I’ve been accused of only liking seagrass for floor coverings and that really is not true. Yes, I do think seagrass is a perfect material – it’s very inexpensive, it adds wonderful texture and color, and it’s tremendously low maintenance - pet stains and spills are easily cleaned up. But, seagrass is not the most comfortable floor covering, I’ll admit, and sometimes a room just calls for the subtle pattern and color that only a more traditional area rug can give.
My favorite area rugs are antique oushaks, but the reproductions can also be fabulous and much more affordable. I also love dhurris, especially striped ones (as in blue and white, of course!) What I really don’t care for are the oriental red and navy blue rugs that we all grew up with and still have, mostly inherited from our grannies. The red and navy rugs worked great when we all decorated in jewel tones or we had that famous red dining room. But, decor has lightened up and area rugs had to change their colors to keep up with the softer design themes. Today, these reproduction area rugs are available in light beiges and ivories with patterns that are sometimes barely discernable. To achieve an authentic looking reproduction, these rugs are dyed, tea stained, and some are even shaved with electric razors to achieve faux worn areas.
One of Houston’s premier rug dealers is Matt Camron Rugs & Tapestries. Owned by Matt Esfahni, the company opened its doors in 1980 in the tony River Oaks area. Today, their showrooms are found in Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Scottsdale and in the Nancy Corzine showrooms in L.A. and NYC. Matt is an expert in rugs and his product is used in many upscale projects throughout the United States.
Recently two large design projects in Houston used Matt Camron rugs extensively – and I was lucky to obtain some beautiful professional photographs to share with you. The first set of photos come from the Pink Ribbon House in Houston, a popular showcase that benefits breast cancer research at Baylor College of Medicine. The second large project was the Houston house in House Beautiful recently: the work of Babs Watkins, Julie Watkins and Eleanor Cummings. I shared a few pictures from that house when talking about Eleanor Cummings, but these new photographs are so large and luscious, I couldn’t resist showing them to you, because I’m just nice that way!
Hopefully, looking at these two projects will give you further insight into the benefits of using area rugs. And, I’ll get off the hook for only pushing seagrass! This should please my anti-slipcover/seagrass commenter/stalker immensely!!!
Raymond Aldrete took the photographs from the Pink Ribbon House and Kerri McCaffety took the photographs of the Watkins/Cummings house.
The first project that Matt Camron rugs are seen is the Houston Pink Ribbon Showcase house which benefits breast cancer research at Baylor College of Medicine. Many of Houston’s top designers decorated the different rooms of this newly built home. This year, the stucco and stone house was designed by Hollenbeck Architects and built by Levitt Partnership. The house is currently for sale, available HERE.
The main living room and dining room in the Pink Ribbon house were both designed by Julia Blailock of Blailock Designs. This rug is an antique Tabriz from Matt Camron. I love how Blailock pulled out the soft taupes and blues in the rug to use in her design. All wall finishes in the Pink Ribbon house are by Segreto Finishes owned by the uber-talented and very sweet Leslie Sinclair. Leslie’s own living room has a Matt Camron rug and is featured further down.
Another view of the formal living room with the antique Tabriz rug. The photograph over the sofa looks so interesting – does anyone know who the artist is?
The formal dining room, also by Julia Blailock, features another antique Tabriz rug from Matt Camron. The dining room has a wonderful limed wood table with a curvy French iron base. I adore the large check fabric used on the chairs.
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Looking towards the kitchen and foyer.
In this picture from the blog Love Where You Live, I love how you can see two of the four painted wood columns that Segreto Finishes did. Love the painted iron sconces too! The dining room is probably my favorite room in the showhouse, it’s so young and fresh looking.
Suzanne Duin designed the family room, kitchen, and outside porch. Here, the rug is a Matt Camron antique blue oushak. I absolutely love the sofa with its scalloped back. Suzanne is known for country French decor and she always has a large selection of pillows made of antique textiles in her store Maison Maison.
Looking from the kitchen back into the family room. I love that wood counter top stained dark!
The kitchen features a number of yellow striped dhurris from Matt Camron. Notice how Duin placed a complementary yellow check on the bar stools that also picks up the yellow in the backsplash. Beautiful island.
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A close up of the tiled backsplash and carved farm sink.
Duin also designed the back porch which includes another dhurri from Matt Camron.
Interior designer Leslie Strauss decorated two bedrooms, including this one with an antique oushak from Matt Camron. This rug is particularly beautiful I think. I love the dark gray paint on the walls.
The other bedroom designed by Leslie Strauss.
Here is a closeup of the rug from Matt Camron that Strauss used in this bedroom. I really like the subtle colors in this rug – you can barely make out the hints of persimmon and blue.
For more pictures from the Pink Ribbon House, please visit the blog Love Where You Live!
The Living Room – Whoa.
The second major project in Houston that used Matt Camron rugs is this house featured in House Beautiful. I recently showed a few pictures of this house on an article about designer Eleanor Cummings, who shares design credits with Babs Watkins and Julie Watkins Baker. Matt Camron sent me these gorgeous photographs to show their rugs looking their best. I am in love with house! It is SO gorgeous! I want to move in here – with all the furniture included, of course!!! The antiques are to die for and I especially love the way the soft blues flow throughout the rooms. Notice how this 1920s Oushak rug adds so much to the design of the living room. This room is so beautiful with its matching sofas, the small French chair in blue, the glorious hydrangeas, the blue painted antique Swedish cabinet filled with creamware, the curtains! The rug picks up the colors of the room so softly – notice that all the upholstery fabrics are plain – the pillows and the rug are the only pattern in this room. I could stare at this picture for hours.
In this picture, you can see a close up of the rug as it is between the two sofas. I love antique tea tables instead of coffee tables. And, look at that wonderful collection of blue opaline and Baccarat boxes!! I also collect blue opaline. To read my story about this antique accessory, go HERE. But the star here in this photograph is the chandelier – you can really see how stunningly beautiful the Italian tole chandelier is with it’s touch of blue! OMG! It is beyond gorgeous!!!!!
More exquisiteness: this tapestry is also from Matt Camron. It truly “makes” this room. Everything else is so simply finished to allow the tapestry to remain the focal point. The table is a plain skirt, the cushions on the Swedish chairs are muted with just a tiny welting detail. The curtains are also a solid silk – but they are so full and luscious. I know I keep using that word, but there is no other way to describe curtains like these: they are perfection!! Notice the top detailing!!! The rug, also from Matt Camron, is a Sivas. It is muted, allowing the tapestry to remain the focus. Those candlesticks! Amazing. Babs Watkins – the best Houston EVER had. EVER. What a true, talented force. Is this room even in Houston? It looks like it could be an apartment in Rome or Venice!
Kill Me Dead. Please. Those curtains! That settee! The mirror! The pillows! THOSE DOORS!!!!!! This is a hallway, people. Think about that. This is the hallway leading to the master bedroom. Shouldn’t all hallways be this glorious???? The rug, from Matt Camron, is a Khotan – the light blue continues the color scheme – the pop of red is a surprise seen here and there throughout the house.
The library furniture is all antique: an Empire chaise and a Louis XV revival sofa. The mantel is from the south of France. The rug from Matt Camron is a Serapi.
A close up of the library rug.
The master bedroom, is again a gorgeous space, with more Nancy Corzine fabric on more “luscious” curtains. And the rug, this time a Tabriz, is from Matt Camron. It is, again, the only pattern in the room.
The view across the bedroom.
Here is a close up of the bedroom’s painted door and the rug. The pinks and blues of the rug are picked up in the bedding.
A huge thank you to Matt Camron for sending all these photographs today!
Leslie Sinclair, who owns Segreto Finishes, also has a Matt Camron Oushak in her house. This is her beautiful French styled living room. Segreto did all the finishes on the Pink Ribbon Showhouse and they do many of the finishes on the best houses around Houston and all over the U.S. Sinclair’s company is tops in the field and her plaster finishes are the best there are. Leslie’s house is wonderful. She uses her house as a way to show clients different techniques and you can see here the murals she painted on the walls and the ceiling. The rug, again, is neutral and soft – just subtly adding pattern and color to the room.
So, from now on, I can no longer be accused of only endorsing seagrass! I’m branching out. Actually, I have placed quite a few rugs in clients’ houses like these shown today. Here are a few pictures to prove it:
In this large bedroom/study we used two reproduction rugs in complimentary color ways. Segreto Finishes did the wall treatment here too. All the upholstery including the bench came from Custom Creations HERE.
In the study part of the room, I used a brown toned rug.
A bigger view of the smaller area rug.
In this large high-rise, I used several area rugs that again, complimented each other in color, but didn’t match.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing the rugs that Matt Camron has available. Remember, these rugs come in all price points – from the expensive antique, to the much more reasonable reproduction!! And also remember, rugs can be customed to fit your decor. To contact Matt Camron, go HERE.
PSST: We are now having a Skirted Roundtable giveaway – go here: www.skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com