Home furnishing supplier Elte is unveiling the latest rugs in its coveted Silk Orchid Collection. Handcrafted in Jaipur by Indian artisans, the 2013 collection is fashioned using innovations in watercolours and a silver wash to create a softer organic look. The unique texture and qualities of the Silk Orchid Collection remain the same, while the new advanced watercolour and silver wash technique soften the characteristics of the rug, creating a gentle splash of colour that enlivens any room.
The Silk Orchid Collection has a long, detailed process that ensures every rug is one-of-a-kind. Made out of recycled sari silk, a single rug can take eight to 10 months to complete. Vintage sari dresses are collected, unravelled and then masterfully hand-knotted into a decorative floor finishing designed by Elte. With an average rug consisting of approximately 100 saris, the Silk Orchid Collection is limited based on the availably of vintage saris, making these pieces rare and distinct.
Hand-knotted by traditional weavers, the creation of a Silk Orchid rug is an ornate and laborious process with approximately two centimeters of rug achieved in an average workday. The rich and varied patterns of the vintage silk saris guarantee no two rugs are alike. Elte has ensured the finest results working with fabric producers, instead of carpet specialists, as they are experts in manipulating sari material.
“The saris are what make the Silk Orchid Collection so special, the colours blend into one another creating unique patterns. We are thrilled to breathe new life into these traditional garments with an end product that is truly like a work of art,” says Jamie Metrick, general manager and buyer, Rugs and Broadloom, at Elte. “We have long developed relationships with our suppliers in Jaipur that separate us from other brands. Our suppliers have been working with the Elte family for decades and we have sourced the finest artisans to create this collection.”
A family-owned business in its fourth generation, the Metrick family personally travels over 50 times a year to source new, distinctive product ensuring the Elte showroom is curated with handpicked items from all over the world.
Elte has teamed with up renowned retailer ABC Carpet and Home to create these special pieces. Considering the limited availability of sari silk, the two companies decided to source materials and develop designs together, sharing ideas and plans so that each company creates the best possible product. In Canada these products are sold by Elte as the Silk Orchid Collection, in the United States ABC Carpet and Home sells the rugs under their Aquasilk label.
For more information, visit elte.com