CHICAGO
- The 47th annual edition of NeoCon (June 15 to 17, 2015)
opens today at the Chicago Merchandise Mart to showcase commercial
products from 450 exhibitors to an audience of contract design
professionals. But as commercial design continues to evolve, area rug
and custom broadloom companies located in the Mart's Design Center aim
to entice this audience to their floors with a packed schedule of
educational programs, special events and new product launches.
Marketed as "Experience Fine Design," the residential track during
NeoCon was created to attract the show's attendees as well as
residential interior designers, architects and specifiers around the
country to visit during NeoCon. Many of the Design Center showrooms are
launching or presenting products this week suitable for residential,
contract and hospitality use. Among them are Tufenkian, Stark, Designers
Linen Source, Hokanson, Noure's Oriental Rugs, and Matt Camron Rugs and
Tapestries.
Tufenkian Artisan Carpets is premiering it award-winning Luminance Rusty
Slate rug in Chicago during NeoCon at Suite 14-119. Winner of the Best
of Flooring Award by British magazine, Homes & Gardens at London Design
Week, held March 8 to 13, 2015, the abstract design by James Tufenkian
is a finely knotted Shakti Tibetan rug crafted of wool, silk and linen.
The rug is designed and colored in an interpretation of the texture of
oxidized metal.
Also on
the 14th floor, Scott Group Custom Carpets (1424-A) and
Hokanson (14-129) are welcoming designers to their showrooms. "We are
holding an event on Tuesday in both our Scott Group Custom Carpets and
Hokanson showrooms to introduce our latest, Solstice collection, a
collection of hand-tufted patterns inspired by Scandinavian design,"
said Jennifer Kirchgessner of the Grand Rapids-based Scott Group. The
showrooms will serve Scandinavian hors d’oeuvres and Lingonberry coolers
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 16 to celebrate the new collection.
"Fine
Design events are a great way to promote the luxury brands that are
located in the Mart. It's always a challenge during NeoCon to draw
traffic to the residential floors. We typically host an open house event
to encourage our clients to stop by and say hello if they are at the
Mart for NeoCon," Kirchgessner explained.
Scott
Group acquired Texas-based Hokanson Carpets, Inc. in September, 2014.
The company said the move was designed to allow Scott Group, which
focuses on designing and producing luxury carpets and rugs for the
private aviation and architectural design markets, to expand its
geographical footprint and to move aggressively into the residential
design sector.
Scott
Group produced a custom rug for The Old Family Dining Room of the White
House, which was opened to public view for the first time in White House
history Tuesday, February 10, 2015 by Michelle Obama. The room was
praised by design critics for mixing modern art with traditional
furnishings.