iranians could weave the fabric with high durability and strength by the carefulness in the twisting the silken yarns.

This brocaded textile is the name of a traditional fabric that all its wefts are silver or gold and their warps
are made of silk. Nowadays a large number of these fabrics belonging to the SASANID era ( last dynasty of native rulers to reign in Persia before the Arab conquest in 640 A. C.) exist in royal treasure in Tehran or in famous churches in the Europe and Japan's museums. It is obvious that the king of SASANID donated these precious pieces to the imperial western court. The designs of SASANID era are usually a combination of hunting ground and birds. In regard with the remaining fabric from this age, we can say that the combination of these fabrics reached the ultimate point of artistic creativity, harmony, design and color.

The texture of ZARI was welcomed into the age of Safavid Dynasty (late 15th century). Provinces such as Kashan, Yazd, and Isfahan became major centers for creation of this art. The culmination of this art is seenduring Safavi era in Iran. The motifs and designs of fabrics, like the design of rugs, were drawn before hand. The difference is that the motifs are repeated throughout the fabrics.

This art flourished in the contemporary era. In the year 1929, with the attempt of Master "Hosein Taherzadeh Behzad Tabrizi", the first workshop of ZARI with attendance of "Habiballah Tarighi" began to work in Tehran. This workshop has continued it's work, and a few remaining artists, produce the unique brocades in
limited quantity but high quality.

Here, I am posting few pictures of the complex wooden Zari looms which are set up in a workshop in Tehran by the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization. I have also included few photos of Zari fabrics.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com
310-770-9085