Interior Decorator Harry Cushing Shares His Thoughts About Buying Antique Carpets
What do decorators look for when shopping for antique rugs? Who would be better to answer that than one of New York’s finest young up and coming interior decorator Harry Cushing of Harry Cushing and Company? He was nice enough to share his thoughts with us:
“To us an antique carpet is a living thing that reflects a rich history. It was made by hand often by a single artisan (sometimes with the help of family members) who had to depended on the materials that were available to them at any given time. Depending on size and intricacy of design many antique carpets took years to complete. In some instances the carpet was made in more than one place as it started in one location and then the fabricator moved to another. Sometimes particular yarns or dyes were available at the beginning of the process but were not available at the end. When completed, the carpet’s design, texture, color reflected all these variables as well as environmental conditions. So in addition to the more obvious characteristics that one looks for such as size, color and design we have a great appreciation for the way in which a carpet’s history is represented through its visual appearance. We love interesting color combinations and color variations (even from one end of the carpet to the other), indications of a hand-made product, (reasonable) signs of wear and the many characteristics that result in the representation of a warm, hand-made, living work of art.”
This interior designer spotlight was published by the Nazmiyal Collection which is located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City.
