interior design Archives - Page 17 of 20

Design Find | Amala Carpets

This year’s Interior Design Show was truly a reprieve from the doldrums of winter. After fighting to find a parking spot on the insanely busy trade day, I traded out the bitter cold winter winds for the warmth and inspiration of all the colour and life on display at the show. One might think January a strange time of year to hold such an event but for me, it’s perfect. Just the hit of Vitamin D (Design) I need.

Often the show is a reminder of what already-familiar suppliers are offering with a hit of one or two new products. There were a few interesting tubs and some great tile and hardwoods that caught my attention. But this year, I fell in
l o v e with a new rug manufacturer with a beautiful story, an inspiring process and an innovative product.

flat-woven naturally died raw-silk rug

You know me. I love process. I love a redemptive story. I love it when the people who make the product are treated with dignity and respect. And that is why I love Amala Carpets.

Amala Carpets was founded in 2011 by Nepalese native Shan Shrestha and her mother Ganchen Shrestha, an expert in natural dyes. Building on generations of experience in the wool trade and carpet manufacturing, these two women are using the finest-quality eco-friendly materials and innovative weaving techniques to create truly beautiful, handmade rugs.

raw indigo

indigo cubes

vegetables ready to be made into dies

THE PROCESS
An eco-friendly manufacturing process which meets strict environmental and quality standards is used in the production of each carpet. High efficiency, emissions-free steam boilers {specially designed and made in Switzerland} are used to wash the wool & the carpets instead of firewood.

Using all-natural vegetable dyes from pure, plant sources to colour their carpets, Amala offers a beautiful array of colours allowing for rugs to be customized according to each client’s specifications.

The finished carpets are dried naturally in the Nepalese sunshine, and the water and yarn are recycled and reused with nothing going to waste.

THE PEOPLE
Amala provides self-sustaining employment to over a thousand people. Most of the rugs are made in Nepal, where more than 75% of their craftspeople are women. The rest {including the stunning flat-woven raw silk collection that caught my attention} are made in Thailand where 100% of the craftspeople are women.

No child labour is used in the production of an Amala carpet as their manufacturing company is also an active member of GoodWeave. Nepal’s GoodWeave Foundation is working to end illegal child labor in the carpet industry and to offer educational opportunities to children in Nepal. Amala Carpets goes beyond that standard to provide their weavers and their families access to quality housing, medical care, clean drinking water and educational opportunities to help end the cycle of poverty in these two countries. Shan and Ganchen are two entrepreneurial women who are empowering other women to rewrite their stories.

THE PRODUCT

I instantly fell in love with these flat-weave raw silk rugs, recognizing the raw silk because of the matte yet radiant sheen and the gorgeous hand to the finished product. I love the subtlety of colour from the natural vegetable-based dies for its quiet, soothing palette. The flatwoven technique is truly innovative and unlike anything else I’ve seen, as both sides of the rug are equally beautiful {unlike a traditional flat-woven Aubusson rug which has endless threads on the back}. The modern patterns and designs are truly beautiful. The gentle chevron below was the first to grab my attention, reminding me of the ripples of a sandy beach after a windy day.

More vibrant and modern rugs can be found in Amala‘s Nepalese wool or wool-and-silk collection:

Pretty fantastic, right? Their showroom is currently by appointment only and located in the heart of Toronto’s Designer’s Walk. I would highly recommend contacting your designer to go down and take a look! I think like me you will fall in love with their process, their people and their product.

Wishing you an inspired Wednesday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|February 13th, 2013|1 Comment

Embracing Emerald | Pantone’s Colour of the Year

Each year, quietly gathered in a European capital, a secret meeting of representatives from various nations’ colour standards groups gather together to determine “The Colour of the Year.” After two days of presentations and debate, they choose a colour for the following year. I imagine these discussions to be quite lively and fascinating as the experts delve into the global zeitgeist and determine how to represent it in hue and value. Pantone then announces their “Colour of the Year” to the great anticipation of the fashion and design industries alike.

This year’s choice – Emerald Green – is a favourite of mine. Pantone describes it as: “Lively. Radiant. Lush. A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.” For me, Emerald speaks to the verdant and rejuvenating power of nature, freshness, hope, new life and treasures pulled up from deep within the earth.

ONE: Wallpaper by Zoffany TWO: Green Tourmaline Ring by Sallyanne Lowe Jewellery THREE: Vintage metal chair via ABC Carpet + Home FOUR: Malachite decorative boxes by Rablabs FIVE: Fine art photograph by David Graham White SIX: Mohair upholstered Art Deco armchair via 1st Dibs SEVEN: Faceted frosted glass table lamp by Arteriors

How will you embrace Emerald in your home and closet for 2013? I would love to hear all about your favourite sightings of it so far!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|February 6th, 2013|0 Comments

Project: Kitchen Refresh | Part 1

It. Is. Time.

There are a few things that I have been meaning to finish, decorate and repair for a while in my little workhorse of a kitchen, and I’ve decided that the New Year is the right time to dive in.

The truth is, I like my kitchen. We renovated it when we first moved in, transforming the original 1960’s layers of tacky-and-texture-overload into something much cleaner, much more contemporary and dramatically more functional. We tore down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and radically changed the floor plan for a much more functional work triangle. We also took the new cabinets to the ceiling and tied them into the pre-exisiting plaster crown moulding that was already in the dining room to connect the two spaces and make the cabinetry feel more custom.

Though I would love to work in a slightly bigger kitchen {and a walk-in pantry and butler’s prep area are on my dream list}, it really does function quite well.

So what needs changing? One of our cheap-o $40 building box store pendant lights has kicked the bucket, and it’s the impetus I needed to finally work on one of my own projects and add the finishing touches I’ve been meaning to get to for awhile. I know you’ve seen it in many a post on cooking and baking {with photos better than these!}, but here’s how my sweet little kitchen looks right now:

First, here’s what I like about my kitchen:

{please imagine this being narrated as a stream-of-consciousness-happy-rant by none other than Jessica}

I like my Brazillian walnut floors
I like my cabinets
I like my shaker doors
I like my cream cabinet and wall colour {Sherwin Williams Creamy 7012}
I like my modern and simple cabinetry hardware
I like my antiqued granite countertops
I like my simple and contemporary Calacatta marble backsplash
I like my massive, modern sink
I like my pull-out faucet
I like my dining table
I like my Louis Philipe Ghost dining chairs
I like my large rectangular drum shade chandelier
I like my panel moulding
I like my original art {a lot}
And I LOVE the people I cook for in this kitchen

I really do love cooking in this “just right” sized space and do not want to operate from a place of discontent. But there are some things that simply need doing.

For starters, that broken pendant light fixture. Can’t fix it. Time to replace it. It truly makes me crazy every time I turn it on and try to use the peninsula as a prep/chopping station. Good task lighting is essential.

Next: fabric. I. love. fabric. It softens and adds personality {from subtle to dramatic}. There’s not a lot of opportunity to use fabric in this kitchen, but I need a valance over the sink and drapery panels in the dining room.

Next up: That bookcase that ties into the peninsula. I love it, but the holes for the adjustable shelves drive me nuts. Time for a change there.

And lastly? Finishing touches like perhaps new cannister(s) and tea towels? That should do.

OK, I have some sourcing to do! I’ll keep you posted on what I find {and probably rope you into the decision-making process}. Can’t wait!!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|January 10th, 2013|1 Comment