Area rugs favorites include plenty of traditional styles with warmed up palette at High Point Market.
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- There was truly something for every taste – and price point -- in the area rugs that were introduced or highlighted at High Point Market during the fall 2022 event.
Machine-woven rugs continue to raise the bar, with the use of natural fibers or deliciously textured synthetics, hand finishing techniques, and finer, more detailed patterning. There is also a push to making the shapes of the rugs more interesting well beyond simple rectangles. Organically undulating edges or rugs that are shaped to reflect the design were increasingly prevalent. On the hand-made and hand-knot end of the spectrum, fashion, materials, textures and innovative constructions continue to converge to bring freshness to these top rugs as well
Regarding color, blue and gray are finally taking a backseat to warmer palettes that feature greige, cream, beige, rust and yellow. Purple accents and a wide range of shades of green were also showing up.
In this exclusive two-part series, RugNews.com tours 30+ showrooms to discover what styles, colors, weaves and constructions resonated with fall market shoppers. Below is Part 1 with showrooms from Amer to LR Home. Part 2 continues the non-stop coverage with showrooms from Momeni to Unique Loom.
AMER
Amer introduces Jordan, a power-loomed lineup offering traditional patterns.
Amer made a big statement in machine-wovens at fall market and buyers responded well to its three new collections. Jordan is power-loomed of polypropylene and features traditional patterns as well as oversized design elements, with colorways of rust, blue, and ivory. Yasmin, machine-woven of polyester, has a contemporary feel: abstract patterns and watercolor-inspired designs are constructed with a high-low effect. And Fairmont, made of polyester and polypropylene with close to 1 million points per inch, has a luxuriously plush hand and the appearance of hand-carving thanks to a high-low effect in the weave.
The Milano collection was getting attention in the Amer showroom. The hand-knotted designs are sheared and oxidized for an authentic worn appearance. Made of hand-spun New Zealand wool, the rugs feature a neutral background with patterns and borders in rich colors like orange, dark red, blue, and marigold yellow, with a short fringe. Several other new collections were also popular including Norwood which is hand-woven of New Zealand wool in a chunky weave and solid colors.
The hand-knotted Milano collection from Amer earned high marks for its vintage styling and fresh color combinations.
ART RESOURCES
Natural wool colors create this hit abstract design from Art Resources' hand-knotted Echo collection.
Art Resources was among the many high-end rug houses that pointed to an increased demand this High Point Market for classic traditional designs, both in ages-old colorways and fashion palettes. The company also did well with its abstract modern designs in neutral, earthy palettes. In keeping with designers’ ongoing request for more sophisticated coastal looks, the company’s new abstracted blue and white fish rug was a showstopper at the Market Square showroom.
Designers loved the sophisticated approach to coastal design of the fish motif rug from Art Resources Atlas collection.
CAPEL
Capel featured its new Azari collection and its Isfahan design was a HPMKT best seller. Shown, Isfahan 3272-240
Capel displayed its new Azari collection front and center in its High Point showroom with several vignettes grabbing buyers’ attention, and Azari Isfahan in celadon the best seller. The line is hand-tufted of wool in classic traditional patterns in rich colors with fresh accents, with design names from all corners of the Persian empire. Capel’s “Braid Show” showroom display also hit home, with all shapes and styles responsible for strong market sales in the category.
Celebrating its long heritage in the braided category, Capel make a strong statement with its Braid Show display.
CHANDRA
Chandra debuted in a new High Point Market space in IHFC showcasing its handmade textural designs.
Kinsey was a standout in Chandra’s showroom. This rug is hand-woven in India of wool, jute, and cotton and features a striped design executed in dark neutral colors. The combination of fibers and yarn widths lend the rug lots of texture and visual interest, and an unmistakably handmade feel.
The company also was featuring its Elantra collection, hand-woven of undyed wool in various neutral shades that create a color-blocked design with a wide beige border and small tribal motifs scattered throughout.
A top choice at fall market in the Chandra showroom was its new woven Kinsey design, hand-woven of wool, jute and
cotton.
COURISTAN
Best of show for Couristan was its sisal-look-alike Naturalistic collection of indoor-outdoor rugs. Shown, 3701/1001
At Couristan, buyers flocked to the natural jute and sisal looks of the Naturalistic collection of indoor-outdoor performance rugs. Made in a structured flatwoven construction of 90 percent Courtron polypropylene and 10 percent polyester, the rugs feature tribal motifs and an incorporated fringe.
Another hit at the company’s SAMS space was the Nostalgia collection, which offers a dense pile and more than 500,000 points per square meter. Cross-woven on Wilton looms with incorporated fringe.
The new Nostalgia lineup offers a dense pile and more than 500,000 points per square meter. Shown, Garden Palace
CREATIVE TOUCH
Creative Touch reported that its vintage Persian inspired designs were a smash-hit with fall shoppers.
Baki Ildiz of Creative Touch said the response to his vintage Persian production from Turkey was overwhelming, and indicative of a big return to classics by his designer and upscale retail base. The company, especially sourced for transitional and modern casual fashion looks, did equally well in this arena at the fall 2022 market – but literally sold more traditional designs than it has in years – with buyers specifically asking for rugs in original colorways and pattern placements.
Creative Touch offered fresh textural designs at the fall High Point Market.
DALYN RUGS
Dalyn's Aberdeen collection features its proprietary prismatic color processing technique and offers a soft polyester
microfiber pile.
At Dalyn, the Aberdeen collection was a main focus in the showroom. The company used its proprietary prismatic color processing technique to create a vibrant pattern in UV stabilized dyes. Aberdeen is constructed of luxuriously soft polyester microfiber pile and has a fresh modern aesthetic. The Tropics collection, which can be used indoors or out, was another standout. Also utilizing the company’s prismatic color processing method, this collection features incredibly detailed, painterly patterns and comes in 12 standard sizes, plus custom options. It is flat-woven of polyester chenille. The company is also dipping their toes into seasonal scatter rugs, with its Wonderland collection of winter and holiday-themed rugs. With 12 designs available, the rugs are made of polyester on a non-skid back and come in a variety of sizes up to 5x7.
Dalyn's eye-catching indoor-outdoor Tropics collection was a market hit.
EXQUISITE RUGS
Crafted of plush, pure Merino wool, Merino by Exquisite Rugs earned a thumbs up from market-goers.
Exquisite Rugs is excited about market shoppers’ response to its Merino collection, made of 100 percent merino wool for a finished rug that doesn’t shed and has a lot of body and texture. “It’s very lush, and is understated and sophisticated,” says Hersel Bani-Esraili. The collection was shown in four solid colors, ranging from shades of cream to gray. The company also added to its Murano and Cloud collections of wool and bamboo silk rugs. Murano features abstract, semi-erased patterns while Cloud offers marble-like veined patterns.
Exquisite Rugs adds fresh looks to its Murano collection -- a line of semi-erased, abstract patterns.
FEIZY
Feizy creates a wow factor with the hand-tufted Anya collection of watercolor-like motifs.
Feizy welcomed market shoppers to its glamorous new showroom on North Hamilton, replete with a gourmet progressive brunch hosted by licensing partner Thom Filicia, whose rugs were a big draw for designers and retailers alike. Among Feizy’s market top sellers was the Anya collection, a showstopping line of contemporary watercolor-inspired designs hand-tufted in India of wool and viscose.
Touring the sprawling two-story space, buyers on the hunt for traditional Persian-influenced patterns were drawn in a big way to the Ronin collection hand-knotted of wool. And those seeking neutral palette geometrics so popular this market, gave thumbs up to the new Maguire collection hand-tufted in a loop and cut wool pile in bold contemporary designs.
Thom Filicia by Feizy is always a draw for fall shoppers and the designer stopped by to fete the new showroom.
HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL (HRI)
HRI offered fall shoppers a sneak peek of its new Antiquity collection, inspired by HRI's popular Antique Heriz series.
Visitors to the Harounian showroom were impressed with the first glimpse of Antiquity, a collection debuting with three SKUs. To create it, the company used the quality and construction of one of its oldest and best-selling collections, Antique Heriz, and sheared the rugs to zero pile for a versatile look that could skew either transitional or contemporary. The rugs are woven with a soft color palette of neutrals, blue, and rust. On the other end of the style spectrum, HRI introduced Wild Life, a wool and viscose hand-knotted construction of animal print rugs. “The unique takes on animal prints has been of the most interest,” says Greg Jordt of HRI, such as a rug that features patches of zebra print on a neutral background.
Classic animal prints get a contemporary treatment in HRI's new
wool and viscose hand-knotted Wild Life collection.
JAIPUR LIVING
Jaipur Living showcases the global appeal of Moroccan style introducing two high-quality machine-made collections,
Lure (left) and Jaida.
Jaipur Living kicked off High Point Market with a celebration of its new permanent showroom in the Commerce & Design Building, with an expansive main space and satellite showrooms for experiential displays. A special room devoted to Moroccan style put the spotlight on its global appeal with the Lore and Jaida collections, both power loomed in blends of polypropylene and polyester.
The company introduced more than a dozen new designs and collections, including new designs in the hand-knotted Someplace in Time, and the micro-tufted Pathways by Verde Home. In addition, Jaipur grew its program with Kate Lester adding Harman Hold, a new collection featuring digitally printed images of vintage rugs matched with a special traction backing.
Jaipur Living expands its collaboration with designer Katie Lester introducing performance lines Canteena and Harman Hold.
JAUNTY
A top look at the Jaunty showroom was its new Benchmark lineup of nubby, textural patterns.
In the Jaunty showroom, the Benchmark collection was catching buyers’ eyes, with its 13 colorways and nubby, textural pattern. This line is handloomed of a wool-viscose blend yarn and features borders and raised, textured designs. Another focal point was the Alberta collection, a wool and viscose loop and cut pile construction with an abstract, textural design reminiscent of weathered cobblestones. And Normandy features a sculptured edge and an abstract, veined design in neutral greys and creams. These rugs are hand-tufted of wool and viscose.
Jaunty's Alberta collection features a wool and viscose loop and cut pile construction and abstract motifs.
KALATY RUGS
Kalaty's free-formed edge Atelier collection of hand-knotted designs continues to garner attention.
Atelier collection garnered attention for its organically shaped edges and vibrant colors in the Kalaty showroom. Hand-knotted of wool and silkette, one of the hits from this collection featured an abstract, crosshatch-effect pattern rendered in dove grey, charcoal and yellow. Another focal point was the Kamaria collection, a high-end machine-made line of silkette and polyester, with 3 million points per square inch finely rendering an intricate traditional pattern in jewel-toned yarns on a neutral ground. Kandra is hand-knotted of 90 percent wool and 10 percent silkette, available in a large selection of programmed sizes, including a runner, and a semi-erased design that works in both traditional and abstract elements.
Known to both retailers and designers as a go-to source for fashion Oushaks, Kalaty drew raves for its newest intro in a soft blush beige. The Oushak collection is hand-knotted of hand-spun wool with a huge range of sizes ranging up to 12x18 and several options for runners, rounds and squares.
Kalaty's popular hand-knotted Oushak collection debuted a new soft blush beige palette that was an instant hit. Shown, OU-47
KALEEN
Kaleen's LUXE hand-knotted Siri collection offers custom capabilities is a short-turnaround -- a point that resonates with clients.
In Kaleen’s showroom, the focus was on promoting its Sikri collection, which falls under the company’s LUXE designation of high end looks. A hand-knotted range in a Moroccan weave construction, this wool-blend Sikri comes in both programmed and custom sizing and has a contemporary vibe with subtle geometric patterns and variegated colors. The Luxe division will be expanded with 10 new collections of hand-knotted rugs for the winter Las Vegas Market.
A highlight for market shoppers were rugs by licensing partner Tamara Day, who was at the showroom for Kaleen’s 25th anniversary bash. The company also showed off a Custom Broadloom display with hanging samples, a touchscreen tablet station ready to design the rug of one’s dreams, and even a wooden loom.
Tamara Day by Kaleen brought in plenty of buyers and the
Bargain Mansion star's Juniper collection is among the favorites.
KARASTAN
Among the top introductions at the Karastan showroom where its new Pandora lineup.
Made of the company’s Smartstrand fiber derived from corn sugar and recycled materials, Pandora was an extensive focus in the Karastan showroom. Drawing from a 12-color jewel-toned palette that is an updated version of some of the colors used in the company’s popular Spice Market collection, including eggplant, charcoal, indigo, hunter green, olive green, and grey, Pandora features patterns that are inspired by a variety of influences. One highlight of the collection is Desire, featuring flowers scattered on a blue background, with a double border. Others in the line are Avarice, styled after formal gardens in an intricate pattern, and Covetous, which has a rich palette of golds, rust, and charcoal in a center medallion pattern with a border.
From the company’s Drew & Jonathan Home licensed collection, Paloma and Vanguard were both attention-getters. Paloma is woven of wool and polyester into a nubby solid-colored rug with lots of dimension, while Vanguard, in Smartstrand and polyester, has an organic striped motif. Imported from Turkey, Memento is made of space-dyed polyester and shrink polyester in a cut and loop pile. A palette of earthy greens, browns, and grey comprises the abstract pattern.
The Drew & Jonathan Home program adds new collections including Paloma and Vanguard -- both of which were
attention-getters.
LOLOI
Loloi's newest licensing program is alongside influencer Angela Rose who debuted the printed Aubrey at market.
Moore from Carrier and Co. x Loloi, the Francis from Chris Loves Julia x Loloi, and the Morgan from Amber Lewis x Loloi were all extremely well received.
Loloi’s licensed partner collections shone at market, with the new Angela Rose x Loloi collection leading the pack. The designers’ three collections, all named after her kids, included Aubrey, a printed power-loomed rug with a vintage, faded look; Colton, made of hand-woven jute and cotton, and Blake, a soft power-loomed polyester pile rug with a fringe. Under other names within the Loloi family, Moore from Carrier and Co. x Loloi, a hand-knotted rug of wool and cotton with textural geometric patterns was extremely well-received among marketgoers. Another highlight was Francis from Chris Loves Julia x Loloi, a wool hooked construction that takes design cues from patterned flooring like tilework and parquet.
An instant attention grabber at the Loloi showroom was the new Blake collection from Angela Rose.
LR HOME
LR Home's new Cheshire collection is a two million point lineup that buyers gave a thumbs up.
Cheshire from LR Home’s area rug offerings was getting lots of attention, for its finely detailed and defined pattern worked in two million point luxelon and polyester. The collection includes both traditional and abstract contemporary patterns, with the use of a high-low effect to define the patterns. A palette of cream, greige, and touches of pale blue make the collection easy to incorporate into many décor styles.
The company’s partnership with designer Stacy Garcia is going strong, with a full assortment of decorative pillows and debut poufs on display. And the company also introduced market attendees its newest partner, lifestyle guru Evette Rios, whose collections debut in Spring 2023.
LR Home's new showroom gave ample space to the growing accents collection by designer Stacy Garcia.
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Continue reading Best-Selling Area Rugs at Fall High Point Market, Part 2