Flower Love
Southwestern and western carpets hold a special place in my heart. Each rug seems to have an important part of history and culture woven in intricate designs and natural colors. They take me back in time, to a place where nature flourished unhindered. Where the vivid colors of the seasons and smells told the time as accurately as a clock.
These days I want to surround myself and my house with objects that take me back to this time of calm and simplicity. These carpets are my journey through time. With bold, rustic patterns, earth tones and an undeniable expression of natural beauty and culture. They are the hidden gem that makes a room welcoming and friendly. And still pause while you try to figure out its meaning.
With their earthy colors, complemented by a dash of brightness, they rarely collide with the other furniture in the house. Their bold patterns blend in seamlessly with most color schemes.
I even tried throwing a rug over an unused chest or corner table to get that cozy, unique look. Even more recently, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon that used carpets as picture hangings, and I loved it!
Looking back at carpets and their origins, many Native American tribes and civilizations have greatly influenced the Southwestern and Western carpet styles. They were a culmination of different styles and aspects of traditional cultures. Originally hand-woven and completed between months and years, the carpets quickly became a valued commodity in early Indian trading posts when the settlers and tourists first arrived in the country.
Originally they were used to line houses to keep out the cold, or as body wraps to keep warm. Later, with the advent of the railroad and greater exposure to the rest of North America, these carpets became highly valued items in the Western and Midwest for their uniqueness. Their intricate and beautiful designs appealed to a lot of people back then, as they still do today.
Each carpet showed a theme from religious ceremonies, different activities from everyday life, pictures of animals, birds or plants; or something from the weaver’s imagination. The attention to detail on the patterns on the carpets from back then was a miracle considering they were all handcrafted. However, many of the modern Southwestern carpets are no longer handmade. Our favorite place to buy southwestern carpets is Southwestern carpet depot. Southwestern Rugs Depot has a wide variety of premium Southwestern carpets that are authentic and of extremely high quality.
Most carpets these days are machine made. However, this has not compromised the creativity and uniqueness of the carpet designs. Far from it! Machine made carpets still follow the same themes and color schemes typical of antique and hand made carpets, but they are made in less time! This means that the carpets are available in a wider range of styles and colors to blend in with different living spaces.
My appreciation for these carpets from the western parts of the nation applies to everyone; handmade and machine made, antiques and contemporary carpets. Almost all of these carpets find a place in my home and in my heart.