I have always had a weird sense of humor. As a child if asked, what I thought was a silly question, I would give a random and what seemed funny to me answer. As a young adult, maybe because I grew up watching episodes of Seinfeld (I mean who didn't laugh literally out loud at Elaine's "The dingo ate my baby") I found myself enjoying the same private game. I know completely immature and not exactly anything I am proud of as an older adult, but still even now I fight the temptation from time to time. Anyway, I share this embarrassing little tidbit only because I absolutely was on the receiving end of someone else's bad joke recently and I had to give them credit for being so...well creative.
As I walked into this beautiful furniture store one of the first things I noticed was a small area rug under a much too big table for the space. I liked the rug and thought in a different space it would really pop. So, I asked the sales associate what the rug was made out of and how well would it wear? Now this is where it gets interesting... as he was talking I lifted a corner of the beautiful rug to look for cost, etc. and found the label said 60% rayon. Rayon (also sold as viscose) is one of the weakest fibers out there. It’s one of the fibers that is used to create artificial silk.
He replied "Pure Silk and silk is the best thing to make a rug out of, it will last you forever. You will pay extra for it, just look how beautiful it is! And if it last you forever, it is money well spent, right? " My response was amused shock and I simply nodded my head and thanked him for his time. Maybe he was bored from a long day of endless questions from customers and this amused him in someway. Maybe the poor guy was misled by whoever trained him, or maybe he was desperate for the sale. Either way, I wasn't as amused or pleased with him as he might have expected. lol
Real silk-Real silk comes from one source-a cocoon of the silkworm. It will either be the bombyx mori, or the wild silkworm. Wild silkworm silk can't be dyed as easily nor bleached. Although silk rugs are very beautiful, silk is very much subject to wear by abrasion. This makes them a poor fiber for rugs that are placed on the floor. Hereke, Turkey still produces some of the finest silk rugs. Their wear ability is one of the reasons why real silk rugs are not being produced in large quantities. Silk is a protein fiber, so perceptible to moth attacks, especially if it has protein substances on it, such as food or drink, urine or animal dander. Silverfish and carpet beetles will also attack it. Long periods of exposure to direct sunlight will have a damaging effect on silk and it can be damaged by acids, bleaches, and alkalis as well. I can keep going, but won't, my point is last forever? I think not. More importantly the rug wasn't even real silk to begin with.
Not only can an interior designer help you avoid buying a fake silk rug, they can also guide you toward the right color and shapes you need to create a beautiful room. Designers are trained to be creative and think outside the box, so their ideas are unique and will tell a story about who you are.
It can be overwhelming sometimes for buyers to go and shop retail sales and this is a good example of why. If you can hire an interior designer or decorator to shop for you or with you, they will direct you away from common purchase mistakes easily made.
Did this article engage you and also enlighten you?~ Trish Whitsell