SADDLE BROOK, NJ -- Leading floor covering and home accents manufacturer Nourison shares design tips from Shay Geyer of IBB Design and Scot Meacham Wood, of SMW Design on "How to Design a Winning Room around a Rug." Moderated by James Swan of Million Dollar Decorating, the event was hosted by Nourison during Las Vegas Market in January.
When it comes to creating concepts for a client, Meacham Wood says, "It's a lot of conversation with the client -- what the room needs to do, not just functionality but how they are going to live in it -- what level of formality, durability or functionality that the room needs."
"It's all about the look and the quality, and how that room is going to function for the client. We always put a spreadsheet together for our clients that details what's going in every room, so they have an idea what we are looking for, and that it's in their price range," says Geyer.
Meacham Wood talks about the importance of the room's size and customizing a rug. "If it's an irregularly shaped room, and it's not a standard size, then we [might] need a 12' x 18' rug. Then we're getting into the need for at least customizing the size up, and you are dealing with time frame and budget."
Geyer outlines the process of coloring a custom rug, and getting color balances right. "I always start with Pantone colors, depending on whether we are designing from scratch, or just taking a pattern that already exists and changing the colors, which can totally change the look of a rug. With some rugs you might have shading, like a charcoal grey, which gives those rugs depth. The more traditional style rugs that have antiquing -- which Nourison does an amazing job on -- could have 20-30 colors. A room can be gorgeous if the rug is the statement and the upholstery is very neutral around it. Then you nod back to the colors in the rug and other aspects of the room."
According to Geyer, "The mark of a really good designer isn't pinpointed to one specific aesthetic, but instead [their ability to] design for each individual client. When you meet the client, you can have a conversation and pinpoint their hot buttons, such as colors they are drawn to or make them feel happy. A rug can easily be inspiration for a room."
