Once again it is raining outside.  I have water on my mind.  A person recently said, “When Seattle has a mild winter, then summer will be wet” and that is exactly what is happening.  How does all this water affect me?  Sounds of water on the windows, the color of the sky, and the experience of water all leave an impression.

I have increasingly noticed the sounds within interiors.  I have always enjoyed music and even complete silence.  On a recent spring day the interior was quiet until a downpour – the sound so changed my concentration. The rythmic pounding was stimulating.  Have you sat in a screened in porch on a summer’s day while it rained?  Amazing sounds.

The colors of water in the photo above are wide ranging darks and light blues– the energy is refreshing. Here are ways people add water to their lives for the experience that water provides:

Nature captured.

Recreating the outdoors inside.

This wasn’t a home but I had to share how water added to this very stark environment and look at that color!

This is my favorite…water, color, sound…what an experience.  What are the ways you add water color and water sounds to your home?

On a recent trip to Turkey, learning about Anatolian Turkish rugs gave me a broader rug perspective (I was a “Tibetan carpet snob”).

Both countries rugs are the ultimate in buying “green”!  The weavers are creative, hard working local people, shearing sheep that has been locally raised.

The highland sheep’s rich lanolin provides extremely strong wool – making the value of a quality rug actually appreciate in value.  The most prized of the Turkish rugs are the rustic rugs woven in the villages for centuries by the women.

The motifs, symbols, and colors in Turkish rugs are a cultural heritage dating back two thousand years.  These symbols communicate feelings: happiness, dreams, sorrows, hope and wishes of the woman weaver.  Observations of nature take an abstract and symbolic form.

One clue that you have a quality rug:  turn the rug upside down and look at the back.  The more distinctly the design shows on the back, the greater the number of knots, the better quality of rug.  150 knots p/sq inch is “average”, a “fine” rug may have as many a 500 knot count.

A favorite rug shop in Seattle, Driscoll Robbins, carries the most beautiful of rugs.  Check out his website to learn more and see examples of the most beautiful rugs:  http://www.driscollrobbins.com 

The first three below are all from Nepal, a contemporary abstraction of nature – flowers, stones, and last a symbolic reference to nature.  The final three are from Turkey – a more intricate design, rich in color, pattern, and symbolism.

Have any inspirational colors that you want to share?  Do you think you are likely to use that color in your home?  If so let me know by leaving a comment.