With Summer just around the corner, the Washington DC showroom of Doris Leslie Blau is showcasing a wonderful assortment of jute, abaca, sisal and worsted wool rugs.

Known around the world for 50 years as one of the most elite dealers in antique and vintage carpets, Doris Leslie Blau also offers a wide variety of new carpets and new area rugs.  Some of the new rugs that we produce are inspired by antique carpets and feature timeless designs. 

Other rugs are inspired by vintage rugs or works of art but are executed with a more modern twist, either in design or color palette. Many of our new rugs were created by top designers and architects exclusively for the Doris Leslie Blau Gallery. The perfect complement to any home, new rugs, in either modern or traditional design, are always in style.  As the current market leader, we have been a major supplier of new rugs for nearly a decade.

See All New Rugs at Doris Leslie Blau

Soft Khotan just installed by the Washington Design Center's Galleria Carpet & Rugs. Beautiful custom made rugs for every type of design.

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 The perfect accent for any room is a rug. Stark has thoughtfully collaborated with the world's most talented rug ateliers and artisans to create STARK Sapphire. With this luxurious new flagship collection, STARK celebrates the beauty, individuality and vitality of the handmade rug.

STARK Sapphire rugs have been meticulously woven in a wide variety of innovative designs and constructions, and rendered in an array of cutting edge color combinations. These woven works of art represent the highest level of rug production available in the world today.

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For House Beautiful March 2016, Designer Garrow Kedigan took readers inside his Montreal home where he pays homage to Canada's fur-trading history with Antilocarpa carpet from STARK to create a dramatic stair runner. This iconic animal pattern is also featured in his sitting room. "It's a great pattern, contemporary but still classic," says Kedigian. Trim painted in glossy Benjamin Moore Black plays up the home's architectural details. Reproductions of artworks by Géricault are featured throughout creating a “Home That's Not Afraid of Dark Colors” as the article’s title proclaims. 

Garrow was born and raised in Montreal, Canada but after completing his formal education, moved to Boston, MA where he gained six years of experience at the renowned offices of interior designer William Hodgins. He then moved to New York City and after working for several design powerhouses in New York, he established his own design firm in 2001.

Garrow’s classically trained architectural background is the foundation for most of his interior design work, stating, “The architecture is what sets the tone and tells you what you need to do with a space.”

In 2013, his Park Avenue apartment which was formerly the home of Fred Astaire was also featured in House Beautiful magazine including the library below, featuring a custom Greek key rug from STARK. Garrow honed the classic elegance of this prewar apartment, while restoring it to a former era of glory, and simultaneously infusing a contemporary undertone. 

"I wanted to have a library before that notion becomes extinct," said Kedigian, "but the shell had to feel contemporary and fun." The solution was a vibrant custom palette in a Fine Paints of Europe Brilliant finish. Curtains of Clarence House Elettra flank a sofa in Scalamandré's Variegation herringbone. A Louis XV fauteuil (a gift from Kedigian's grandmother) retains its original blue velvet, and a neoclassical side chair is updated with Glant Liquid Leather.

What’s more cozy than a steaming mug of hot chocolate by the fireplace after a wintery afternoon of ice skating or skiing? Not only after alpine sports, hot chocolate, or any chocolate, for that matter, is welcome by most folks 24/7.

On a recent trip to Switzerland, I had the opportunity to sample some of the world’s finest chocolate. Deep, rich, and seductively smooth, this hand-made wizardry was a step up (or leap) above my conventional Snickers bar.

You’ve likely read in the past couple of years that dark chocolate has some health benefits, like improving brain function, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and its antioxidant qualities. On top of that, chocolate is a supposed aphrodisiac, fueling the same stimulants we feel when we fall in love. No wonder we love it so.

Looking to indulge in some chocolate? Consider adding some chocolate-hued décor instead of hightailing it towards the truffles. Here’s how to make it work:

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Stark Carpet is pleased to announce the introduction of a new MISSONI HOME rug collection. All rugs are custom made and can be ordered in a variety of textures, construction and fibers including fine wool, wool and silk, wool and viscose, or in pure delicate silk. Lurex is also available in many designs.

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