My husband and I are friends with a couple that we met through our church. We enjoy their company and through the years we have done many things together. We will get together at each others homes to play cards. We also go out to eat and to plays and other events. Each year between Christmas and New Years we take a day off of work and spend time together. Last year we went to a center that had several homes that had been replicated. Each home was from a different country and was decorated for the holidays in the traditions of that country. The houses were spaced several yards apart.
There were also old world shops set up to create a small village atmosphere. The homes were life sized and had actors dressed for the time period and country that they were suppose to be representing. You had your choice of walking through the village and having a sleigh ride back to your car, or you could take the sleigh ride to the far end and work your way back. It was a very cold day so we decided to begin walking to the closest house.
The first house was from German decent. The first thing I noticed as we walked in was the beautiful braided rug. I am from German ancestry so I knew that the area rug was an authentic handmade piece. My grandmother always had a colorful braided rug in front of her kitchen sink. She would make them during the winter months. The woman that was dressed in period costume was sitting in front of the fireplace and was sewing the strips of fabric together that would be used to make the area rugs.
All kinds of scrap fabrics are cut into strips and are sewn together to form ropes. The ropes are then braided together. Once the ropes are long enough they are wrapped around each other until the desired size is reached. The braided rug is then stitched together so that it will not uncoil. My husband and I have talked about learning these braiding techniques to make our own rugs. The women told us that after the holidays are over the different houses stay opened and they have classes to teach the various old world crafts. She was going to be teaching rug braiding in January.
We continued on our tour of the different houses. Each ethnic group has added a different way of celebrating the holidays. It was very interesting to discover where some traditions have originated. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and my husband and I have promised each other that we will learn how to make a braided rug.
Prior to World War II many American homes featured wood and other types of hard surface flooring and area rugs where used as room accents. During the home building boom that followed the end of the war, the use of wall to wall carpeting became very wide spread. Until recently, over seventy percent of American homes had wall to wall carpeting. Area rugs are seeing a renewed popularity and this includes braided area rugs.
Given the cost of replacement, the need to clean it routinely and possible adverse effects on indoor air quality, many homeowners have made a switch back to hard surface flooring. Hard surface flooring like wood and composite materials are much easier to keep clean and sanitary. This is especially important for homeowners who have problems with allergies and other respiratory conditions.
While carpeting can add warmth and comfort to a living space, maintaining the appearance and cleanliness of wall to wall carpet can be difficult over time. Uneven wear patterns, the accumulation of dirt and breakdown of padding materials can make your carpeting look very old well before its time. Ground in dirt and critters like dust mites can be nearly impossible to remove from deep in the carpet.
Some studies suggest that carpet has a wear life of anywhere from three to five years. So given the amount of carpet in service and the need to clean it, perhaps twice a year that translates into a substantial amount of labor and, perhaps more importantly millions of gallons of chemicals and water. This can have a enormous impact on the environment.
Concerned about the potential for increased indoor air pollution, many folks are taking a green approach to their living spaces, choosing carpet fabrics that emit fewer volatile organic compounds or VOCs and have a higher content of recycled fabric materials. Carpeting needs to be replaced periodically and old carpeting often ends up in the landfill, not to mention the cost of replacement.
With the movement toward hard surface flooring has come a greater demand for various styles of area rugs. A traditional favorite in area rug styles is the classic braided rug. Braided rugs have had a place in a variety of home decorating plans, from shabby chic, to Early American and country cottage looks.
One of the more unique and beautiful characteristics of braided rugs is color. Makers of early braided rugs might have used whatever fabric or yarn was at hand. The result was a blend or variegation of many colors, often resulting in random patterns. The variegation in color made every rug unique much like patchwork quilts which did not rely on any particular pattern. Variegated rug patterns are perennial favorites among those folks prefer a very traditional look.
Quality braided rugs are easy to care for and just last a very long time with proper cleaning. Unlike woven area rugs, braided rugs can be turned over. Since you are able to reverse the rug, the wear will be more even and this will further extend the life of the rug.
Depending on the type of weave and materials used to make your braided rug, the rug can help to reduce the wear and tear on wood and other types of hard surface flooring. Braided area rugs can be made from renewable fiber materials like bamboo, jute and hemp. These fast growing renewable fiber sources are environmentally friendly and can be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides.
Both John Pawlett & Mitch Endick are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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