Josh and I went to our last rug flop last night. I didn’t take any photos — too busy soaking it all in. The smell of the wool, the motes that fly as each carpet is flopped on the top of the pile, the velvety feel of expensive silk . . . At the end of the evening we had 3 carpets that we were considering, but there was one that had caught my eye back in the shop about a month before when I went browsing while Josh was away in the US. He tells me to buy whatever I want, but I’m terrible at committing to large purchases, so I intended to go back into the shop with him when he came back, but hadn’t had time.
We decided against buying a carpet at the flop and chose go to the shop the next morning, hoping that the heavy wool one that I had my eye on hadn’t been snapped up yet.
Once Josh saw it (and walked on it) the decision was easy.
The color here is pretty accurate, but the background is navy, rather than black. Sage, olive, rust, cream, and pale blue blended together in beauty. It’s so thick and plush and huge that it took 3 of us to carry it upstairs. It’s a beast of a carpet that will hold up to kids and pets and can be washed with water if something spills on it.
Of course the danger of being in a carpet shop is that there’s no end to the beauties on display. One of the “holy grails” of rugs is a Qum/Qom (pronounced koom). A Persian city known for its excellent carpets made of high quality materials and fine workmanship, at every flop these amazing 100% silk pieces are displayed with their tiny knots, intricate designs, and vibrant colors (with exclusive prices to match).
We’d always said a Qum was on our “someday” carpet list, but we hadn’t done much more than admire from afar. But with our time in Bahrain coming to a close, when Abdul asked if we wanted to look with “no pressure,” we knew it was probably inevitable.
As he flipped through the stack, Josh pointed out the ones he liked best and I stayed a few steps back, happy with my hardy wool carpet and in denial that we might make the plunge into silk. There are many different popular designs for this kind of carpet: floral patterns, hunting scenes, trees with branches intertwined, and Josh’s favorite, the dome. This design mimics the ceiling of a domed mosque with peacock feather shaped tiles that fan out from a center star.
The turquoise with the red and gold accents was the clear winner. Just like the wool carpets, the silk pieces look different depending on which angle they are viewed from. Above is the color from the light side.
And from the dark side. I didn’t actually get proper photos of it because I wasn’t sure we were actually getting one and then we left it at the shop to get hanging loops sewn onto it. No way this one is going on the floor!
I’m sure Josie thinks we’re crazy since every few months we come home with a new carpet or two and move all the existing ones around the house to make room for the new additions. Camille was excited because I told her I needed to put one of my runners in her room and she thought that meant it was a carpet for running on. Sure, why not?
Everyone says everything is more expensive in Abu Dhabi, including carpets, so I figure anything we buy here is just saving ourselves money next year. This year is Persian carpets, next year will be trips to IKEA.
