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RUG & KILIM'S NAZMIYAL: MID-CENTURY MODERN IS THE NEXT BIG THING
Josh Nazmiyal of Rug & Kilim is banking on a growing Mid-Century Modern collection to continue to accelerate the company's burgeoning wholesale business.
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NEW YORK -- Manhattan-based Rug & Kilim, known in the design community for its antique and vintage rugs, generated lots of buzz at ICFF 2019 with the official launch of its Mid-Century Modern collection.
The line also caught the attention of judges for the annual NYCxDesign Awards presented by Interior Design Magazine in partnership with ICFF in New York with the purpose of recognizing the most exceptional designs in the industry. Named a finalist in the city-wide, nearly month-long NYCxDesign event's awards in the residential flooring category, the Mid-Century Modern collection represents a colorful new trend, says Rug & Kilim founder Josh Nazmiyal.
Rug & Kilim's Mid-Century Modern Perpetua rug is shown in full and in detail.
"This is a different sensibility; your eye is not used to them. They are not like anything we've seen in [rug design] in the last 30 to 40 years. We are now coming out from all those abstract pieces in a million colors -- and a lot of congestion. But I promise you: the next time you look at these Mid-Century Modern designs, they will have grown on you," Nazmiyal explained.
Nazmiyal said that the rugs reflect the company's projection for the future of rug fashion for at least three years to come. "You don't see anything like this right now, but I strongly believe this will resonate with designers." Among the 50 designs now comprising the collection are the Bauhaus-Inspired Geometric Rug 13532, the Mid-Century Modern Applecross Rug 15159, Mid-Century Modern Blues Rug 15156, and Mid-Century Modern Perpetua Rug 13982.
At ICFF, this Mid-Century Modern geometric drew designers to Rug & Kilim's exhibit stand.
The designs are all hand-knotted of natural wool, wool and silk, or wool and mock silk pile. "These are Mid-Century modern designs from the 1950s and brought to life, revitalized into new styles," Nazmiyal continued. "It is a bit more advanced. It is the next generation I feel. It's just like the Scandinavian - it takes a while for people to come around and get the sensibility. I think the next thing is going to be more architectural. And more that is Mid-Century."
Rug & Kilim showcases the Modern Blues rug, part of the Mid-Century Modern collection.
Rug & Kilim began to actively pursue a wholesale business in late 2015 with the introduction of its Scandinavian flatweave collection, winner of Domotex Carpet Design Awards in 2016 and 2017, followed by its second collection, Texture of Color. The program is going well, Nazmiyal told RugNews.com. "We are now represented in 80 showrooms with the Scandinavian collection and in 40 showrooms with Texture of Color, which has not been on the market as long."
Rug & Kilim caught NYCxDESIGN Awards judges' attention with the Applecross rug from the company's Mid-Century Modern collection.
Still, the textured rugs - offered with extensive color blankets - were best sellers at last week's ICFF show. "It's always our bestselling line -- very spare, modern, simple -- and very well priced. People like simple - but we're experimenting with a little more texture, a little more body, a little more striae."
The Texture of Color collection by Rug & Kilim includes this gray striated pattern in sizes up to 20 x30 and other designs with sophisticated color blankets.
Offered with custom color and size options - in the case of one striated gray texture sizes go up to 20x30 - the rugs are neutral anchors to rooms. One standout design, the custom Grisaille Rug 18739, was also part of the collection submitted to NYCxDESIGN. "Griselle is one of my own design developments - a very textural pattern and part of Texture of Color."
The Texture of Color collection's Griselle design.
Finally at ICFF, Rug & Kilim presented designs by UK-based rug maker Knots Rugs, a high-design line the New York firm recently picked up (read more). "It's the only wholesale line we carry, and was selected for its top notch quality and design which is our niche in the market. We really appeal to the luxury segment of the industry in our wholesale section and we are developing it to get a bigger share of the market."
Josh and Cyrus Nazmiyal at their ICFF booth replete with Mid-Century Modern designs and (on the floor), an abstract rug from a painting by artist George Morton Clark from Knots Rugs London.