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Homewares

Online shopping: Hassle-free, gorgeous rugs from Miss Amara

I made a new online shopping discovery recently so I thought it would be mean not to share! Is it me or is shopping for nice rugs in Australia much harder than it should be?! There’s a lot of cheap rugs out there, a lot of rug stores which are apparently always having a closing down sale (for like, years!) and then some absolutely stunning but crazily expensive options. What about the middle ground?! The quality but affordable, nice looking rugs?

Neutral and bold: Two of my favourite rugs from Miss Amara

They’re at Miss Amara and they’re online! And while you might be thinking you could never buy a rug online without seeing it first, don’t fret, because if you don’t like it when it arrives, Miss Amara cover all the costs of returning it to them as well as give you a full refund. We love this! And the fact they offer free styling advice, with no obligation, so you can be sent curated rug selections just for you. And if you’re still not sold: FREE DELIVERY. On everything.

Without further ado, I thought I’d share 10 of my favourites from Miss Amara.

This style of rug, the Durisdeer Tribal Braided Wool Rug, has been popular for a while now and doesn’t look like it’s going out of vogue any time soon. From $494.

A touch traditional without being too traditional, this Attu Cobalt Blue Floral Transitional Rug would suit a lot of homes. From $238.

Want to splurge a little more on a designer rug and make it the wow piece of your room? How about this Brink & Campman number, the Ibiza Costa, in cotton and jute? It’s a few current trends in one really, and sure to be popular with the colour lovers! From $1,013.

I love the texture in this Vaasa Grey Felted Wool Hand Knotted Rug. It’s neutral without being bland and will add texture and warmth to a room. Plus, it’ll go with almost everything. And if you’re colour averse, it means you can still get a rug that’s not boring! From $456.

Flatweave rugs are a great way to add a shot of pattern and/or colour to your room and make a statement. Miss Amara have these in spades. You can never go wrong with black and white, like this Rennes Lattice Wool Kilim, but they literally have every colour you can imagine and many patterns from geometric to stripes, tiles, chevron and more organic designs. This one’s from $404.

The Arica Charcoal Cotton and Natural Jute rug takes our old favourite jute and puts a darker spin on it. The contrasting border is a nice effect too. Jute is super practical and hardwearing and if you want natural fibres in your home, this is a great pick. It’s also economical, from $195.

I’m not sure the cowhide rug will ever go out of fashion and Miss Amara have them in a variety of colours from $656. I can tell you from experience that they are great under dining tables and spills wipe straight off!

The Jaipur Pink Seeds Dhurrie, is the perfect little girl’s nursery choice without being too sickly sweet or bright. Lovely! It could of course also work in grown-up rooms. From $404.

The perfect kiddy-but-not-garish rug, the Narnia Grey and White Clouds Kids Rug (also comes in blue), from $209.

Last but not least, another investment piece choice. If you fancy a work of art for your floor, might I present the stunning Bluebellgray Cait rug? Swoon. From $1,990.

It was really hard to stop at 10 as there really are so many options. You’ll just have to go and check them out for yourselves. Also worth mentioning is their great range of larger rugs (400 x 300cm) which can be really hard to find under the $1,000 mark. I know in the past I’ve had to settle for jute because the options were either too expensive or in limited colours, to fill a bigger room. And we all know bigger is better when it comes to rugs (no arranging everything around the rug, please!).

I love how this young business (they launched three years ago) are making rug shopping hassle-free. One of the hardest things about rug buying is being able to visualise something (size, colour, pattern) in the context of your space and other furniture and homewares. Being able to try before you buy, knowing you can return a rug at no cost if it doesn’t suit, is priceless!

Shop Miss Amara online.

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Bedrooms Designers Furniture Homewares Interviews Kids Rooms

little P, the new name in good looking and feeling kid’s rugs

Having four children of her own, Philippa Anderson always had an interest in creating something for kids. Already running Palmer Studio, a business specialising in bespoke rugs, it was on a trip to India to visit her mills that the idea for her ‘baby’ business, little P came about.

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“Visiting India last year with my then eight-month-old in tow, I came up with the idea for little P,” explains Philippa. “Babies and kids need a soft place to play and there seemed to be very few options. Many kids rugs are machine-made or acrylic, don’t offer any cushioning, don’t use the best quality fibres and often have very tacky designs! I was keen to create something hardwearing but also soft and beautiful that could really enhance a kids’ play or bedroom space.”

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Choosing 100% New Zealand wool, the softness and length of the fibres means the rugs are exceptionally durable, have a natural resistance to dirt and soiling and are soft underfoot. Providing a safe and comfortable environment for children to play on, they are also good for the environment, being 100% renewable, biodegradable and recyclable. Yet little P’s rugs don’t only do good they also look good! “I established this business most simply to create a beautiful collection of rugs for children’s interiors. While not bespoke, we produce a limited range of designs and produce on a small and manageable scale to avoid wastage. And because the little P rugs are handmade, the designs are all customisable so we can change colour or size to suit different spaces.”

little p

little p

Keen to keep little P on trend, Philippa will be adding some new designs and colours in 2016. “As we don’t mass produce and are not limited by order quantities, we can keep our range interesting with each collection somewhat ‘limited edition’. This means we will be adding some beautiful additions in the new year and that all of the designs in my head will eventually turn into a rug, which is exciting!”

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Having launched mid this year, little P is already a proven success, recently adding Project Nursery in the USA as one of their stockists. A testament to the appeal of the collection and the value of design and quality going hand in hand for children’s products, little P gets even better thanks to Philippa’s philanthropic focus. “We are very proud of the fact that all of our products are made with very well established mills in traditional rug-making communities in Asia, all of which are certified with Care and Fair. This ensures protection against child labour being used, as well as the funds going back to these communities to help support health and educational initiatives.”

Shop online.

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Bedrooms Designers Homewares Kids Rooms

10 great rugs for kids rooms

Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE Armadillo and Co rugs for kids rooms (and Jen has one at home). But it’s safe to say they’ve been the rugs of the moment for, well, significantly longer than a moment. Years! So if you’re looking for an alternative, check out our top 10 below.

With a bold triangle pattern in a contrasting palette of pinks, blues, charcoals and eggplant, the Harlequin Rug will add a playful pop of colour to your kid’s room. Available from Arro Home, it is 100% cotton, measures 120x180cm and retails for $350.Colorful-woven-rug-with-geo-trianglesHand-woven on a loom by Indian artisans, the abstract Zeta Kilim Rug ($299) from Olli Ella is fair trade and made from New Zealand wool. Fresh, warm and rich in colour, it measures 100x140cm.

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Available in a range of colours and two sizes (91x152cm and 152x244cm), the Addison Rug from Pottery Barn Kids is richly textured with a high-cut trellis design. Featuring a hand-tufted blend of pure Indian and New Zealand wool, prices start from $199. It’s the classic option.

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Hand crocheted from the finest 100% cotton yarn, the Dolly Rug ($250) from La De Dah Kids can be used as a floor rug or a beautiful bed throw. With a diameter of approximately 120cm, it is available in a wide range of colours, our favourite being the mint and metallic silver.

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The original Down To The Woods Freckle Rug is carefully handmade in Nepal, meaning no two are exactly the same. Made from 100% pure New Zealand wool, it is oh so lovely to look at, but even more lovely to feel underfoot. Coming in two sizes: 100cm and 140cm, prices start at $400.

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This too cute Don’t Forget To Dream Bear Rug designed by Bloomingville (and available through Leo & Bella) is durable and practical, yet whimsical enough to support your child’s wild imagination. Made from cotton and measuring 120x60cm, it retails for $99. Screen Shot 2015-10-06 at 12.38.27 pmOn sale, the Kip and Co Pastel Croc Dhurrie Rug from Shelter 7 is available for the affordable price of $292.50. Hand woven from 100% cotton in India, it measures 120x180cm.

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The Stef Cloud Rug is a contemporary and fun. Handmade using 100% felted wool, it is available in two sizes (74x52cm and 120x80cm) and many colours. Prices start from $59.99.

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Available for the bargain price of $49.95, the Floor Filla Rug is perfect for the on-trend, monochrome look. Designed by Cotton On, it measures 150x190cm.

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Brand new, the Doughnut Felt Ball Rug is sweet deliciousness in a rug! Available from Happy As Larry Designs, the 100cm diameter retails for $399.

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We hope you found this list useful. Let us know what you’d add!

Categories
Kids Rooms

Product picks for an eco-friendly kids room

By Emma McDonald

With the rise of the more conscious, sustainable consumer — think fair trade, organic and environmentally friendly — some talented interior designers have been busy turning their creative minds to designing products with this ethos in mind. There are some truly beautiful homeware products available today, created by designers who place sustainability and fabulous design on equal footing.

We decided to go shopping, and style an eco-friendly kids bedroom. By sourcing sustainable products, not only are you purchasing a beautiful and often unique piece, but you’re purchasing their story, and we love our products having good ones. So happy shopping, conscious shopper. Your kids’ bedroom will look amazing!

For the floor

Armadillo & Co are an Australian rug company who create wonderful floor coverings. Their artisan weavers are seen as integral part of their design process, using generations old, hand weaving techniques. As well as providing fair trade working conditions for their weavers, they also support education programs for the children in the villages. The Armadillo & Co Junior Collection comes in a range of bright, wonderful colours.

Armadillo-kids

Junior Collection Carnival Stripe in Orange and Junior Collection Braid Weave in Pink