First on the agenda was a cocktails and conversation event headlining award-winning ASID interior designer Kerry M. Howard of KMH Interiors in Atlanta. Howard's Thursday, July 14 presentation called, "Designing from the Ground up" centered on the credo so many leading designers swear by: "Start with the Rug."
A past president of ASID GA, Howard walked guests through an Atlanta client's interior design project from concept to completion, illustrating the importance placed on area rugs in his interiors. "The front entrance sets the stage for the entire home. If you don't get them at the front door, you're not going to get them at the back door," Howard said, adding, "This is no set rule: This is design according to Kerry."
He cautioned the audience that while a beautiful rug is essential in the entry foyer, it also has to hold up to wear and tear. Jaipur rugs as well as custom designs from trade-only sources were used throughout the home, and Jaipur rugs were specified in outdoor spaces.
"I keep everything neutral but I love a pop of color -- on social media, even my hashtag is Pop of Color," Howard said, telling attendees that rugs are like lighting: both are art for the home.
Chai Talk: Tale of a Million Knots
Sitara Menon of Jaipur Living hosted the company's 'Chai Talk - Tale of a Million Knots' event during the July 2016 Atlanta market.
On Sunday July 17, Jaipur Living's Sitara Menon led a discussion about luxury rugs, and how designers can use the power of storytelling in their own client conversations around luxury, hand-crafted goods. Chai was served, and all attendees were invited to lunch following the session.
Menon expressed how a rug is more than knots -- or even one million knots -- as in the rugs showcased in her hour-long presentation, "Chai Talk: A Tale of a Million Knots - Learning to Speak the Language of the Luxury Rug." She covered the differences between the primary types of rugs and their knots -- Turkish, Persian and Tibetan -- as well as the many steps and artisans involved in producing a rug.
A screen shot from Jaipur Living's Tale of a Million Knots visual presentation features a Chaos Theory rug by Kavi.
Arriving for the July market from the company's headquarters in India, Menon expressed how each rug is special because it is an "investment in time." Speaking to buyers and designers, Menon pointed out that Jaipur empowers women. "As women contribute to the income of the family, they have a greater voice -- a say -- in their family decisions," she said. In fact, 75 percent of Jaipur's weavers are women, which she said is not the norm in other rug companies. "This is a conscious decision on our part [to hire women]," she added.
Menon, who was introduced by Shahrzad Nadizadeh, director of marketing for Jaipur, said that the largest rug Jaipur has ever made was a custom 34 foot by 40 foot rug that took 10 weavers working side by side for a year. Generally, she said for every three feet of rug, it takes one designated weaver. In making a Jaipur rug, 80 steps are required and more than 180 artisans are involved. An 8x10 rug has about 800,000 knots.
In addition to contributing to the economic and social freedom of women, the Jaipur Foundation provides health care in small villages, especially for women and children, and also teaches them to weave. "By learning how to weave, they have the independence they need to provide for themselves and their families. We give them the tools to become artisans and create beauty that is appreciated around the world."
AmericasMart White Party - Retail Meets Design
For his glamorous 'Retail Meets Design' vignette at AmericasMart, Steve McKenzie of Steve Mckenzie's interiors and Lifestyles in Atlanta chose a Project Error rug by Kavi called Paratem 2.
Guests attending the jam-packed second annual AmericasMart White Party, held July 15, could not help but notice the prominence of Jaipur rugs throughout this year's themed vignette exhibition entitled, "Retail Meets Design."
Jaipur joined Currey & Company and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle magazine as sponsors of the party and exhibition, which was curated by top retailers and interior designers from the Southeast and Southwest regions. Proving how significantly interior design influences retail today, the displays incorporated trends, merchandising tips and business strategies for lifestyle-focused retailers.
Creators of the vignettes included Tracery Interiors from Rosemary Beach, Fla., The Iron Gate in Franklin, Tenn., FOUND by domestic bliss of Chandler, Ariz., and Atlanta's Steve Mckenzie's, Huff Harrington Home, Nandina Home & Design and Mathews Furniture + Design.
Here, a Hampton Stripe wool rug from Kate Spade New York was chosen for a Retail Meets Design vignette by Paige Schnell, Beth Nash and Anna Kay of Tracery Interiors in Rosemary Beach, Florida.
For their Retail Meets Design vignette at AmericasMart, RestyleResource and Found by Domestic Bliss, Mesa, AZ chose Jaipur's Sagar Riad rug.