my latest rug love affair
I'm having a love affair with a new (to me) kind of rug. I first spotted pala kilims or chaput rugs around this time last year when we were in Copenhagen, Denmark. They had them on display at Hay and I took a few photos as a visual reminder.
Then a few months ago, I was cleaning up my desk and came across these photos of George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg's (of Toronto design firm Yabu Pushelberg) Hampton's Home. There again, was the pala kilim looking gorgeous amongst some indigo pillows and Danish Modern furniture.
What I like about this kilim is that it does the same trick as any other Turkish or Moroccan flat weave rug without looking like those rugs. In recent years, traditional, patterned kilms have become so popular and so ubiquitous that they've lost a little bit of their je ne sais quoi. Also if you're like me, and have multiple kilims throughout the house but don't want it to feel like a Turkish Bazaar this is a good way to tone down the ethnic note. They tend to come in two styles: striped and more of a plaid pattern with horizontal and vertical stripes. The rugs are made on a narrow loom and are usually composed of 2 or more strips sewn together.
Best of all, these pala kilims are hardwearing. They aren't going to show any dirt or stains and their inherent imperfections means they are only going to look better with age. In fact, I think this type of rug would even work well under a dining room table (an impossible place to put a carpet!)
I'm on the lookout for one!
