Happy New Year From Rug Ideas!

We at Rug Ideas would like to wish everyone a happy and safe New Years celebration! We have made many new friends this year and plan to make even more for 2013, which is coincidentally our 60th anniversary under our parent company, Sobco International. We strive to always bring you the best customer service as well as the expert repairs/cleaning/appraisals that we are known for.

We want to remind everyone that we are running great sales during the month of January, so stop by our showroom so we can help you find the perfect rug for your home or office. We have an extensive selection of beautiful handmade rugs and runners, as well as stock some machine made pieces as well for people on a budget. 

And if you have a rug that is in need of repair, Rug Ideas is your answer as we have a team of master weavers who handle specific types of rugs which they have expertise in, so you know your repair will come out fantastic. We can take care of securing ends, replacing the selvages(sides), reweaving, as well as custom jobs including new canvas backings(for tufted rugs), leather strips to prevent curling and downsizing of rugs.

And if you have had any holiday parties where your rug/s have been dirtied/soiled, bring them in or call us right away so we can help you with cleaning and stain removal to get them back into shape. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year and a festive Holiday Season...from Rug Ideas!

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

The Americas - Navajo Rugs

Navajo Rugs have a tremendous visual impact, which reflects the strength of Navajo culture and their tradition as a people. Weaving designs evolved from simple beginnings in the 18th century, and became more elaborate in response to changing demands during the second half of the 19th century. Today, they have returned to a newfound simplicity. The method of weaving has remained virtually unchanged, and is basically the tapestry- or flat weave technique used in Middle Eastern kilims.

The Spanish introduced sheep into Old Navajo Land near New Mexico in the 16th century, and the nomadic Navajo acquired large flocks from them and became famous for the blankets that they wove for their own use. During the complex history of banishment and then their return to a diminished territory, Navajo's weaving was influenced by many factors, including shortage of wool and the weaving of their neighbors, the Pueblo.

When the Navajo first acquired their flocks, they spun the yarn from their own fleece, and they have returned to this today. During the intervening period, they bought commercial yarns that were available in a choice of string, bright colors. Today's pieces are brightly colored, sturdy, and largely made up of stripes or diamond motifs. Unlike Middle Eastern work, individual Navajo weavers may become well-known for the quality of their weaving and designs, and a particular weaver's work can be more expensive that that of other weavers. The weaving is done by women who learn through a "watch and do" process.

*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

Afshar Rug - Expert Repair

We had an interesting story come in during one of our customer visits recently. A repeat customer of ours brought in his beautiful Afshar rug, that we had cleaned and repaired a year earlier, that now had a tear near one of the corners. It turns out his dog managed to get a small ball under the rug and while trying to get it out, chewed/tore a small piece of the rug. Take a look below:

This Afshar is worth quit a bit of money so the owner was understandably concerned. He also knew that we do outstanding repairs so he opted for one of our master weavers to do the reweave. All the the work was done by hand and the results came out fabulous! Take a look below:

This Afhsar rug has been expertly restored and you cannot tell that this rug had ever been ripped/torn by a dog. Our customer was thrilled with the outcome of our repair work and left our store a very happy man. If you have a rug that has come across some damage due to pets, furniture, water damage, etc. bring it in to Rug Ideas where we can help step you through all your options to get it back into great shape!

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

Rug Repair - Dog Chewing

Last week a customer brought in a couple of rugs, one for which needed a repair done. This particular rug is a small one that the owner's dog had done some chewing on. Take a look below:

The dog in question is a puppy, and they have been known to gnaw on rugs while they are teething. We put our customer at ease when we told her we had a fix that would keep the rug symmetrical. A decision was made to shorten the rug a few inches off the bitten end and put new binding across where we did the cutting. She chose the yarn color from our extensive palate and then we put the rug into the hands of one of our weavers. Take a look at the results below:

The rug now look fantastic and you can not tell it was chewed on by a dog at all. Our customer was extremely happy with the results and we hope her dog doesn't have the same inclinations any time soon. If you have a rug that has been torn or unraveled, by a dog or by another other means, bring it in to Rug Ideas so we can step you through your options to fixing it... the Rug Ideas way!

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

Moroccan Rug - Cleaning and Repair

A customer recently brought in a rug of theirs that they bought in Morocco during a vacation. It has been in their home for the past 7 years and had never had a cleaning. Another area of attention was the ends of the rug, which were slowly unraveling. The design of the rug was at stake and this rug needed to be secured. Take a look at before pics of the rug below:

We first secured the ends before it went through our deep cleaning process so that any further unraveling would not happen(see below):

After the cleaning the rug was looking great, with the colors now vibrant again. The last step was to secure the ends. This was done by one of our master weavers who did the whole job by hand to make sure the foundations of this Moroccan were strong and secure. Take a look at how much that securing makes a difference below:

This Moroccan rug is now in excellent condition due to the deep cleaning and securing of the ends. Our customer was extremely happy when they saw the results, and remarked at how they couldn't wait to put it back into their house. If you have a rug that is in need of a good cleaning, or that needs repair so that it can be structurally sound again, bring it into Rug Ideas where our expertise translates into happy customers!

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

Shag Rug - Cleaning and Repair Work

A new customer brought in his shag rug that he keeps in his home recording studio as it needed some Rug Ideas attention. Firstly, the shag was very dirty and had not been cleaned in 7 years. It had accumulated lots of stains and was worse for wear. The bottom segment of the rug had become torn and it really took away from the aesthetic. Take a look below:

The shag first went through our deep cleaning process, which involves dusting, complete wet washing and natural drying in the sun. This did wonders on all those stains! We then had one of our weavers cut above the tear in the shag and bind the whole side by hand. Take a look at the fantastic results below:

This shag looks brand new! Our customer was so ecstatic he is bringing in 2 Persian rugs of his next week for a cleaning. If you need the same Rug Ideas touch, call us or come into our showroom... we're glad to help!

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

Strengthening a Sarab Runner Rug Carpet

A Sarab wide runner was brought in by a customer recently for our deep cleaning process. While we were inspecting the rug, we noticed that both the sides(selvages) and the ends had started coming undone. This unraveling of all 4 sides means that the strength of the rug was diminishing and soon the threat of damage to the design was a possibility. Take a look below:

At Rug Ideas we have dealt with this problem many times, and we knew just how to solve it. We had one of our master weavers do the repair all by hand using New Zealand wool, the best wool a carpet can get. The results are evident by just looking at the results, which can be seen below:

As you can see, the repair looks fantastic and the 4 sides of this rug are now strong and secure; the unraveling will not continue and the rug looks beautiful. If you have a rug that has seen some wear over the years and needs these kind of professional repairs, contact us at Rug Ideas where we can help you bring YOUR rug ideas to life!

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

American Sarouk - Complete Restoration

The pics say it all in today's post. A customer brought in a tattered Sarouk rug that was on it's last leg. It had major damage all over the rug and looked very worn. One would never think that a restoration could be done on such a badly damaged rug. Take a look below:

At Rug Ideas we have 59 years of experience dealing with antique rugs and have a specialized staff that is comprised of elite rug caretakers. We put this rug into the hands of one of our master weavers for the restoration. It was a very delicate job that took extreme care and attention to detail... and we were extremely happy with the results. Take a look below:

We've just finished completing the restoration and can't wait to show it to the owner. This once ragged antique rug now looks full of vibrancy, color & life. Bring us your tattered, torn & damaged antique or modern rugs so that Rug Ideas can give it an inspection to see what your restoration options are. 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