I live in a first-floor Victorian flat with its own entrance which is a bit of a dead space as you walk in the front door and are confronted with a flight of stairs. In an earlier post I talked about three old hand-woven Peruvian rugs that I purchased from Odd Limited to make over my front entrance and stairs. I plan to make them into a funky runner to give my entrance some wow factor.
This is why I wanted to try and make a feature of this space. I previously had carpet on the stairs and entrance with a rug over the carpet downstairs.
Under the carpet were the original floorboards which someone had already painted down each side. I had someone repaint the sides in the same white as the skirting boards.
Each rug was hand sewn in two pieces, so they had to be unpicked which created six pieces — two of each design. I found a wonderful guy (Richard Polley) to do the work for me.
Each piece had to be blind sewn down each side before being laid and he used thick, industrial quality, felt underlay. The rugs were various widths and, because they were hand woven, the two pieces of each design were different. It was a nightmare for the ladies who sew for Richard. Also, the rugs are very soft so do not create a rigid runner. Richard did not want to use any tacks or nails.
I created a design on a piece of paper but had to redesign it as Richard laid each step. I also wanted to ensure I used all of the rugs. I didn't want the runner right to the front door so I had a large piece of coir matting added at the front door.
Here is the finished article. It may not be to everyone's taste but I love it. It's original if nothing else and makes a real statement as you open the front door. And my friends say it's very funky. Hard to believe that three rugs could be transformed into this!!
SEEKING STYLE INSPIRATION?
If you’re working on your own home decorating project and looking for some inspiration, please get in touch and see how I can help.