ATLANTA -- In a season historically noted for its lull, the summer edition of the Atlanta International Rug Market attracted a number of sought after rug buyers and interior designers who were pleased with the caliber of new products they were introduced to.
In RugNews.com's first of two roundup reports on Atlanta market, we take you on a tour of major showrooms and events, showcasing the people who made them happen.
AMER
A magnet for buyers (and editors), Amer's backyard party display and giveaway of King of Pops popsicles focused all eyes on the Piazza indoor-outdoor collection. Here, Jessica Harlan and Carol Tisch of RugNews.com and Monika Gupta and Joe Barkley of Amer pose for a shot that has garnered 431 Facebook "likes" since Day 2 of market.
John Martin of Pilar Moreno Home Gallery in San Juan, Puerto Rico enjoys a Popsicle with Amer Rugs' Vernon Singleton while reviewing Amer's new Piazza outdoor collection intros, including the buzzed-about Popsicle rug.
ANTIQUES - AMERICASMART
JoAnn Miller-Marshall (right), executive vice president of AmericasMart tradeshows, cuts the ribbon at the July 14, 2016 official opening of "Antiques," a juried collection of 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century furnishings and accents in a 55,000-foot exhibit space at the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market.
CAPEL
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Capel Rugs' new Simply Gabbeh collection is the backdrop for a market snapshot of John Magee, president and CEO of Capel, Richard Kennedy, Kenneth Mink, Jake Sweeters, national sales manager, Capel, David Mink, Jr. and Stephanie Crepea of Kenneth Mink and Cameron Capel, vice president, Capel.
COURISTAN
Michael Rollando of Tuesday Morning poses with Ron Couri of Couristan in front of one of the rug maker's long-time best-selling machine-woven traditional collections, Timeless Treasures on Day One of Atlanta International Rug Market. Crafted of New Zealand wool, the line is right in sync with renewed fashion emphasis on Persian classics.
DYNAMIC RUGS
Matthew Rouhanian and Katie Stewart of Dynamic Rugs show off the on-point vintage styling of the company's new Quartz collection rugs to Igor Yakovenko and Matt Weiser of Delaware-based Air Base Carpet and Tile Mart.
HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL
Designers at the busy HRI showroom pose for a photo op in front of the company's Avalon rug display. From left: Roy Hinze of HRI, Kim Jackson of ID Studio Interiors of Greenville, S.C., Greg Jordt of HRI, Sherri DiLorenzo of Sandi M Designs, and Diana Samuels and Lee Harounian, HRI.
JAIPUR LIVING
Asha Chaudhary, president, Jaipur Living, chats with Atlanta-based award-winning ASID designer Kerry M. Howard of KMH Interiors prior to his presentation, "Designing from the Ground up" at the Jaipur showroom. Howard headlined the rug maker's continuing cocktails and conversation series on Day 2 of Atlanta International Rug Market.
KALATY
Carlos Hernandez, owner of The Rug Company in Blowing Rock, N.C. and Mike Kalaty, principal of Kalaty, pose in front of a new design from the rug maker's Tibetan weave Equinox collection featuring a "broken" motif of wool and Silkette with hand carving for added dimension.
KALEEN
The Jordan's Furniture team stands in front of Kaleen's sophisticated new kids' rug collection, Lily and Liam. From left: Josh Tatelman, Tammy Whittaker, Jeff Dawkins, Stacey Kerkhoff, and Rhonda McMann, all of Jordan's Furniture, and John McCaul, Blake Dennard, and Sandy Reynolds of Kaleen.
KAS RUGS
Rahesh and Dolly Argarwal of Rug & Home in Asheville, N.C. flank Hari Tummala of KAS as they review new watercolor art-inspired designs from the rug maker's machine woven polypropylene Illusions collection during Atlanta International Rug Market.
LOLOI
Standing in front of Loloi's hand-knotted Elixer rugs, Lisa Baumann of online and catalog home furnishings retailer Seventh Avenue in Monroe, WI, joins Niko Papadopoulos of Sergenian's in Madison WI, for an Atlanta Market showroom tour with Amir Loloi and Karen Ellman of Loloi Rugs.
Megan Craig, Steve Riley and Nicole McConnell of Nebraska Furniture Mart stop for a chat with Amir Loloi of Loloi in front of new Dreamscapes collection power-loomed rugs during last week's Atlanta International Rug Market.
L.R. RESOURCES
Kristen Foley and Margie Perry of Beau Interiors of Santa Rosa Beach, Fl., visit Mike Thompson and Wanda Lanzi of L.R. Resources for a review of the company's newest hand-knotted and Naturals collections.
M.A. TRADING
Ibrahim Ansari of M.A. Trading (right), poses with Anthem's manager, John DiQuattro and his winning pillow awarded during M.A. Trading's Atlanta International Rug Market social media giveaway contest and ASID designer event. Anthem is a luxury home furnishings store in San Francisco.
MOMENI
An array of introductions at Momeni's showroom, from new indoor-outdoor looks to one-of-a-kind hand-knotteds attracted buyers from Broadway Carpets of Knoxville. From left are Ali Momeni, David Waddell of Broadway Carpets, Tarah Horne of Momeni, Bo Perkins and Elizabeth Watkins of Broadway Carpets.
NOURISON
At Nourison's Atlanta showroom for a first peek at the debuting hand-knotted wool and Luxcelle Divine collection (shown), are Ali Inal of Design Rug Warehouse in Atlanta with Sandy Bone and Jim McNally of Nourison, and Nancy James of Design Rug Warehouse.
ORIENTAL DESIGNER RUGS
Kevin Malkiewicz (left) of AmericasMart presides over the ribbon cutting ceremony for Oriental Designer Rugs' new showroom at the Atlanta International Rug Market. With Malkiewicz are Vineet Golchha, Renu Giri, Benny and Pushpa Golchha, all of Oriental Designer Rugs.
ORIENTAL WEAVERS
Rugs Direct presents its "Supplier of the Year" award to Oriental Weavers with a best-selling Andorra collection rug as a backdrop. From left, Randy Kremer, Rugs Direct with Oriental Weavers' Sam Belak and Steve Hubbart, and Adrienne Wooddell, Bill Martin and David Craig of Rugs Direct.
SAFAVIEH
Safavieh's Jenn Notaro (left) meets with One Kings Lane buyers Chelsea Coppersmith, Annie Galligan and Andie Brooks, all standing in front of a vintage-look Palermo collection rug introduced at Atlanta International Rug Market.
From left: John Vlahopoulos of Safavieh, Stephanie Crepea of Macy's, David Mink of Kenneth Mink, Cyrus Yaraghi of Safavieh and Richard Kennedy of Macy's are standing in front of rugs from the vintage-look, power-loomed Artisan collection.
SURYA
The team from Trinity Mercantile & Design of Decatur, Georgia review Surya's debuting machine made rugs with the company's Myriam Pirtle and Seth King. From left, Myriam Pirtle and Seth King with Trinity Mercantile's Lisa Turner and Wallace Bryan.
Surya's Kristen Hendrickson (center) receives the 2016 Representative of the Year Award from Rugs Direct for the second year in a row. From left: Maressa Cape and Satya Tiwari of Surya, Bill Martin of Rugs Direct, Hendrickson, Rugs Direct's Randy Kremer, Adrienne Wooddell and David Craig, and Brandon Gavic of Surya.