Feature article from Summer '99 issue of the Oriental Rug Magazine:
In the early years, the designer was usually limited to using rugs his clients had inherited which were generally characterized by traditional reds and blues. These colors were hard to work with, requiring the designer’s utmost imagination and talent. In one instance, he recalls placing a harshly colored rug on top of a garage and leaving it out, rain or shine, until it was bleached out to more pleasing subdued tones!
The designer also recollects the days when every summer rugs were rolled up with mothballs around a bamboo stick and slipcovers draped over furniture. This was all part of an annual ritual when houses were "summerized"—a ritual that is long gone now in most areas of this country. True to his versatility in furnishing styles, Mr. Barrett uses a vast range of rugs—from Sultanabads, Ushaks, Agras, Herizes, and Tabrizes to Aubussons, needlepoints, and Savonneries. He expresses a special appreciation for new Aubussons versus their older counterparts which are less practical from a maintenance standpoint. He has recently developed a strong penchant for vegetable-dyed reproductions from Egypt and for new Tibetan pieces, the latter working very well in his contemporary settings. On a more informal scale, he adores kilims, both Turkish and Bessarabians, in rustic settings such as beach and country houses. He recollects the thrill some years ago of purchasing half a dozen kilims from the covered bazaar in Istanbul. Unlike many of his colleagues, the designer refuses to start with the rug. "This approach is far too ‘matchy’ and contrived for my taste," he states. "I don’t want the rug to dictate the room." Far more exciting, he insists, is to introduce the rug into the room after it has been done for an expected surprise of color. Indeed, he comments: "The best rooms look like they were never done." When selecting rugs, Mr. Barrett focuses primarily on color while he only pays scant attention to provenance and type. Perhaps deterred by the strong harsh colors prevalent in his early years, the designer expresses a strong affinity for mellow hues that one finds in Ushaks or Agras, for example. This conforms to his belief that the rug must be viewed as part of the whole and not as a single element that takes over the room. For Mr. Barrett, oriental and decorative rugs enhance the sense of permanence in a room. Whether he is originating a French 18th century or traditional English or a contemporary scheme, he wants the overall feeling to exude classicism. "Doing rooms today is expensive," he says. "You need to create something permanent that you can add to if desired."
"A salade nicoise" is what the designer likes to call many of his rooms because he loves "to mix it all up" when coordinating rug and furnishing styles and mixing and matching pattern on pattern. "I love pattern over pattern because I simply hate the matchy match look which is far too calculated," states Mr. Barrett. Thus, he sees no limitations whatsoever with respect to using rugs with fabrics, his favorites including cottons, linens, damasks, and silks. While Mr. Barrett prefers placing rugs over wood and marble, he uses them in conjunction with wall-to-wall carpeting particularly in bedrooms. Indeed, an accent rug breaks the monotony of solids. To prevent the rugs from "walking," he simply inserts them into a wall-to-wall cut out and stitches them in.