INDUSTRY EXPERTS  DISCUSS
FLOOR COVERING STYLE TRENDS
AT NEW YORK DESIGN MEETING

Lissa Wyman, left, editor and publisher of Rugnews.com, with Tom Morris, vice president of sales for 828 International. Morris came to cheer us on.

NEW YORK -- Lissa Wyman, editor and publisher of Rugnews.com,  discussed trends in rugs and carpets for 2009/2010 at a recent meeting of The New York Chapter of The International Furnishings and Design Association.

The IFDA session on  floor covering trends  also featured speakers from the hard wood and resilient flooring field  The meeting was held June 18, 2008 at the Odegard Carpets showroom at the New York Design Center.

Wyman discussed design, construction and color trends that are moving into the rug industry for 2009 and 2010.

In design, be on the look-out for:

• Asian:  Both traditional ornate Asian designs and calm, spare Zen-like patterns. 

• Minimalism  

• Country Folkloric

• Rich Hippies:  Lush, mysterious, international, Middle Eastern themes

• Traceries and Cut-Outs:  Positive and negative spaces, such as tooled leathers, felted and recycled pieces.

•  Mother Earth: The trend applies to both colors as well as the movement to earth-friendly products such as the use of renewable resources and recycling.  Even man-made fabrics are using recycled fabrics and getting to be disposable.

In constructions, Wyman pointed out three hot textures:

•  Flat weaves such as sumaks, new looks in dhurries and traditional tribal rugs.

• Patterned shags. 

•  outdoor/indoor constructions using all-synthetic materials  and retailing in the  $99 to $299 price range

In the  carpet category, Wyman pointed out that patterned broadloom is currently the most newsworthy design trend in that field. "To put it mildly, broadloom carpet is, in general, boring. But patterned broadloom is currently revitalizing that part of the floor covering market," she said. "Look for more of it in the near future."

Discussing color trends, Wyman sees three major patterns currently making news:

•  Water, covering the blue and green range, with special  spa colors emerging into the mainstream.

• Fire, the orange and magenta family, which makes a bold brash statement.

•  Majesty  the rich and regal colors of purple and plum. Wyman predicted  predicted that  over the next two years, plum will emerge as the color of the moment. 

Joe Amato, vice president of residential styling for Mannington Mills covered the design evolution for hard surface flooring materials such as hardwood, laminate, vinyl and tile.   

Many of the hard surface trends Amato discussed were in line with directions in the soft floor covering business.

" Fashion and home decor are moving closer together, especially with color, " he said. "Even in the hard surface business, color is the big story, including  deep saturated hues in all categories."

Globalization and world travel also play a role in the products we choose for our homes, he emphasized. "Customers want their walls and floors to reflect more of their experiences and personalities. "

Amato told the group that some trends and styles that were affecting flooring included Eco-Consciousness, New Technologies, and trying to create unique visuals in wood, such as glazing and new looks for parquet.

Some of the top trends he predicts include: 

• Culture Shock: Reflecting customers?≤?Θ╝?Σ≤ travels and personal experiences. 

• Lap of Luxury:  The luxury market is especially important with the  high end baby boomer demographic, who want something special or customized such as  metals or glass or rare species of woods.  

• Aging Gracefully:  Authentic or one of a kind floors with the patina of age, such as distressed or "wormy" surface finishes. .

• Modern Day:   As consumers add modern or contemporary touches, minimalist looks become important, even in traditional homes. 

Gil Thrum, executive vice president of The Hardwood Information Center, reported on the hardwood industry.  Wood Flooring, which had enjoyed major growth since the 1980?≤?Θ╝?Σ≤s, has seen a 12% drop in the last year due to the economy and a decline in construction. 

However, Thrum said he expects a recovery in 2009, and the demand for hardwood floors to grow at an annual rate of 7.5% from 2010 to 2012. 

The most popular woods and their market share as as follows: Red Oak ,52%:  White Oak, 16%, and Maple, 10%.   

Cyndi Janetsko, RugMark?≤?Θ╝?Σ≤s U.S. director of operations, discussed the work of the certification and labeling organization. The purpose of Rug Mark is to end forced labor in the rug weaving industry  of children under 14 and to provide educational opportunities for families in rug producing countries.

The IFDA, founded in New York City, has 15 chapters nationwide. It is composed of communications and marketing professionals in the Home Fashions industry. Now celebrating its 61^st year, the association is structured to increase public awareness of the furnishings and the design industry through specialized programming and service to the community.

IFDA speakers on flooring trends included, from left: Gil Thrum executive vice president of the Hardwood Information Center; Cyndi Janetsko, US director of operations for  Rug Mark; Lissa Wyman, editor and publisher of Rugnews.com, and Joe D'Amato, vice president and director of styling for Mannington.

A good time was had by all.

06.26.2008