Classic Rug Collection introduces The Luxe Collection with silk and pashmina rugs that can turn any home into a chic retreat.

By Philippa Ellis

The creative energy exuded by Barbara Barran is unmistakable. Not only is the president and designer of Classic Rugs academically accomplished and artistically gifted, but she is a traveler who is able to subtly incorporate her perception of the world and its cultures into each and every one of her pieces. Renowned and admired nationwide, Barran has taken her love of fine, hand-made rugs and transformed it into a thriving business at the forefront of popular interior design. Founded in 1999, Classic Rug Collection and its pieces serve as beautiful documentations of Barran’s own experiences and interests. “Eighty percent of the rugs that we make are one of a kind,” says Barran, “so my work is always challenging.”

Barran recently unveiled Classic Rug’s latest line, The Luxe Collection, to California audiences at the CA Boom Show in Santa Monica. On May 17, Barran will introduce the new line to East Coast patrons at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City. The collection, a series of rugs featuring Eastern-inspired designs, is comprised of pure silk rugs of 300 knots per square inch as well as 150-knot pashmina and silk rugs. Each piece is hand-made in Nepal and culturally infused with the influence of North African, Asian, and Eurasian traditions.

The roots of the Luxe Collection can be traced to Kashgar, China. During a trip to the region four years ago, Barran made a stop on the ancient Silk Road-an interconnected series of trade and cultural transmission routes connecting China to the Mediterranean Sea. These routes are historically central to cultural interactions throughout Asia, linking traders, merchants, and artists alike. For centuries, the Silk Road has been a haven for artistic influence, and Barran’s trip proved to be no exception: “I purchased a small, 330-knot Oriental rug, and it’s been my inspiration for the collection.”

Since returning from this mecca of creativity, Barran has been working on the creation of the Luxe Collection. “To my knowledge, no one else in the U.S. is showing contemporary rugs in silk with this level of quality,” says Barran. The five pure silk rugs feature tone-on-tone designs highlighted with geometric patterns in metallic colors like silver, pewter, bronze, gold, and platinum. The collection includes a range of specific designs like Intrigue, which was inspired by Moroccan carved window patterns; and Turkish, which draws from an Iznik tile pattern. Zen, a hand-knotted rug of 150-knot silk and pashmina, portrays rock patterns in a garden, while Jewel Box, the only vividly colored rug, depicts precious stones in cut silk on a looped platinum field. Bargello,

a 150-knot pashmina and silk piece, will be distributed exclusively through web-based art company 66 Degrees until August 2008.

High quality is Barran’s number one concern; her collection is available in custom sizes, colors, and shapes, with the option of knotting the client’s initials into a corner of the rug at no additional charge. A 6-foot by 9-foot 300-knot silk rug retails for $13,500, or $250 per square foot, while 150-knot silk and pashmina rugs garner $185 per square foot.

To Barran, each rug is a canvas and her inspiration is drawn from the world around her. “I think our company motto sums up my goals: Outstanding Design. Highest Quality. The Ultimate in Personal Service,” a maxim that promises not to disappoint. And with beautiful designs that illustrate her painstaking attention to detail, it would be hard to believe that any of her customers have walked away anything but pleased.

Classic Rug Collection, Inc.
235 E. 60th St., Suite 1
212.832.3338