There’s an interesting yet alarming new trend in interior design – neon dyed oriental carpets. There is no denying the impact these over-dyed oriental rugs can produce. We love the innovative ideas that keep the marketplace fresh and exciting but want clients to be aware of the drawbacks of this process.
First, let’s take a quick look at how your luxurious oriental carpets were made. Depending on the style and size, it takes approximately 14-16 months to completely create such a thing of beauty. Rare natural dyes are utilised that gives off vibrant colours and each strand has been meticulously woven. In the end, you get a high quality carpet which, if given proper care, will last for hundreds of years.
What actually happens in neon dying? Also known as over-dying, this process involves bleaching your carpet so its natural and elegant colours will fade away. After that, harmful synthetic dyes are used to re-colour your carpet. The most commonly used are neon pink and blue. Once done, you get a luminously coloured carpet. Here are a few reasons why you should not follow this trend:
- 1- Style and design come and go. Current interior decorating trends will always influence what looks are ‘in’ and can soon be altered by different fashion ideas or worse, fade away. Traditional designs on the other hand, never really go out of style.
- 2- Value depreciation. While combining traditional style with such lively colours creates an attention-grabbing effect, rugs that are chemically treated may not retain their worth and value for long. By following the neon-dyeing trend, you are blindly agreeing on the terms that neon, as a fashion and style will last forever which is not going to happen. Hence, from an investment standpoint, this is not an ideal choice.
- 3- Over-dying is harmful. It removes that natural oil present in fibres like wool. Think of it as your skin. Without its natural moisture and composition, we would have flaky and dry skin. The same principle applies in bleaching. Hydrogen peroxide and chlorine are common ingredients in bleaching solutions which causes every single fibre to become brittle over time and more susceptible to damage.
