Summer Rug Market Review - Aug/Sep 2011

By Jessica Chevalier

Following a winter market that was somewhat stymied by a snow and ice storm in Atlanta, exhibitors were optimistic about the 2011 summer market, many reporting that their appointment books were full. A glance down the mart’s hallways seemed to tell a different story, with generally only a few individuals milling down the long stretches (most searching for a cell signal), but, as we’ve seen at nearly every show during and since the downturn, the customers in attendance traveled there intending to do business, which accounts for the full appointment books. Those that might have wandered around looking rather than buying didn’t spend the money to make the trip.

Introductions at this season’s show were generally kept to a minimum—often to a handful of lines. Many exhibitors had done their major roll-outs at the High Point Market in April and were simply re-introducing the products here. In fact, Dalyn had no introductions at the Atlanta show, reporting that it was holding off until High Point’s October market. Karastan was another manufacturer with few introductions; the company is rolling out its latest products when it opens its new Las Vegas showroom this month.

There were several notable style trends. Pairings of greys, browns, blues and greens were everywhere. Greys range from pale smokes to charcoal. Browns spanned the gamut as well, from chocolates to tans to rust tones. Greens were generally mossy and light, rather than deep leafy green or forest green. Oranges were peeking in as accents, as were reds like raspberry and other tones that pair well with brown.

Patchwork or paneling looks were popular. Oriental Weavers had some, as did Momeni. Since patchwork looks use remnant rug pieces (or replicate that look), they may have the allure of a perceived green story. The looks also make a good transitional approach, since they often contain traditional style elements, but in a deconstructed form.

Ikat-inspired designs were popular. Though there were few true ikats, many patterns made use of the motif’s soft edges in all kinds of patterns, including graphic prints and florals.

Both Safavieh and Momeni offered antiqued looks in which areas of the pile were shorn lower than the rest to give the appearance of a well-worn rug—sort of like the J. Crew jeans that come ready-made with holes. Will this cause areas of the rug to wear out more quickly? Safevieh reported that it does not see this as a danger.

Indoor/outdoor introductions were popular as well. These rugs, made of polypropylene, offer a distinct advantage, as they can be hosed down when dirtied, so they make good choices for high traffic areas or for homes with pets.

Nourison was excited to announce its Color Couture Custom Area Rug Program, which was designed to simplify the process of creating a custom rug. In less than 20 square feet, the Color Couture display offers a broad range of colors (120 wool shades), textures (ranging from a carved bubble to a pom-pom shag over a cut and loop field), and looks (skins, florals and geometrics). A portfolio of 65 designs accompanies the display, offering customers a jumping off point for their own creations. An online version of Color Couture complements the store display, allowing customers to create rugs from the comfort of their couch. The custom rugs are hand tufted in India, and delivery takes approximately 12 weeks.

The company also introduced its Regal collection at this year’s market. The handmade and hand carved rugs feature a New Zealand wool field with Chinese silk patterning. The collection offers seven looks and sizes ranging from 2’3”x8’ to 9’9”x13’9”. Regal is a rich looking group of heirloom patterns that are traditional but not fussy. The rugs have either narrow borders or are borderless, which makes them suitable for a transitional setting. The Regal palette features browns, reds, beiges and greys. The collection is made in China.

Nourison made a number of additions to its Calvin Klein line as well. Canyon is a contemporary collection that features 100% viscose pile on a hand stitched suede background. The combination of the shimmery viscose with the matte suede is a dramatic textural pairing. Canyon comes in several different designs. With Shetland, the company offers a natural, sisal look, made with durable wool fiber. Shetland is offered in three colors and features a basketweave pattern.

Karastan had only a few introductions, since it is gearing up for the Las Vegas Summer 2011 Market, when it will open its new permanent showroom at the World Market Center. This opening will move Karastan from the Center’s eighth to third floor. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the Summer 2011 Market; to complement that event, Karastan is holding a symposium with several designers who have worked on White House room designs.

In the Mohawk Select line, there are two new designs. Both use multiple yarns for a high-low effect. One design looked like milkweed seed pods, and the other was a wave pattern. A 5’x8’ will retail for $199.

In Karastan Studio, the company introduced 12 new designs, which will retail for $499 in a 5’x8’. The new introductions range from traditional to transitional.

Shaw Living rolled out its Bob Timberlake Area Rug Collection, made in collaboration with the contemporary Southern painter. The collection is machine woven nylon and comes in two colorways (warm spice tones and organic neutrals). Designs include Salem Glass, a stained glass look; Millstone, a design of overlapping circles that resemble the stone wheels used to grind grains; Quilter’s Art, with a traditional circle stars quilt pattern; Garden Vine, a design of flowers and vines; and Tillery Falls, a Southwestern inspired design. Bob Timberlake designs retail for $739 in a 5’x8’.

In addition, Shaw Living introduced its Newport Collection of machine woven olefin rugs. Newport represents a new colorway for Shaw Living: browns, taupes and greys with denim blue and olive green accents. The collection features contemporary and transitional looks, ranging from geometics to oversized florals and ikats. Newport designs retail for $349 in a 5’x8’.

Sphinx by Oriental Weavers rolled out a new indoor/outdoor line called Caspian. The 100% polypropylene line, which will ship for next spring, has a modern taupe, brown, green and blue color palette and a broad range of designs including stripes, trellises, florals, circles and geometrics. Caspian is machine made and retails for $149 in a 5’x8’.

Zanzibar is a new transitional line, made of 100% polypropylene, that retails for $199 in a 5’x8’. The line features a warm palette of mocha, neutrals, terracotta, earthy greens and greys, with several tone-on-tone looks. Zanzibar uses heatsets and hard twists to create carved effects on some designs.

Salerno features new traditional looks in updated colors, including charcoals, muted oranges, greys, blues, mossy green and cranberry. The line is made of space-dyed nylon, and a 5’x8’ retails for $399. Many of the Salerno designs feature narrow borders, which Oriental Weavers reports are in high demand.

Milano is a collection of transitional looks with muted tones. Designs within the collection are ikat inspired, with loose, jagged edges. The line is made of space dyed nylon and retails for $399 in a 5’x8’.

Momeni has had such success with its one-of-a-kind patchwork collection, made of over-dyed remnants, that it decided to make a machine-made version. The Vintage collection is 100% New Zealand wool, over-dyed, and some designs are hand sheared in places to make them look antiqued. In addition to the patchwork looks, Vintage includes traditional designs and ikats. In total, the collection has 12 designs, many with multiple colorations. A 5’x8’ Vintage rug retails for $599.

Momeni also introduced Taj Mahal, an entry level tufted line that includes classic Persian, open traditional and Southwest blanket designs in an updated color palette. Taj Mahal retails for between $299 and $399 in a 5’x8’.

Momeni added to its Veranda indoor/outdoor collection. New looks in the hand hooked polyester line include bright towel looks and kitschy ethnic designs, some of which are over-hooked to create texture on the space dyed field. Veranda is good for high traffic areas and can be hosed down when it is sullied. Designs in the collection retail for $299 in a 5’x8’.

Safavieh unveiled new designs in its hand tufted Martha Stewart line. These include two new poppy themed rugs, Poppy Glossary and Poppy Field, which are each available in three color palettes. Poppy Glossary and Poppy Field are sculpted and looped and retail at $499 for a 5’x8’. Chalk Stripe, a cut and loop pile, Hand-Drawn Stripe, a wool and viscose blend, and Mosaic, a tile design with viscose accents, are new to the Martha Stewart line as well.

Under the Safavieh name, the company introduced Soho, a hand tufted line with a mix of traditional and contemporary looks that comes in fun, bright colors; Blossom, a cut pile with big loop hook flower designs, which comes in ten different patterns; and Agra, which features a honeycomb design in Indian wool. Agra comes in six field colors, many of which are striated. In some of the colors, the honeycomb pattern is obscured from a distance because of the striation of the fiber; in others, the pattern is clearly visible.

The company also unveiled three new patterns in its Tibetans collection, including Mirage, a weave of viscose pile that comes in lush whites and neutrals.

Capel was at the Atlanta Rug Market talking about its New Style Point of View promotion, which it first introduced at High Point. The slogan denotes Capel’s commitment to offer more fun, transitional designs. In that vein, the company introduced Charming Suzani, Spinning Wheels, Finelines and Honeycombs. Charming Suzani is a hand tufted wool design, made in India. The design is based on Asian textile looks and the color palette includes neutrals, charcoals and reds. A 5’x8’ retails for $777.

Spinning Wheels is a new take on circles, which are a popular design trend. Capel’s version features circles within circles, accented with dots. Spinning Wheels is wool with viscose accents, and its denim blue and taupe coloration is particularly attractive. A 5’x8’ retails for $329.

Finelines has almost a horizontal cattail look. Finelines comes in three colorations and retails for $600 in a 5’x8’. Honeycombs also comes in three colorations, and the honeycomb design has almost a stamped quality, with uneven edges and imperfect saturation, making for a more contemporary look.

The company also introduced a number of rugs that are environmentally friendly for a host of different reasons. Laviet is made from scrap leather from the purse industry. It has a rag rug look and retails for only $149 for a 5’x8’. Capel also introduced rugs made with jute and hemp fibers.

828 International Trading Company introduced its new Devereaux line of wool and silk tufted rugs. The wool and silk is spun together, which creates a rich sheen in the fiber. The line has ten styles in transitional and contemporary looks, including an oversized paisley pattern in lavender, grey and gold. Devereaux is made in India, and a 5’x’8’ retails for $699.

The fiber for Garlington is a wool and silk blend as well. Garlington is a hand knotted collection of traditional and transitional designs that retails for $1100 in a 5’x8’.

828 International Trading Company also added new styles to its Siena line of hand hooked polyester rugs. The new transitional looks include nauticals and paisleys; the collection retails for $199 in a 5’x8’.

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