Antique Rugs for Winter

Although those of us who live in Southern California may not feel it, winter is upon us. Mid January in most places is frigid and all white and gray. The sky becomes a heavy cloud, building get obscured in the fog and sleet and snow. The ground is slushy and icy, trees become dendritic branchings of ice and condensation. Droplets of water hover on window panes. People's cheeks get red and cold, noses freeze, gloves come out. At noon the sun is still low in the sky, the light is always slanted and weak and golden.

So even though the SoCal experience may not be as vivid, there is still a lot of inspiration for decoration to be derived from the idea of winter, cold, and seasons changing. If you're thinking of buying a new antique rug this season, you might want to go with a winter theme- something warm and relatively soft, with rich red and gold patterning, or deep forest green. A more modern look might include a white shag rug in front of the fireplace, or something with geometric patterns that echo snowflakes.

And winter doesn't necessarily need to mean depressing. Winter has it's own particular beautiful quality that is under appreciated and underutilized in decorating. Pure whites and off-whites can be very fetching, especially in conjunction with cold glass or silver. Dark forest greens are one of the most naturalistic colors on the palette, and the gentle sparkling and shining that is so characteristic of natural snowfall can be replicated around a living room. Winter is also the season for detailed workings on accessories- baroque and rococo is very January, and this can be incorporated in Persian rug selection.

So if you want an original look that few are sporting, try out a nice winter solstice, moonglow snowlight look.