Poly Impervious
Dover House and Mercantile,
Oh, Suzani
The Company C “Colorful Cultures” wool rug line at Clay & Cotton, 1341 Bardstown Road (456-5536, www.clayandcotton.com), was inspired by the textile collection in the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, N.M. The design shown here is Suzani Turquoise, fashioned after an early-19th-century Central Asian embroidered valance in the museum’s collection. It measures 54 by 78 inches and costs $420. The price range for Company C rugs is $68-$2,995, depending on the size and pattern.
You Say Primitive . . .
Catherine Loehle Burkhead of Primative Rugs (456-5618, primativerugs@aol.com) specializes in hand-dyed wool hooked rugs. Usually featuring at least one animal, most often a horse, they can go on the floor as an area rug or be used as a wall hanging. This one measures 30 by 34 inches and sells for $600. Burkhead’s price range is $400-$700.
Ottoman Oushak
This vegetable-dyed antique Turkish Oushak rug, handmade circa 1910, is available at Frances Lee Jasper Oriental Rugs, 
contemporary rugs and contemporarily made traditional rugs, ranging in price from $350-$68,000. You’ll also find an assortment of objects made using rug fragments, such as chair seats, coasters and padded picture frames.
Sail of the (18th) Century
Contemporary floorcloth designs are based on the historic idea of taking old unbleached 
canvas ship sails and turning them into hand-painted floor coverings. This one, called The Quilt, was made by sisters Patti Raley and Carol Bean of 18th Century Connection (261-0661, eighteenthcenturyco@yahoo.com), who have been practitioners of the art form for the past 13 years. Its dimensions are three by five feet and the price is $325. Other floorcloths by the duo run $120 and up, depending on the size and custom design.
Soft-Sculpting
Sam Kinnaird’s Flooring (www.samkinnairdsflooring.com) has its own custom rug designer, Billy Manning, who has been creating rugs displaying intricate floral, geometric and other images for 15 years. His price range starts at $100, depending on the finished rug size and complexity of the design. Contact him through one of Kinnaird’s three locations:
