Begone earworm! Valentine’s Day is nigh and Tainted Love is on loop in your scribe’s frontal cortex. Soft Cell’s nonpareil cover of Tainted Love featured in the first series of one of your scribe’s favourite telly shows Being Human. Although nominally about a ghost, vampire, werewolf trio, Being Human is really an elegy to love’s trials. So as it’s time to make good on your love pledges with a token, rather than buy a Dremel to engrave your tortured sentiments on a coin, what to do? Purchase Sin Songs, Torch and Romance by Marc Almond? Good call, but your scribe suggests you deliver a grand geste. Buy your love a Valentine’s rug.
Roses rug (detail) by nanimarquina
Devoted readers wouldn’t expect your scribe to suggest spreading the readies for a rug that simpers. No, no. We need a rug that smolders. Roses wool felt rug by Spanish design company nanimarquina looks like the rose petal vision from the 1999 film classic American Beauty made manifest.
Red is central to Sam Mendes’ film. It signifies lust, anger, passion, transgression and danger, and aren’t those the qualities of love? Rarely is love uncomplicated. Rather love is a mille feuille; its thousand leaves are nuanced and shaded like the felt petals in the Rose rug. Chiaroscuro sweeps like a crimson tide from blood red petals to candy apple red, creating a wool felt palette of love’s trials.
So for Valentine’s Day 2013 your scribe recommends you own the multiplicities of your love. Add a soundscape whilst you lounge amongst the petals. The bittersweet sounds of PS22 Chorus singing Tame Impala’s Feels Like We Only Go Backwards delivers hope for love where older voices sound resigned. I hear it inside my head all day. Gather and scatter rose petals while you may. Tainted love begone. DJ
Roses rug (detail) by nanimarquina
