Back in the fall of 2016, after Forty Five Ten opened its (literally) gilded downtown doors, I kept hearing excited whispers about a particular piece of décor: a rug decorated with private parts. Rumor had it you could find it in a bathroom, but after popping into several water closets to no avail, I finally walked up to a saleswoman and quietly asked where I could find the “penis rug.” Like a true professional, she directed me to the men’s floor without batting an eye. She didn’t even correct me and point out the lady bits.
The rug, commissioned in the Brian Bolke era, represents what I appreciate most about the store. It’s high-end, but with a sense of humor, and a somewhat twisted one at that. (Did you see the $3,800 “scented coq“?) That’s why, when we were putting together our list of the 52 Things Every Dallasite Must Do, I suggested using the anatomically adorned rug in the feature. The items reads:
Pick up whatever influencer-approved shoe is hot at the moment ($1,100 fur-lined slippers or maybe $600 pool slides—who can keep up?), or head up to the men’s floor to take a shoesie (that’s a selfie, but of your footwear, obviously) with the downtown department store’s custom private-parts patterned rug.
Unfortunately, the Forty Five Ten picture used in the feature shows some sort of abstract expressionistic carpet with zero sex organs. I imagine those of you who already browsed the list thought it was some kind or Rorschach situation and we’re all a bunch of sickos. But no, the rug is real, and now that you know where to look, you won’t be able to miss the weaved-in genitalia.
One last thing: if you like what you see, Forty Five Ten can order a copy of their custom-designed piece (they’ve done it once before); it’s price upon request, but I can guarantee this indecent rug doesn’t come cheap.
