Southwestern Rugs – Showcasing New Designs


interior design

2019 Southwestern Rug Designs

My friends over at Southwestern Rugs Depot asked us to take a look at their new Southwestern rug designs this year and I was floored. I asked them if I could share their images here and they agreed so be sure to check these out. You can find all of their new Southwestern rugs by going here.

Check them out and be sure to let me know if you have any favorites.

July 17, 2019

Moving Into A New Apartment


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Recently, I moved into my own apartment. I’d never lived on my own prior to this, and the idea of decorating a space entirely to my own tastes was a bit daunting. I hadn’t actually ever had free reign over home decor before, and I had never spent a lot of time thinking about how I would decorate if I did. What kind of rugs would I get? What kind of sofa? Would I need a coffee table? Would I finally get plants and select ceramic pots for them? Would I frame some of the artwork I’d been received as gifts for years?

But even beyond the initial concerns about furniture, I didn’t realize just how many little touches are involved in making a home feel like your own. I hadn’t even realized that something like that would feel important at all. It hadn’t mattered when I’d been living with my friends, since in that shared space there none of us had ever really worried about decorating. Decor just happened, fairly informally, and there was always the sense that our presence in that apartment was temporary. Because of that, my understanding of home decor had previously been mostly unformed; I’d seen some HGTV but not much else. Surely just buying a couch was enough to really settle in, I’d thought. But how wrong I was.

Even after I got my couch, I realized that there wasn’t much personality in my house. It didn’t feel like my space. I’d thought just getting some furniture and plants would help me feel settled in, but it didn’t. I was planning on being in this apartment for quite some time. I realized that having something be so permanent meant that the way you set up the interior of it mattered a lot more. That’s when I really started to understand what home decor could be: it’s a way to make you feel like a space is yours. When it’s your first time living alone somewhere, especially when it’s somewhere you intend to be for a fair amount of time, that feels a lot more important than I had ever anticipated.

I learned right away that framing my artwork and putting it on the walls warmed up the space a lot. Putting my plants in ceramic pots and finally getting some little ceramic figures to display on my bookshelves gave each room personality. I bought some throw pillows in fun geometric designs and I splurged on accent chairs. I found a set of owl vases at a thrift shop for the kitchen nook. I bought a wrought-iron headboard and draped fairy lights over it so I could more easily read in bed. With each little addition, the apartment started to feel more like a place I actually lived, rather than somewhere a person was just crashing. Through the entire process, I realized that interior design and home decor was more than just something HGTV shows glossed over. It’s something people could do to make themselves feel comfortable and safe. At the end of each day when I come home I look over my little apartment and feel truly satisfied in a way I had never expected to, and that’s why home decor is so crucial. It makes any space, whether you own it or rent it, your home.

Read More: Southwestern Rugs – Showcasing New Designs

May 30, 2019

Decorating Tips: Area Rugs Are An Easy Win


interior design

Decorating is definitely one of those things in life that is overlooked and often viewed as just detail. It serves the purpose of providing personality and comfort to any environment. I was quite oblivious to the importance of decor until I moved into my dorm room. I walked into a small room with the ugliest furnishing I’ve ever had to call mine. The cinder block walls only made it worse. I was so disappointed and had no idea how I could have ever made myself at home. In that moment, I understood why college students on Tumblr are so dedicated to decorating their dorm room. My roommate had already decorated her side of the room and from her decor, it was clear to me that we were complete opposites. Although I was irritated with the furniture and my roommate’s taste, I was inspired to add my touch and to express myself through my very own decor. Tapestry of my choice on my wall to cover up the jail cell look of the walls and Marilyn Monroe posters, selfies of my loved ones, quotes etc., provided me the opportunity to get comfy and settle in. Decor matters, especially when you have to get used to living in a tiny dorm room with a complete stranger.

I think a time when decor meant a lot to me was when I first moved into college. I realized that one’s environment they live in is very important because it can impact your psyche. Thus, I got to work. At certain times I knew, I was going to get homesick because it was my first time officially leaving my house for longer than a week. I decided that it is important to bring belongings to make me not feel so emotionally attached to my house and those in it. Therefore, I brought photos of me and my family. However, instead of putting these pictures in a frame, I printed smaller sized pictures and attached them using a clothing hanger to a small rope. Then, using command strip hooks I hung these pictures onto the wall viewing all of my memories and happy moments with my family and friends.

Additionally, I put ethnic posters up to remind me of my culture. Something I don’t want to forget.  Then I hung up some of my old paintings and motivational quotes around my room because I understood at certain points, I was going to have some breakdowns and a positive affirmation can go a long way. And in actual fact, it did. My living space was a great place for me not only to unwind but to study as well because I properly decorated and arranged the place to the point where I can mentally be sane and balanced. Furthermore, room decor has a serious impact on how you live.

Find my favorite new rug designs here.

February 2, 2018

Reviews


interior design

REVIEWS & ARTICLES

2012
ARTNews, Amanda Church, June
Surface Magazine, Ali Moran, March
Elle Decor, Vicky Lowry, March
Bomb, Joanne Greenbaum, February
New York Magazine, Miranda Siegel, December 9

2010
Artcritical.com, David Brody, March
The Brooklyn Rail, Sharon Butler, March
Magenta Magazine Online, Bill Clarke, May

2008
The New Yorker, August 11

2007
The New York Sun, Stephen Maine, July
Télérama Paris, Philippe Benedicte and Laurent Boudier, February 26
La Gazette de l’Hotel Drouot, Lydia Harambourg, February 23

2006
Artnet.com, Emma Gray, August 21

2005
New York Home, Peter Webster, September 30
BorderCrossings, Daniel Baird, September 1

2004
Art in America, Gregory Volk, September
Time Out New York, Max Henry, May 13
The New York Times, Ken Johnson, May 7
The Brooklyn Rail, Daniel Baird, May
Artnet.com, Stephen Maine, May
The New York Sun, David Cohen, April 22
Time Out New York, Linda Yablonsky, April 29

2003
Latin American Literature and Arts, Ron DeFeo, No. 66

2002
East Hampton Star, Robert Long, May

2001
Time Out New York, Jori Finkel, February 8
The New Yorker, January 29
Tekinikart.com, Cécile Martinières, June

1997
Art in America, Jonathan Goodman, November
New York Magazine, April
Art News, Gregory Volk, September
Review Magazine, Dominique Nahas, April 15
Review Magazine, J. Bowyer Bell, April 15

1996
New York Press, Stuart Servetar, July 10
The New York Times, Roberta Smith, March 15

December 11, 2017