Rug Design Tips

How does a 1902 Frank Lloyd Wright designed house, operated as a museum, stay in top condition for tours? The Illinois state-owned Dana-Thomas house in Springfield calls upon rug designer Jerry Krull to design Prairie style area rugs for sale by the house’s Dana-Thomas House Foundation. Profits from rug sales are used to help fund preservation and educational programs of the Foundation.

“After Jerry donated one of his beautiful area rugs for one of our fundraising auctions, we asked him to design some rugs for exclusive sale through the Foundation’s gift shop and our website” stated Regina Albanese Executive Director of the Dana-Thomas House Foundation in Springfield, IL.

Krull, through his business, Aspen Carpet Designs – Mokena, IL has been designing rugs since 1993. “With my love of Prairie School architecture made popular by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries, I created a niche in rug designs that complement the linear and geometric style of Prairie and Craftsman style interiors,” Krull said.

“The turn-of-the-century decorating styles are having a resurgence. Prairie, Mission, and the Craftsman Bungalow style of simple clean lines and natural earth-toned colors are a growing interior décor trend,” explained Krull. “Being asked to design rugs for a Wright home museum is an honor, and I hope they will help the Foundation continue to raise the funds necessary for preserving the home and continuing its educational programs.”

The Dana-Thomas House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902 for Susan Lawrence Dana, a socialite living in Springfield, Illinois. The home, the 72nd building designed by Wright, contains the largest collection of site-specific, original Wright art glass, and furniture. The home has 35 rooms in the 12,000 square feet of living space that includes 3 main levels and 16 varying levels in all.

The Dana-Thomas House Foundation was incorporated in 1983 as a not-for-profit corporation to support the Dana-Thomas House Historic Site, operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The Foundation exists to preserve and protect the Dana-Thomas House and to promote citizen awareness of the architectural significance of Frank Lloyd Wright.

“We have over 45,000 people tour the Dana-Thomas house each year, along with hosting several special events. So there is plenty of ongoing restoration for a house of this age. We have a strong need for revenue sources to fund our programs,” explained Albanese.

The Dana-Thomas House Foundation makes these exclusive rugs and many other Wright inspired products available through it’s “Sumac Gift Shop” at the house site. The rugs may occasionally pop-up on eBay, the online auction website, as well.