Karim is the undisputed king of color and has been cited as "the man who made pink masculine".

He is a internationally renowned industrial designer who has undertaken projects for all the big names around the world - Prada, Issey Miyake, Alessi, Umbra, Sony and Bozart.

Karmin applies his talents to numerous fields including household appliances, furniture, architecture, and lighting just to name a few. He is also featured in scores of permanent collections and exhibits in art galleries everywhere.

I feel so inspired by his work that I thought I’d share a few of his pieces here – hope you like them as much as I do.

Designer Carpet

Swimming Pool

Flat woven area rugs are the oldest construction out there but also the most basic. It will give you a durable and versatile covering of your floor. The flat woven is sometimes used for tapestries as well. Each side of the flat woven area rug is identical to each other so you won’t need to make sure which to face upwards.

(Image of Dynamic Rugs Charisma Red Ivory 1403)

The hand knotted area rug design is a masterpiece in its own. This speaks luxury when you first see its work. The hand knotted area rug is a dying art which takes much dedication and experience to create. The hand knotted area rugs take anywhere from 6 months or more to create depending on the depth of each design. Many area rugs of such are more like art on a wall rather than placed on the floor to be trampled on!

Hand tufted area rugs are mostly like the hand knotted area rugs but quite cheaper. You’ll still get the same quality but it won’t be as in depth as the hand knotted. You’ll notice the small groups of yarn which are through tight knot canvas. They’ll also place a backing on the one side of the area rug to give it more support. These are beautiful area rugs as well if you aren’t looking to spend what you would on a hand knotted area rug.

No matter what type of area rug you go with you want it to last. By vacuuming it at least once a week you’ll save it from being eaten by moths. Once you feel it’s time for a change you can roll it up and store it in a dry, cool area rug. Never fold an area rug since it can cause seams.

These wonderful wooden bookshelves are designed by Sang Hoon Kim who describes himself as “designer + artist + engineer = ?“.

This shelf system is designed to be the centerpiece and offer an interesting take on the room divider.

The warped and twisted with unique curves look different from every angle – an amazing construction.

Just when you thought you had seen every possible appliance – Top of the line Slovenian Kitchen Appliance Manufacturer Gorenje designs fridges highlighted with Swarovski crystals.

The original 5 fridges had 7,000 crystals and were sold at auction. Then they released the line to the public with 3,500 crystals.

And now this impressive Fridge/freezer sports a massive 26,000 crystals.

The stark black teamed with the glittering crystals certainly do live up to the appliances name “Starry Night”.

But it’s not all just about good looks:-

“an advanced interactive touch screen that enables simple, user-friendly control of the refrigerator. The screen also displays advice on food storage, as well as recipes for selected dishes. Moreover, it enables listening to the radio or recording voice messages. “

What will they come up with next?

High-end Slovenian appliance manufacturer Gorenje has joined forces with New York-based designer Karim Rashid to create fridges and ovens that change color.

The kitchen appliances feature color-adjustable LED strips allowing the home owner to change the color when ever they feel the need.

Gorenje define it as “a minimal fusion of functionality, technology, interactivity, and purity.” Whatever that may mean???

The full length handle has been designed to be both the visual focal point and the interaction mechanism of the collection.

Before going out to look for a new area rug, start by taking a few measurements in your space. You will first need the over all dimension of the room you are shopping for. There is no sense in purchasing a rug that will have to curl up at the ends of the wall.

The second group of measurements you will need is the furniture that you intend to place on, around or near your area rug. A key component of good design is proportion. If you have a gargantuan sofa, you do not want to purchase a small rug that will just get lost lying next to the furniture.

You will also need these measurements to decide on your overall furniture or seating arrangement. How will the rug compliment the way you have your sofa facing the two slipper chairs with the Neoclassical glass coffee table in-between? Do you want the rug to have a floating appearance or tie the seating arrangement in close for good conversation? Do you want the first thing your feet touch when climbing out of bed to be the plush wool rug?

It is best to draw all of this out before you leave the house. Used graph paper to draw your room to scale with all of the furniture in it. This does not need to be exact or beautiful; just a rough sketch, one block equal one square foot. After you sketch in your furniture, go ahead and draw in the ideal size area rug you would like. Figure out the size of the rug you just sketched in using the lines on the graph paper.

Another way is to use newspaper. Lay sheets of newspaper on the floor where you want to put the rug. Play around with the size until you have it just right.

Area rugs are sold in what is considered “typical sizes.” These are the standard sizes used to mass-produce rugs to the masses. If your ideal rug does not fit into these standard sizes, a custom rug can be made. Just keep in mind that custom area rugs can become very expensive, and probably will not make that big of a difference. It is often the best choice to stick with the typicals.

Living in an apartment or small home, most rooms and eating arrangements will benefit most with an 8’ x 10’ area rug or smaller. Grandeur formal living rooms and dens will benefit from the larger sizes.

Do you already have wall-to-wall carpeting in your home? Don’t discount the use of area rugs. They work very well to visually divide large spaces, provide distinction and color to any room and can be much more plush to walk on.

From one mom to another, an area rug underneath the dining room table is splendid for catching food and stains. When it is dirty, you can either have it professionally cleaned or just take it outside and scrub it down with detergent as opposed to having to replace your entire carpet throughout because of one grape juice stain.

These tips are just the basics to buying your next area rug. In the end, keep in mind your own personal style and taste. Just because the interior design professionals say that these rules are the way you should do it, doesn’t mean that their way is the only way to liven up your personal space with area rugs.

The contemporary area rugs style is somewhat bold with either its color, pattern, or both. If you are someone who loves prints make sure you aren’t overwhelming your room with too many. For example, if you have a busy wallpaper design on your walls you wouldn’t want to bring in a busy area rug which would make it look like a crazy room. You’re better off starting with basic wall color and then bringing in a great contemporary area rug to be the center of attention and the first thing that grabs everyone’s eyes when they enter.

Of course rugs which are just plain and simple are easier to place in any type of décor. You can also choose one which only has two colors yet a simple pattern to make a bold statement. You may also want to avoid any lighter colored area rugs in a busy area where there will be heavy traffic going through. Try to stay with the greens, reds, or blues rather than beige and white.

The more textures and contrast you have in a rooms design will give you that comfort feeling that it’s an actual living space rather than a sitting area where you feel unwelcome. If possible try to add some manmade or natural materials in your rooms design to give it a great touch. As many homes have wooden floors which are a manmade material you’d want to place a brighter area rug onto its surface to give it more of a texture look. Unlike wooden floors, tile or marble may seem cold and uninviting so you’d want to place a great softer area rug to warm up the space.

When choosing a great area rug make sure you choose a rug which is functional with your lifestyle. You don’t want to purchase an expensive rug which is more prone to getting ruined if you have children or family and friends which visit frequently in a family room or entry of the door. You’d want one which was washable and durable to traffic. Braided area rugs are great for those areas of heavy footed traffic.

Another great idea with area rugs is if you have a larger space which you’re looking to break into a few different little areas such as a seating area and a family entertainment location, choose different area rugs. Make sure that you’re still sticking with the same type of style as in color so it doesn’t throw the rooms design off too much! It will break up the space and make it seem as if it is two rooms instead of one large.

There are many different types of area rugs to choose from. Walking into a store to buy an area rug without knowing the difference could very well have you tied up in knots.

Here then is an introduction to the fascinating and exotic world of area rugs. Mix and match them or use them all by themselves to make a style statement all your very own.

Area rugs are versatile and can be used anywhere for any purpose; the only thing you cannot do is use them as flying rugs.

Persian Rugs

These are the top of the line when it comes to area rugs. Still made in Iran and Iraq as they have been for thousands of years, these rugs are intricate in design and extremely colorful. In addition to being used as floor coverings, they are equally stunning when used as wall hangings. Persian rugs come in a wide assortment of shapes, sizes, colors and designs and are much coveted by collectors everywhere especially by those who deal with antiques.

Oriental Rugs

Similar to Persian rugs and just as much of an old tradition; the main difference is that the design in Oriental area rugs do not depict pictures but are based around different geometric designs. They are also colorful, although they will not use as many colors as Persian rugs. Antique Oriental rugs are prized by collectors and can be either oval, round or rectangular in shape.

Braided Rugs

These rugs are generally oval shaped and are made from rags or materials that have been made into a long rope which is then rolled and sewn until it gets to the desired size. Next to hand quilts, braided area rugs are the only true American art form. Braided area rugs come in all sizes but are predominantly round or oval.

Rag Rugs

These simple rugs can be made by anyone and are made by making several strips of rolled rags and then weaving them together. A classic American art form, rag rugs are usually square or rectangular shaped as opposed to the round or oval shapes of rolled rugs.

Latch Hook Rugs

These rugs were very popular in the 1970s as many people made these rugs for their homes themselves. They came with a pattern and a hook as well as yarn that was hooked and knotted into a backing. This was a relaxing hobby for many people in the 1970s and many of these rugs still exist today. You can still purchase latch hook rug kits in a wide range of sizes in craft stores or if you prefer you can buy the mesh, rug hooks and yarn separately and make your very own design.

Bathroom Rugs

The main feature of a bathroom rug is the rubber backs that make them slip resistant. Bathroom rugs are typically made of water resistant materials and can easily be tossed into the wash. While most people dislike the idea of using carpeting in the bathroom, bathroom rugs make it easy to get out of the tub without slipping on the wet tile floor. They also work well against the sink and make standing in the bathroom more comfortable, especially if you are bare feet in the winter.

What You Will Need

You will need plenty of cloth to use as the material for your rag rug – in the form of used apparel, rags or old sheets. As far as equipment goes, you will need a large sized crochet hook – 11, for example, a pair of scissors and a ruler.

The Method: Step 1

Keep the cloth you have collected on a table or flat on the ground. Use the scissors to snip off a strip of cloth. Do not cut all the way to the end of the cloth; leave 1 inch of cloth uncut.

Step 2

You must make your next cut 1 ½ inches from your first cut, beginning at the place where you stopped cutting. The two strips you have cut should still be attached to each other. Again, stop cutting 1 inch before the end. Shift up 1 ½ inches and keep cutting strips, leaving the margin of one inch on alternate sides each time you cut a strip.

Step 3

Once you have cut the strips, roll them up into balls and decide how you are going to use the colors to form patterns on your rug.

Step 4

Make a slip knot in one of your strips, and chain six stitches with your crochet hook. Make a slip stitch into the first chain, forming a circle which will be the starting point and centre of your rag rug.

Now make a chain of two stitches and make two new stitches in each of the stitches you already have. Thus you have six stitches in the centre, and twelve in the next circle. You will have to play it by ear as far as the number of stitches for successive circles is concerned. Make sure you do not make your stitches too tight.

Step 5

When you are done with a strip of fabric, you can stitch or tie on the next one to the end.

Step 6

To complete your rag rug, tie the loose hanging end into a loop of the main rug and clip off the tip.

If you find that your rug is becoming wavy or bumpy, you can remove some stitches and miss stitches occasionally to smoothen it out. Adding extra stitches will help make the rug uncurl if it starts to wrinkle up. Make sure your rug is flat as it is being formed.

Making a rag rug is easy and fun – try it out for yourself!

Each rug is handmade. They are made up of countless numbers of knots. These rugs are created by experienced weavers. It could take anywhere from a few months to over a year to create each masterpiece, it depends on how many knots are tied per square inch. Because they are handmade they are very expensive but they are worth every penny.

When shopping for area rugs you will find that there are several different types to choose from. No matter which type you look at there is nothing that compares to a handmade rug.
The different types of area rugs include:

Hand-Knotted Rugs: There is so much time that goes into a hand-knotted rug. The creator uses cotton strings that are tied to a frame. A tuft is created by the looping of pile yarns are placed onto the rug. This process takes so long.

Hand-Tufted Rugs: This type of rug requires stretching the cotton canvas onto a frame and then pushing pile yarns through using a hooking tool. This is cut so it forms a tuft. There are no knots in this type of rug. These rugs do not usually have fringes so they are less expensive than the other rugs.

Flat-Woven Rugs: The process is similar to the other means of making rugs except for when the cotton warps are strung they are threaded back and fourth which can create the flat pile. They can be reversible too. These are considered the least expensive handmade rugs.

It’s important to realize what kind of treasure you have when you own a luxury rug. A luxury rug is often called an heirloom. This type of rug requires careful care.