HIGH POINT, N.C. — RugNews.com editors covered lots of ground at the spring High Point Market, checking out the latest area rug introductions and taking the pulse of the industry as it braces for uncertain times ahead. Exhibitors reported steady traffic, though feedback was divided between those saying that retailer customers were stocking up in the face of potential tariff-driven price increases, and retailers who were being more cautious in their buying. Among the trends our editors saw: high-end machine-made offerings, value-driven hand-knots, blended yarns and mixed fibers, and lots and lots of color, especially greens and browns of every persuasion.

When asked how they will respond to the proposed tariffs, some manufacturers said they will try to absorb 10 percent tariffs rather than increase prices, while others said that tariffs higher than that might force them to raise prices. Those whose goods are produced domestically or in countries like Turkey and Egypt, where tariffs will be lower, say that for now, it’ll be business as usual.

Follow RugNews.com on a comprehensive tour of spring High Point Market's favorite area rugs and the designers and retailers giving them a thumbs up.

AMER RUGS


Amer's new luxurious Ensemble collection, crafted of New Zealand wool and silk, was a designer favorite. Shown, ENS-24

Heirloom quality hand-knotted rugs stole the show at Amer Rugs' High Point showroom, and notably the just-introduced high-end Ensemble collection of five sumptuous abstract designs hand-knotted of 60 percent raw hand-spun New Zealand wool and 40 percent silk, proved a showstopper. Also a favorite were the four line extensions to Amer's popular Craft collection, crafted of 100 percent raw hand-spun New Zealand wool. These transitional rugs are oxidized to impart a vintage look.


Amer's hand-knotted Craft collection is a top-seller and its new designs earned a big thumbs up.

ART RESOURCES


Max Moussavi walks Jodi Shirkey, Designers II, Roanoke, Virginia, through the company's Exotic Fibers lineup
and hand-knotted Tibetan Weave 100 collection (design AR21A50 pictured).

Art Resources had designers and retailers stopping by to shop its latest Atlas and Marrakesh designs, which are always a major draw to the company's Market Square space and are always a top seller. The company's Souf lineup, hand-knotted, also rolled out fresh additions with design 13T75.  In addition, the company's recently introduced Exotic Fibers lineup of luxury natural fibers such as merino wool and mulberry silk, continues to win fans.

What’s more, the company is known as a go-to source for Tibetan rugs, and Art Resources rolled out new abstract and transitional designs in both its hand-knotted Tibetan 60 and Tibetan 100 collections from India.


Art Resources adds design 13T75 to its popular Souf collection, hand-knotted of wool with raised motif.

CAPEL


Capel's Ashford in multi, hand-knotted of wool, with its abrash styling was a showstopper in the showroom

Capel expanded several lines with new colorways and also introduced brand-new collections. One newcomer is Terra Harvest, a jute rug with a sophisticated twist that comes in three neutral colorways. Part of the company’s iconic braided offerings, it’s made in America and comes in rectangles, ovals, rounds and squares. York is a new jacquard-woven rug with two distinctly different looks made of natural undyed yarn. One features an abstract contemporary pattern reminiscent of marble veining, while the complementary design is a vintage-styled traditional bordered pattern. The rugs are reversible so the user can decide whether a darker or lighter ground should be dominant.

Barclay is a gross-knot rug crafted of premium wool with a casual feel and an ombre effect that subtly shifts from one color to another. With a similar gross-point construction, Vestige features traditional but blown-up medallion motifs. The Persia hand-tufted collection, with two traditional patterns called Mahal and Kashan, has a more classic look and has a coordinating palette of six dominant colorways, including a vibrant hunter green and a saturated blue, priced for a value offering.


Capel introduces the York lineup, which is hand-loomed of undyed wool and reversible.

COURISTAN


From left, Couristan's Russell Stacy and Marlys Giordano; Sarah Bartholet-Gwin and Alexandra-Gonzalez with Bartholet
Home Furnishings (Conroe, Texas); and Georgia Couri of Couristan.

Couristan continued to expand both its handcrafted assortment and its high-end machine woven collections. On the handmade side, hits include the new Kerala lineup of Persian hand-knotted traditional patterns in muted color palettes with a vegetable-dyed look. The company's Elysian collection, hand-knotted of wool in a Turkish knot, adds new traditional designs. These rugs, which are the highest-end rugs in Couristan's programmed line, have a slight high-low texture, and are receiving "amazing" feedback from market-goers. Another debut that earned plenty of attention for its dense and plush hand is the new Prospect Heights collection of understated abstract designs hand-knotted of wool and silk. On the machine-made side, the company's new Banjara collection earned a thumbs up for its ultra plush pile woven from a blend of polyester and PET yarn. And its recently introduced high-quality, cross-woven wool Reign collection of traditional designs continues to be a favorite with shoppers.

 
Couristan's high-quality machine-woven Reign collection, cross-woven of mostly wool, is a market-favorite. 

DALYN


Ross Simon and Ed Wollstein of Boca Bargoons in Boca Raton, Florida, shop rugs with Brian VanderWerf of Dalyn.

The big story in the Dalyn showroom was its rollout of Soft Essentials. This line of throw pillows and sherpa throw blankets is designed to coordinate with nearly every rug in the company’s popular Silk Road collection, as well as other collections within Dalyn’s assortment. The accessories are available in 24 textured colors, including neutrals, earth tones, spice colors and on-trend shades of greens and blues. The throw fabric is digitally printed with an abrash texture and features a shearling back.

Dalyn’s Silk Road collection now comprises 40 pieces, and several new designs were added this market. It’s an homage to the Silk Road spices, with colors like curry, sage and basil. These machine-made polyester rugs feature updated traditional borders, medallions and sarouk motifs. The rugs are digitally printed with Dalyn’s Prismatic Color Processing technique, and all are domestically produced. Available in 10 standard sizes, they have a non-slip backing and can be machine washed.


Dalyn's Silk Road collection of digitally printed designs is machine-washable and a major hit with market-goers

EXQUISITE RUGS


Exquisite Rugs showcased its first hand-knotted wool and silk programmed rug collections, with Picasso 7509 pictured above.

Exquisite Rugs, which has participated in High Point for more than 40 years, showcased its spring launches not only in its IHFC Building 
H-204 space, but also at the prestigious InterHall with a spacious booth. Featured in the InterHall location were two luxurious debuts, Satin, hand-knotted of 60 percent wool and 40 percent real silk with hand-carved details, and Picasso, crafted of 60 percent wool, 20 percent silk and 20 percent cotton. Both Satin and Picasso are programmed.


Exquisite Rugs' Satin lineup is crafted of 40 percent silk for a luxurious hand and subtle shimmer. Shown, Satin 7471

FEIZY


Feizy's Michael Bauer and award-winning Washington D.C. designer Lorna Gross, who co-hosted a discussion at Feizy's showrom followed
by a signing of her new book, Entertaining by Design.

With a roster full of designer-focused events in Feizy's spacious two-story showroom, market-goers stopped by to listen to an impressive roster of designer talks and browse the company's latest assortment, which ranged from fresh hand-knotted rugs to high quality machine-woven pieces -- and everything in between. In the hand-knotted category the Khyber collection, woven of New Zealand wool in a traditional Persian weave, proved a favorite with buyers giving its micro borders and the Bijar-style motif a big thumbs up. Some rugs, such as Richmond, which is machine-woven of two-ply heavy yarn, featured a high value luxurious pile, for a wallet friendly price.


Feizy introduces the hand-knotted Khyber, which earned a thumbs up for its micro border and Bijar-style patterns.

HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL (HRI)


Designers Colleen Coleman and Stephanie Salway of CMC Design Studio, Saratoga Springs, New York, get a
walk through with HRI's Greg Jordt. Shown, Fern

A major hit at the HRI showroom was its first programmed machine-woven collection called Carlton. Described by HRI's Greg Jordt as an instant sensation, this recently introduced cross-woven lineup is made with premium lanolin-rich Ghazni wool, prized for its softness and durability. Carlton's ivory colorway proved the No. 1 seller among its "trending top colors."

Continuing to gain ground is the recently introduced high-quality Faberge collection, which features a weave and quality similar to the popular Antique Heriz lineup, HRI’s long-running highest-quality programmed line. Faberge offers traditional Persian motifs, however, unlike Antique Heriz which employed classic rug colors, it reworks those designs in fashion-forward palettes.


HRI's first machine-woven programmed collection, Carlton, is a hit right out of the gate for its quality construction and
on-point colorways. Shown, design 30 in ivory

JAIPUR LIVING


Lauren and Tama Bell of Tama Bell Interiors, Sebastopol, California, pose in front of a color-drenched one-of-a-kind
Manchaha collection rug, LES-1532

Color was the big story in Jaipur’s showroom beginning with a stunning, saturated display of the company’s Manchaha collection, one-of-a-kind rugs designed and woven by its top artisans with leftover yarn from production. Another bright spot was Alina, a power-loomed 100 percent polyester line meant for indoor/outdoor use. It has a Palm Beach look, with vibrant pinks, greens and blues in preppy geometric patterns on a cream background. Cera, hand-knotted of wool and cotton, is an existing collection expanded this market with five new designs. The rugs have a tile-like grid pattern rendered in a color family of blues, greys, greens, and beiges.

Finally, to keep all those rugs pristine, Jaipur Living has launched a stain-resistant coating that can be applied to any rug of any fiber content. The water-based, nontoxic formula, when applied, keeps liquids from soaking into the pile.


Jaipur Living's hand-knotted Someplace in Time continues to be a best-seller for its updated traditional patterns. Shown, T13

JAUNTY


Jaunty's Paradise collection debuted and was a favorite for its cut and loop pile and understated classic motifs. Shown,
PD-52 in seashell

Jaunty’s hand-tufted introductions included the Solara collection, comprised of seven patterns ranging from oversized traditional medallions to more transitional or contemporary abstracts. The hand-tufted rugs are made of polyester and wool. The hand-tufted wool Magnolia collection is full of texture, with raised patterns executed in cream-colored yarn over a soft striated background in colors like clay, leaf or aqua. Paradise, a new collection, and Hudson and Porto, hand-tufted collections expanded with new designs, offer a more traditional look, with bordered florals and medallions.

The company also highlighted Fresco, a wool and polyester lineup with a unique wavy textured effect in the weave thanks to yarn with a variegated thickness. It comes in five colorways, each paired with ivory. Seville, a handwoven collection of wool and jute, has a unique all-jute band with contrast stitching on opposite short ends, and comes in six colorways, including an on-trend green. Rosewood also incorporates undyed wool and jute, using the two fibers to create contemporary oversized patterns with lots of texture and visual interest. And Paramount is jacquard woven in India of wool and polyester, with patterns that range from traditional scattered florals to geometric patterns.


Hand-woven of wool and jute in India, Jaunty's new Rosewood collection was a favorite for its natural organic styling.

KALATY


Kalaty unveiled the Helix collection of contemporary graphic designs hand-knotted of premium hand-spun wool at
spring market. Shown, HX1496

Kalaty showcased one of its largest-ever High Point Market product introductions in a range of styles, in both high-end hand-knotted and high-quality machine-woven area rugs. Buyers were wowed by the new Helix lineup, which offers contemporary graphic motifs hand-knotted of premium hand-spun wool; and by Himalaya, a collection of artfully simple modern linear designs and bold curves also hand knotted of premium hand-spun wool. Other hand-knot must-sees were two especially luxurious collections, Prato and Piazza, both made entirely of natural silk.

Some of Kalaty's top selling existing rug collections saw line extension as well, including the hand-knotted Ambrose collection, which reworks Oushak motifs in fashion colors, adding a fresh green colorway. Kalaty also showcased two new high-end hand-finished power-loomed collections. From the company's collaboration with renowned Brooklyn artist Katie Merz, is Paintwrks, an artwork-derived design.


Kalaty shows off its artistry with the modern linear designs in the new Himalaya collection hand-knotted of
premium hand-spun wool. Shown, HM1620

KARASTAN


Karastan's new Thomas Square collection is hand-tufted of wool, something more retailers are looking for. 

At spring market Karastan continued to introduce buyers to its imported machine-woven designs and its growing handmade assortment. Debuts included two new machine-made collections, Surrey Hills and Persepolis, and two hand-tufted collections, Forsyth Park and Thomas Square. Persepolis, crafted of 100 percent polyester with a shrink polyester, was getting a strong reaction for its transitional Oushak-inspired motifs with high-low detailing and neutral tones. Buyers also gave thumbs up to Surrey Hills, which offers classic Persian motifs in a 1.5-million-point weave in viscose and shrink polyester.

On the handmade side, Forsyth Park was the favorite for its geometric designs hand-tufted of mostly wool. And the hand-tufted Thomas Square, which offers geometric patterns, appealed to buyers looking for richer colors.


Surrey Hills features offers classic Persian patterns in a 1.5-million-point weave in viscose and shrink polyester. 

KAS RUGS


Kas' new hand-tufted Denali collection was a favorite for its undyed wool dimensional ivory designs. Shown, 2910

Kas continued to add to all of its major rug categories introducing both hand-woven and machine-woven styles. With hand-tufted and hand-woven rugs accounting for about 50 percent of Kas' business, new introductions didn't disappoint. The company featured the Tuscany collection which is its "elevated bread and butter designer rug, which designers always turn to,” said Santhi Yarlagadda, VP, adding that about "50 percent of our business is to designers."

The company always does well with its tufted rugs, she said, with Denali, crafted of undyed wool, a favorite for its geometric high-low designs. However, the star of the show was Kas' new Sofia collection of hand-knotted rugs. "We are offering very curated hand-knotted introductions to fill in gaps we see in market," Yarlagadda said. Sophia area rugs feature textured trendy traditional patterns crafted from hand-carded New Zealand wool.

Kas continues to grow its machine-made lineup, adding Portia, which offers a unique weave with drop stitch design, and London, its collection of vintage traditional washables.


Kas introduces the new Sofia collection of hand-knotted wool rugs offering textured traditional Persian motifs in fashion-forward colors.

LAVIN


Lavin focused High Point Market on its first area rugs crafted of PET material, crafted of recycled plastic, in constructions
including hand-woven, hand-tufted and machine-made.

At its second High Point Market, Lavin’s rugs made of recycled PET fibers were the major introduction. The company played up the sustainable aspect of these products, as well as their durability, hypoallergenic and non-shed properties. This major PET rollout spans four collections with 29 total designs: Myra, a hand-woven collection that included grid, stripe, and abstract linear patterns; Kali, hand-tufted with an emphasis on oversized designs with Midcentury and contemporary influences; Kira, a reversible flatwoven range in striated neutrals that has a soft hand and is machine washable. Lavin’s Tamara Day-licensed rug program also includes a PET fiber assortment called Contemporary Luxe, which includes some playful designs with a hand-drawn look.

The company also offered handmade natural-fiber introductions, such as Kirti in100 percent cotton with a solid/nonsolid look and hand-cut carving, and Sachin, made of wool and jute with an Escher-like repeating geometric pattern. Vani is handwoven of wool in a geometric design, with touches of bamboo silk in organic shapes. Tamara Day’s natural fiber offerings under the Natural Luxe collection included some cotton and jute options in bold stripes with a braided look.


Tamara Day X Lavin introduces Natural Luxe, a lineup of handmade jute and cotton rugs. Shown, N1013

LIORA MANNE


LIora Manne's InterHall booth debuts her Celestial Drift Dreamscape (on the rear wall) and Astrid in Porto Square on the floor.

The showstopping Liora Manne InterHall booth was awash in moody jewel tone colors and bold motifs indicating the limitless palette and design choices for coordination between the designer’s proprietary Lamontage textiles and rugs, and her hand-tufted Lush area rugs. Celestial Drift draws inspiration from celestial night skies and was showcased in a Lamontage wall textile spanning an entire booth wall. Lush area rug patterns were then selected to coordinate with the theme and re-worked in coordinating color palettes.

Celestial Drift, which reacts to black light and has glowing elements when exposed to it, is designed for use as Lamontage rugs, wall and ceiling coverings, upholstery fabric, or decorative pillows. Another hit with designers was Astrid, a recently introduced collection crafted of recycled materials including active apparel, which debuted Porto Square (a modernist geometric pattern used on the booths floor). “Clients are really liking it; they like the look and the sustainability of the construction,” Manne told RugNews.com.


Liora Manne's hand-tufted Lush rug patterns were selected to complement Celestial Drift and were color-coordinated to
showcase cross-coordination between Lamontage and Lush collections.

-- Continue reading our Exclusive High Point Rug Showroom Tour: People & Product, Part 2