Pastel Pretty

When one thinks of an ‘oriental’ carpet, what generally first comes to mind is a traditional redand-blue Persian carpet. However, Turkish Ushaks are the complete opposite and can be found in a wide range of pastel colors, some unusual, supplying age and patina without the somberness associated with darker colors. Trends in the home often follow those in fashion; and just as pastels have been popular on the runway, so too have they been in interiors. Pastel-colored carpets and

Try it on

Whenever possible, try a carpet in a room before making a final commitment. Lighting can be very different in a showroom from how it is in your own home. Most dealers will let you keep a potential carpet overnight so that it can be seen in various lighting situations—morning, day, and evening. Think about what time of day you will mainly be using the room and make sure that the lighting accentuates the positive features. But the most important factor is to have an emotional connection to your new carpet and to have a wow moment when you place it on the floor for the first time.

In the adjacent dining room, the designers create a harmonious look by choosing a compatible red-ground Sultanabad carpet with a complementary design and colorway. The overall design of the carpet is the optimal backdrop for a classic pedestal dining table and Regency-style chairs. The Venetian-plaster walls in a terracotta color blend with the carpet for an intimate and enveloping ambiance. Both the Robert Motherwell painting over the mantel and the expressive Lee Krasner echo the movement of the scrolling vinery and stylized floral forms in the carpet for a dynamic dialogue between the walls and floor.

The library in the apartment calls for an afternoon of reading or an intimate cocktail party. Based on a 17th-century “Polonaise” Isfahan design, the circa-1900 Tabriz carpet boasts an interesting range of colors that offsets the wood paneling and leather sofa. The crimson in the carpet is picked up by the velvet accent pillow on the sofa and the stripes in the armchair, while the blues in the carpet are echoed in the gestural painting by Louise Fishman. Although the Tabriz is from a different region in Iran from that of the Sultanabads in the living room and dining room, many of the same colors are repeated, building on a cohesive look for the apartment.