Merida


2
Sep 10

Audrey Drought Design, Inc. Puts a Contemporary Spin on a Traditional Space

Links area rug in family room

Nestled amid beautiful mature oak trees in a prominent Houston, Texas, neighborhood, this traditional Red Brick Georgian architecture residence offers an delightfully unexpected interior. Audrey Drought Design, Inc. rose to the challenge of incorporating their client’s bold contemporary style into this beautiful, traditional setting for a look that is at once dramatic and cozy.

This sophisticated and efficient space features perfectly proportioned furniture in an overall neutral palette. Pops of color and an exciting variety of shapes, sizes and textures add warmth and visual interest to the space. For added dramatic impact the room features intricate moldings, twelve foot ceilings and an abundance of natural light.

With its traditional construction and bold, unique pattern, Merida’s Links area rug was the perfect compliment to this contemporary yet traditional interior. The repetitive, soothing pattern helps create an intimate and inviting space. We love what Audrey Drought Design, Inc. has done and admire their consistent ability to put a fresh spin on traditional interiors throughout the country.

Houston, Texas, based Audrey Drought Design, Inc.. is active in residential and commercial Interior Design projects throughout the country.

Click here to view Merida’s Links sisal rug featured above >
Click here to request samples of Merida’s Links sisal rug >
Click here to begin a Links quote for your next project >

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27
Aug 10

Caring For Your Veledo Recycled Leather Floor

Congratulations on your new Veledo recycled leather floor. With its striking appearance and durable construction we’re sure you’re going to love your Veledo floor for a long time. Following our simple care and maintenance advice you can make your Veledo leather floor look even better and keep it in great shape, even in busy or commercial settings.

Care and Maintenance Tools

To care for Veledo it has been prefinished with the best performing, award winning, safest and most eco-friendly option available – OSMO Polyx Oil. OSMO products are easy to apply, low-VOC, and look fantastic. OSMO PolyxOil uses two natural hard waxes: candelilla and carnauba in addition to natural, renewable oils such as sunflower, soybean and thistle oil.

These products are highly effective and safe. They conform to strict European standards for health and purity and are safe for humans, plants and animals when dry. We were pleasantly surprised at the lack of odor we usually associate with stains and waxes. Originally formulated for hardwood, they work extremely well on Veledo Leather floors as well.

Here is what you need to maintain your floor:

  1. OSMO Optiset mop
  2. OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner
  3. OSMO Easy Wax Maintenance Cloths
  4. OSMO Wash and Care Concentrate Solution

Where to Purchase

Osmo products are available through Merida but are also readily available through retailers such as Ecohaus and Amazon.com.

1. After Laying the Flooring

After laying flooring remove all loose dirt with the dust mop head (green fluffy) of your OSMO Optiset mop. In the event of heavier soiling on the flooring you may damp mop (not wet!) with the terrycloth head on your OSMO Optiset mop. (Use OSMO Wash & Care diluted with water) Immediately wipe dry with a clean dry cloth.

2. Initial Care (Absolutely Necessary)

Merida Veledo can be walked on immediately after laying. Please observe that initial care is absolutely necessary. Apply a thin layer of OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner to the dry and clean Veledo flooring and after drying, lightly polish with the microfiber head on your OSMO Optiset Mop, clean dry lint free cloths or electric polisher. It is sufficient, especially for smaller areas, to also use an absorbent, soft cloth.

3. Ongoing Cleaning and Care

When cleaning always make sure, when possible, to only dry mop (with an Optiset mop, vacuum or hand broom) or slightly damp mop (with a wrung out cloth) and not leave puddles on the floor. Never allow Merida Veledo to remain moist or wet for any length of time.

As a rule, it is sufficient to use a slightly damp mop with OSMO Wash & Care cleaner for ongoing cleaning. This loosens grease and dirt, leaves no streaks or build-up, retains the product wear-resistance and provides lasting care.

Coarse dirt and sand act like sanding paper and should therefore be removed from the surface. Even surfaces treated with OSMO Polyx Oil are subject to natural wear, respective of load. For this reason Merida Veledo should be regularly treated with OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner (1/2 tsp. for approx. 9 sq ft) on an ongoing basis and may be used generally (over the entire floor) or in specific areas of higher wear (OSMO Easy Wax Maintenance Cloths are perfect for repairing small scuffs).

This care provides Merida Veledo with wear resistance, durability and water-resistant properties. This facilitates regular maintenance cleaning and lends the floor an appealing silky luster. The care schedule for using OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner is based on the color and design as well as the degree of wear (see list):

  • Floors with low wear (e.g. living rooms and bedrooms) as needed roughly every 4 – 6 months
  • Floors with normal wear (e.g. corridors, hallways) as needed every 1 – 3 months
  • Floors with heavy wear (e.g. restaurants, shops) as needed every 2 – 3 weeks

Please also observe the instructions for use for OSMO Polyx Oil and Liquid Wax Cleaner.

4. Repairing the finish in Small Spots

Gently smooth over small scratches and scrapes with fine sandpaper. Remove all residual debris. Then, saturate the spot with OSMO Polyx Oil, allow time to penetrate and finally wipe away any excess with a clean, dry cloth. After approx. 5 – 6 hours sand lightly and treat spot with OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner.

Important Information:

Cloths soaked with OSMO Polyx Oil and Liquid Wax Cleaner should be rinsed out or spread out to dry (danger of spontaneous combustion). Afterward they can be put out with the household rubbish. Dry Clean only (sweeping or vacuuming) for the first few weeks after laying the flooring.

In order to prevent scratches, attach felt sliders beneath furniture, especially chairs and armchairs. When using office chairs mount soft casters that are intended for use on hard surfaces. In the event that heavy use of chair casters is expected, we recommend using a suitable office chair mat.

Do not use scouring powder or abrasive cleaning agents.

In general the following applies: Reduce dirt already in the entryway by using a sufficient number of large dirt-trapping mats.

Room Climate: Important! The optimum room climate for Merida Veledo as well as your own comfort lies between 50 % and 65 % relative humidity with an ambient temperature of roughly 65-70°, since Veledo is a product with natural materials. For this reason there are also slight color deviations possible from different batches or from the collection samples.

We would like to advise you to the best of our ability with these guidelines based upon our practical experience and tests. In the event that your Merida Veledo incurs damage during care and cleaning as a result of non-adherence to these general instructions, we accept absolutely no liability. We would be glad to answer any questions you may have, simply give us a call.

We are confident that you will have many years of enjoyment with your Merida Veledo when you adhere to our guidelines.

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23
Aug 10

Perfectly Pure!

As many of you know, our new Pure rug collection launched this week and is officially off the ground! This collection has been a long time in the making, but after two years of development with our partners in Belgium, Pure is finally here – and it was well worth the wait.

Our Pure Collection marks another innovative leap forward for Merida as our first 100% natural, compostable wool rug. Made from 100% un-dyed wool, Pure comes in five naturally occurring sheep colors and has a natural Jute backing. I was shocked to compare the difference between the back of a Pure rug and the back of a synthetic rug…it just looked so much healthier.

Now, I know what you’re thinking; there must be a hefty price-tag that comes along with a natural, organic rug that has a beautiful traditional construction. As it turns out, after years of troubleshooting this issue we finally hit the nail on the head. At one of our best price points to date (retailing around $6.64 per square foot), these rugs won’t break your bank.

Available as area rugs or for wall-to-wall installations, these rugs have low VOC-emissions and are a great way to naturally carpet family rooms, playrooms, nurseries, and bedrooms.

So what’s behind the name “Pure”?

Pure Collection by Merida

Pure Stone rug in wall-to-wall application

We wanted to select a name for Pure that truly conveyed the most incredible part of these rugs, being that they are 100% natural, biodegradable, and compostable. We came up with a lot of different ideas, from “Breathe”, to “Serene” (for its calm, peaceful and worry free nature), to “GeaCare” (gea is Latin for earth, and care since this product represents caring for the world we live in).
Ultimately we decided that the name “Pure” sums things up nicely. The materials in this collection are in their purest, natural state. They have not been treated with chemicals, they are 100% un-dyed, and they contain no harmful glues. They are 100% pure!

Learn more about the Pure Collection >
Order samples of Pure >
Start a Pure rug quote >

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26
Jul 10

Maegan Ties the Knot with a Creative Twist on Colors

Some of you may know me as Maegan Fee, Merida’s Creative Director. I’m now Maegan Gaffey after my June 19th, 2010 wedding at the Newagen Seaside Inn on Southport Island, Maine. It was a weekend event where all family and friends were welcome to stay at the beautiful inn filled with an itinerary of fun activities!

At Merida I’m constantly staying on top of color trends and bringing them into our products. I took the same approach with designing my wedding and I wanted to share the inspiration behind the design. I’m thrilled with how all the elements came together and my vision for a refreshing twist on a vintage inspired wedding came to life!

With this vision, I was able to pick my colors and start designing the details. My palette consisted of Fuchsia and Turquoise as the bold tones, and Chartreuse, Black and Gold as the accents. I started with the creation of my invitations and allowed those elements to tie everything else together.

The pattern that covers the invitation actually was influenced by the bridesmaids dresses. I wanted to showcase this pattern on the invitation to give guests a sneak peak of what was to come. Inside, was a fabric wallet created to hold all the important information for the weekend such as, the Itinerary, Map and RSVP Card. My hope was that guests would actually use the wallets throughout the weekend and eventually have a keepsake afterward.

I chose to work with talented local artists to help in the creation of the invitation. I worked closely with Cassandra Flinn, a graphic designer out of Rhode Island, to come up with a unique style and layout. The fabric wallet was created by Carrie Saunders from Anna Street Studio. Both artists were awesome to work with and were open to my ideas as well as contributing theirs to come up with an incredible presentation!

The bridesmaids were all very excited about the bold, patterned, nontraditional dress I found for them at Anthropologie. I kept their flowers and hair simple and clean to allow the dress to breathe.

Peonies in a bright fuchsia popped and made for a strong statement against the bold pattern. I accessorized each with a peonies hair clip, and a topaz pendant and earrings from Sarah Richardson’s jewelry collection, Pebble. Their bouquets were all wrapped with fuchsia ribbon and sealed with a vintage rhinestone pin I found at various shops throughout Maine.

The rest of the wedding party all represented the bight pink and turquoise either in their attire or as an accessory. Carrie used the remaining material and ribbon from the fabric wallets and created a matching ring pillow, which was a great way to bring the elements together.

I even had my own pink accessories to fit in with the rest! As for my Monique Lhuillier dress, I feel in love with the vintage lace and sleek silhouette. I thought it worked perfectly into my theme!

The Inn was the ideal backdrop with it’s clean lines and classic architecture. Located right on the point of the Island, the scenery was amazing! We worked with an incredible photographer, Robin Nathan, who captured my vision beautifully. The detail and pops of color really came through her photos to help tell the story.

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