Kristina Crestin: Custom Rug Colors Made Easy

The world of decorating can be so exciting, so many resources, so many options. That is true, until you realize your working away, making decisions and placing orders and one of the final pieces you can’t find a darn thing to coordinate with!

Such is the case on a current project where we built our living room and kitchen palette around this great Angela Adams rug, “Spike.” It had the color tones we were looking for, it was modern and it was fun. Sofas and chairs fell into place, window seat fabric fell into place. We were feeling great until we realized there wasn’t a stair runner carpet to be had that could coordinate nicely.

That’s where custom comes in. I’ve been eyeing some flat-weave stripe stair runners that Landry & Arcari brought in about a year ago – though I didn’t particularly find the colors they had fit my clients’ palettes too well. Until I discovered the rugs could be ordered in custom colors. Landry & Arcari has this new investment, the ARS Color Reference System which blows my mind. Weavers all over the world use this same sampling of colors – the equivalent of a Pantone color set for the world of rug design. Designers can work with the set of in-store pom samples (pictured below) to choose the perfect shade for a rug. Plus, the pom systems works with pretty much any of their vendors. What an education. The case the poms are stores in actually looks like something you would transport money in – it actually has a briefcase lock! I got to break into the case and play with the poms and work through some color palette ideas. I am now working through some custom striping design ideas. What fun!

Landry & Arcari has two locations, one in Boston and one on the North Shore in Salem.

-Kristina Crestin

Kristina Crestin is an interior designer working in the Boston and North Shore area offering interior design and decorating to primarily residential clients. Check out her newest spread ‘Lakeside Lovely’ in the newest New England Home Issue, July/August 2013.