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Stunning Wildlife Impressions for Your Floor

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American rug manufacturer Milliken has long sought to put more on their floor coverings than beautiful patterns and colors. With their Wildlife Impressions Collection they have managed to capture some of the most stuffing wildlife art from two of the country's premier studios on area rugs that are now available to you from Rugs Direct.

The Hautman Brothers

James, Robert and Joseph Hautman have established themselves as America's foremost family of wildlife artists. All three brothers have received numerous honors and awards, and have been a dominating presence in many state and national duck stamp competitions.

At last count, the three brothers have seen their art featured on over 50 state and federal conservation stamps. Jim, Bob and Joe are the only brothers ever to win the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The talents of the Hautman Brothers as well as their unique family gift were mentioned in the motion picture "Fargo." They have received national accolades on television and National Public Radio, and from newspapers such as USA TODAY, The Washington Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune and The St. Paul Pioneer Press, as well as TIME, US News & World Report, Sports Illustrated, U.S. Art and North American Hunter magazines. The Hautmans' creations have been displayed in the Oval Office of the White House and at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Milliken has placed close to 30 of their top designs on area rugs that are available in two different sizes - a small 2'8" x 3'10" and convenient 3'10" x 5' 4" size. Unlike many rugs featuring fine artwork, some of the Hautman Wildlife Impressions rugs are available in what is known as "portrait" orientation. That is, the image is taller than it is wider. The decision was made to honor the vision of the artists and create the rugs in the style of the original artwork. This gives you many more options and possibilities when deciding where to decorate with one of these beautiful rugs.

The Milliken Hautman rugs are made of 100% nylon for durability and longevity. They are suitable for an entry way, although for obvious reasons, many people don't like to place these rugs in areas of high foot traffic. Another great location is in front of a fireplace - although it's not uncommon to see one of these rugs hung on a wall in a den, family room or lodge-theme living room.

 

Eddie Leroy

Well-known wildlife artist Eddie Leroy comes from Eufaula, Alabama. His career as an artist began in college in 1986 when he entered an Alabama Wildlife Federation art contest in Birmingham. He did not win but a collector purchased his painting, his first art sale. Just two years later, he won that Alabama contest and has been chosen as the artist for a number of stamp-print programs since then.

About of dozen of his most beautiful wildlife paintings are available in the Milliken Wildlife Impressions Collection. Interestingly, Leroy is known for "painting from life." That is, each picture he paints is from an actual place in North America and there is a factual story behind the image.

To explore the complete line of Hautman and Leroy Wildlife Impressions rugs from Milliken, take a look at Rugs Direct.

 

Featured Designer - Candice Olson

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Interior designer and popular television host, Candice Olson has helped literally millions of people throughout the US and Canada to solve a huge variety of decorating problems with her fun, no-nonsense approach to furnishing your home. In addition to her broadcasts on HGTV and the W Network in Canada, Olson has also written two books that present her appealing and practical approch to home decor.

Her most recent guide, Candice Olson Kitchens & Baths, is brimming with hundreds of full-color, before-and-after photos of Candice's stunning room makeovers. Recommended by numerous Rugs Direct customers, this book invites you to choose colors, materials, and furnishings to achieve a dream kitchen or bathroom that fits your unique style. It is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Books a Million stores.

 

 

But that's not all. Olson also has attached her name to a wide variety of home furnishings ranging from wood furniture to lighting, paint, wallpapers and area rugs. Her partnership with Surya, one of the country's premiere manufacturers of top-quality area rugs, has been a highly successful endeavor. There are currently dozens of styles available, organized into five exciting collections.

The Fusion Collection is a set of lustrous ribbon shag rugs that are hand-woven out of 100% polyester. They are great for children's bedrooms and play areas, as well as kitchens and bathrooms.

Her Modern Classics Collection is hand-made of 100% New Zealand wool. There are over 20 different sytles with patterns that are graphic and flowing. You'll find an array of hues ranging from warm red to cool blue color palettes.

The impressive Sculpture Collection consists of close to 40 different rugs that are very difficult to describe in words. The are mono-chromatic but, as the name implies, they have depth and texture that gives them a totally unique look and feel.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Olson's Decadent Collection. Here you'll find some rather wild patterns with mansion-size rugs available in the 9' x 13' size.

A new set of rugs from Candice Olson is called the Luminous Collection. They are classic and sophisticated, but with a contemporary edge. Rygs in this collection are hand-made of 100% wool and represent some of the finest craftsmanship available for your floors today.

If you've ever had the opportunity to watch one of Candice Olson's television programs, you know her approach to interior design is one of pracicality, simplicity and durability. She takes the same approach to the area rugs bearing her name. If you want to decorate your floors with area rugs that have a timeless beauty that will serve you well for many years to come, explore the Candace Olson Collections available at the nation's leading source for area rugs, Rugs Direct.

Layered Rugs - a Hot, New Decorating Trend

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America's top interior designers have hit upon a new technique that is greatly expanding their decorating options with area rugs - layers. That's right - why settle for one rug on the floor when you can add one or two on top of it to make a totally new three-dimensional design?

Nicole Gibbons of So Haute in New York City calls this new look "a hot design trend." She recommends placing multiple rugs on hardwood floors so that there is at least 12-18 inches of space on all sides. That way the contrast between the rugs is most evident. You want to stay away from placing two rugs on top of each other that are too close in their overall dimensions.

Some designers recommend looking for rugs that fall into the same pattern and color family so as to not create too "busy" of a layout on the floor. The same holds true for fabric. Most people find it more pleasing to put wool on wool rather than mixing in cotton or silk. However, don't be afraid to experiment with using polypropylene and wool. They often match well enough not to create a problem.

Kristen Hutchins, a professional designer based in Los Angeles, sees a floor as a blank canvas on which to build a nice layer of art. Wh recommends starting with a large, neutral rug as the bottom layer and buiding up from there. You can add one patterned rug, or multiples to define seating or activity areas. The only limitation is your imagination!

If you are a bit bolder and more adventurous in your decorating, you might try an animal-skin print or a natural fabric such as jute or seagrass. It's amazing what a black-and-white zebra pattern rug can do to enliven a room, especially when placed over a darker contrasting color. Give it a try!

Some people are afraid of layering because it means they are going to need to buy two or three rugs instead of just one. However, the fact of the matter is you end up buying smaller rugs than you would if you were covering the floor with only one. It's pretty easy to do a cost comparison when starting with a room with nothing but a hardwood floor. Sketch out the areas, figure out how many rugs you will need and in what sizes. The go to Rugs Direct and have a ball figuring out what goes with what, and what will look fantastic on TOP of something else.

There are some very practical benefits to layering area rugs, especially over wall-to-wall carpeting. In a kid's room, the extra layer will add a protective cushion to the inevitable falls. It also protects the carpeting from spills and stains. It is certainly more economical to have a rug cleaned than to call in the carpet specialists or rent a steam cleaner from the local hardware store.

As you experiment with layering your rugs, don't fall into the trap of always aligning the edges parallel or perpendicular to one another. There's nothing that says you can't lay one rug on top of another at an angle. Also don't be afraid to lay two small rugs side-by-side on top of a larger one. This effect can sometimes be very striking in that you are creating a design that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world.

So the next time you find yourself looking at a large, blank floor in your home, consider layering two or three rugs in the space to make it uniquely your own. Your options truly are limitless, and the potential unlimited. Visit Rugs Direct and start exploring.

 

Featured Designer - Andy Warhol

Copyright © 2008  Rugs Direct^®

When you think about American Pop Art, whose name comes to mind? For most people Andy Warhol is perhaps the only name they associate with this style. His influence of the movement was enormous, so much so that even today, over 20 years after his death, many people decorate their living spaces with his work, watch his films, read his books, listen to his music and visit exhibits displaying his art. As the media referred to him at the time, he truly is the "Prince of Pop."

Warhol was born Andrew Warhola in 1928 to working-class parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At an early age he showed artistic talent and ended up studying commercial art at the School of Fine Arts at Carnegie Institutes of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). In 1949 he moved to New York City, where he started working as an illustrator for magazines and advertising agencies. He developed his unique drawing style during the 1950s and was rewarded with his first solo exhibit in 1962.

During the '60s Warhol began using various American icons as the subject for his work. Campbell's soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles, American currency and Marilyn Monroe were all famously depicted in Warhol's artwork. As controversial as he was, he also sparked a revolution in the art world. His popularity - and fame - sored with each new painting or illustration of a famous person or brand name product.

When asked about the appeal of simply showing a colorful bottle of Coke as pop art, Warhol said, "What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca Cola, and you know that the president drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Cola Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the president knows it, but bum knows it and you know it."

Warhol also began collaborating with a wide range of experimental artists in the 1960s and founded "The Factory" as a place where talented individuals interested in pop art could meet and work. Much of the colorful, geometric art associated with Andy Warhol is a result of these often contemptuous collaborations. As his fame soared so did his popularity, and Warhol became an entrepreneur of pop art and culture like no one preceding him.

Sadly his life ended in 1987 following complications from gall bladder surgery. Over 2000 people attended his memorial mass.

Warhol's life and work are celebrated by the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. Opened in 1994, the museum features several permanent collections of art and archives on what it calls "one of the most influential American artists of the twentieth century."

Another major source of information about the artist is available through the The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which was founded shortly after his death in accordance with his will. The foundation provides a wide variety of grants to artists and researchers who seek to create and promote experimental visual arts. It also holds the copyrights to all of Andy Warhol's works and provides authentication services to insure art purported to be by Warhol are truly originals.

In 2004, one of America's premier area-rug manufacturing companies, Sphinx by Oriental Weavers, reached an agreement to begin creation of a line of rugs featuring designs and patterns inspired by Andy Warhol. Today it is one of the most popular and best-selling collections in the company's catalog.

Rugs Direct carries an extensive line of Andy Warhol rugs. If you would like to decorate your home with some unique, eye-catching pop art inspired by one of America's most famous and enduring artists, please click here.

 

Paula Deen Coming to Rugs Direct

Copyright © 2008  Rugs Direct^®

There is no doubt that the Food Network’s Paula Deen is a super star. In fact, recent polls have indicated that she is one of the 10 most popular and influential women in America. Paula’s Home Cooking and Paula’s Party are routinely two of the network’s highest rated shows, and Deen’s cookbooks are bestsellers throughout the country. In June 2007 Deen won two Daytime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Lifestyle Host and Outstanding Lifestyle Program for Paula's Home Cooking.

Yes, “The Queen of Southern Cooking” has struck a cord with mainstream America, and it seems we just can’t get enough of her.

Recently Deen signed a exclusive agreement with Kaleen Rugs, a leading manufacturer and importer, to create her own signature collections of area rugs. Initially the collections will include:

• Paula’s Porch & Home – a machine-made rugged indoor/outdoor line made of 100% polypropylene
• Paula Deen’s Comfort – a machine-made, space-dyed polypropylene collection
• Paula Deen’s Signature – a hand-tufted collection that will be made in India

The first two collections mark Kaleen’s entry into the machine-made rug market, according to their executive vice president, Joe Barkley.

Fittingly, Rugs Direct will be the exclusive online retailer for Paula Deen’s new line of area rugs. It is anticipated that they will be ready in May 2008. If you would like to be notified when they become available, please sign up for Rugs Direct’s e-mail list by clicking here.

Paula’s Story

(The following autobiography of Paula Deen is taken from her website:)

Hey Y’all! You know, I meet so many wonderful people everywhere I go that are willing to share their life story with me, that I want to share a little bit of my story with all of you. Of course, there’s more in my new memoir – It Ain’t All About the Cookin’ – but, for now, I hope you pull up a chair and visit with me here for a while!

Everyone has a beginning, and mine really starts in my Grandmother Paul’s kitchen. I promise you, she knew everything you ever needed to know about making the perfect Southern meal. Every day I was amazed at all the things she knew and shared with me – cooking techniques, tips, secret recipes, and, most importantly laughter, life lessons, and love! Of course I didn’t know it at the time, but those would be the things that would always pull me through.

Following this carefree and wonderful time in my life, I graduated from high school, and married my high school sweetheart. Like all young people, nobody could tell me anything at the time, and I set out believing I’d be the perfect wife and mom and he’d be the perfect husband and father. Well, needless to say, that’s where things started to turn. First, there was the sudden and heartbreaking death of my beloved father, followed by the loss of my sweet mom just a few short years later – when our mom died my little brother Bubba was only 16, I was 23, and had two little babies of my own to raise. Everything that held me together was gone, and I truly didn’t know where to turn and felt frozen in my tracks. I managed through the next decade or so, but again things took a major turn for the worse when my husband announced one day he had taken a job in Savannah. I was 40 years old and was having such severe panic attacks that I literally could not leave my house, becoming a prisoner in my own home.

But, you know – things happen for a reason, and one day it just dawned on me: I was going to take control of my life and my destiny! So, I decided to do what I do best – taking a lesson straight from Grandmother Paul – and started The Bag Lady. With $200 and the help of my boys, the real adventure began. Of course you can read The Lady & Sons history page, but from the beginning we were blessed with faithful patrons that have become like family to us that allowed us to blossom. Our bag lunch delivery and catering service turned into a full-service restaurant and we went from leasing a place at the Best Western hotel to our very own place downtown.

During that time I’ve had my first cookbook “discovered” and more published, had the honor of receiving the “International Meal of Year” designation by USA Today, of having not one, but two of my own shows on the Food Network, and opened up another restaurant – Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House - with my little brother Bubba. And, guess what? I’ve even been star-struck myself appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show and meeting Oprah herself!

All of my dreams really are coming true. I’ve married my soul mate, Michael Groover – gaining a whole other extending family with Anthony and Michelle in the process, managed to raise two wonderful and successful boys, Jamie and Bobby, and created a wonderful career by doing what I love best. And, the icing on the cake? The birth of my first grandchild, Jack, in 2006.

But, you know what, none of this would have happened if I hadn’t of taken the good with the bad, embraced both the heartache and joy, and taken control of my life when I thought it could not have gotten worse. Most of all, during good times and bad, I’ve had the love and support of family, friends, and you – my fans. From my heart, I always wish you love and best dishes, from my kitchen to yours. And I can’t wait to continue the adventure with you!

Featured Designer - Lynette Jensen

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

Lynette Jensen and her company, Thimbleberries, is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on quilting, home decorating and sewing. A native of Hutchinson, Minnesota, Jensen founded her company in 1989, and is therefore beginning her 20th year as a designer of unique patterns and fabrics.

Jensen is probably best known in the quilting world where she not only designs popular and appealing fabrics and easy-to-follow quilt patterns, but is also a best-selling author. Most of her enjoyable how-to books are available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and you'll be amazed at the range of titles and topics she covers! Although she began her interest in quilting as a collector, she quickly saw the need for a wider variety of fabrics and patterns. She introduced eight innovative projects at the International Quilt Market in Denver, Colorado in 1989, and the rest - as they say - is history.

Jensen helps spread the joy and fun of quilting through her Thimbleberries Quilt Club. Currently there are close to 1000 regional clubs that meet regularly to share ideas, patterns and help. There are now over 50,000 members worldwide, and membership grows steadily as the love of country quilting blossoms.

It was only natural for Jensen to apply her colorful quilt designs to area rugs. She and Thimbleberries partnered with Colonial Mills, Inc. (CMI) to create two braided area-rug collections: Four Seasons and Cottage Comforts. These rugs are incredibly durable, made of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Also, unlike most area rugs, they are completely reversible. This effectively doubles their life. Their style is referred to as "alternating potpourri" and each collection consists of five different designs, available both in oval and rectangular shapes. A wide range of sizes are available.

We invite you to explore Lynette Jensen's popular braided rug styles by visiting Rugs Direct.

Featured Designer - Kathy Ireland

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Katherine Marie Ireland is considered by many to be the world's first supermodel. At age 17, this tall (5' 11") "California girl" was discovered by an Elite Modeling talent scout and no sooner did she graduate from high school than she was flying to Europe for major magazine photo shoots. However, it was Kathy's appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1984 Swimsuit Edition that launched her career into the stratosphere.

This was, as they say, only the beginning. She appeared on three additional covers of Sports Illustrated and has been featured in the magazine more than any other model - a total of 13 times. Of course Kathy was a major part of the publication's 25th Anniversary Special in 1989. Many other fashion magazines sought the services of Kathy Ireland and she appeared on the covers of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, Shape, Seventeen and Harper's Bazaar, among others. You could even find her face on a box of Cheerios!

Somehow in between photo shoots Kathy managed to find time to appear in several motion pictures and television programs. She has also created several very popular fitness videos and even became a certified fitness instructor in 1994.

In the early 1990s Kathy began her transition from model to mogul. She wanted to help busy moms find products and solutions to help improve their lives. Being a new mom herself, Kathy felt she had a perspective that she could apply to a wide range of consumer products. She also soon discovered that she was going to have to create many of them herself.

Thus was born Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW), of which Kathy Ireland is the chief executive, chief designer and chief product tester. Annual sales currently exceed $1.4 billion and the company's product line is expanding rapidly. Kathy's website, www.kathyireland.com, is a good place to go for ideas and "solutions" related to home, fashion, entertainment and lifestyle.

Kathy is active in a wide range of non-profit organizations and charitable causes. She is an ambassador for the National Women's Cancer Research Alliance and honorary chairperson for the March of Dimes Walk America program.

Kathy Ireland teamed with Shaw Floors to create a comprehensive line of area rugs, marketed under the Kathy Ireland Home brand. There are eight different collections that run the gamut from rich, elegant, traditional styles to brightly colored, whimsical designs. They are among the most popular area rugs available at Rugs Direct and are highly affordable.

These eight collections are:

• Aloha
• Essentials
• First Lady
• Gallery
• Gee's Bend
• Innovations
• Jardin Du Jour
• Young Attitudes

If you would like to explore the exciting styles of area rugs created by Kathy Ireland, please click here to visit Rugs Direct.

Featured Designer - Liora Manné

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct®

One of the most exciting designers creating area rugs today is Liora Manné. A native of Jerusalem, Israel, Manné moved to Atlanta with her family at age 16. After graduating from Georgia State University she completed her Masters Program in Textile Design and Engineering at North Carolina State University.

Manné moved to New York and began to design textiles for the fashion industry. As her career progressed she longed to use her talent in textile design in a new, different and unique manner. Inspired by exploration of new media and materials, Manné developed a revolutionary process called Lamontage. In this process acrylic fibers are layered and then interlocked by hand-needle-punching to create custom blended colors. Lamontage allowed Manné to create patterns that could not be achieved through traditional printing, weaving or knitting. Her distinctive rugs and upholstery quickly gained popularity. In fact, her flat format and intricate patterns started to change the face of the area-rug industry! It wasn't long before Manné could open her own design studio in New York City.

The word "Lamontage" is derived from "lamina" for layering and "montage" for image. It is a patented medium for creating textiles that combines the ancient art of felting with modern materials. A Lamontage product is specially created by blending and mixing custom dyed acrylic fibers, which results in a rich palette of over six hundred hues. These are then manipulated to generate intricate colors and patterns.

If you would like to learn more about Liora Manné's work and vision, you can visit her website: www.lioramanne.com.

Recently Manné patented a new medium for creating textiles called Montique. This encases Lamontage fabric designs between two layers of clear molded plastic, creating a translucent and fresh texture. Montique is being used for such items as handbags, shoes, placemats and platters.

Rugs Direct carries over 200 of Liora Manné's unique area-rug designs. They range from classic, traditional styles that look good in any environment to bright, colorful, contemporary designs to add excitement and flair. Click here to explore the area rugs Liora Manné has created for your home.