Spring High Point Market rug showrooms offered fashion and technical innovation, plus a return to hand-crafted luxury.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Area rug exhibitors had a strong showing at the spring 2023 edition of High Point Market, and shoppers found plenty of fashion and technical innovation.
The rush to the bottom with ever-lower prices for online customers appears to have stabilized with many of the big-name vendors returning to their roots with heavy emphasis on hand-knotted luxury designs. Indeed, many rug brands are growing assortments of hand-made rugs in a variety of weaves and even adding hand-crafted embellishments to machine-made products. In addition, rug companies, which continue to see sales growth in the washable category, are fine-tuning their products – and several showrooms featured displays showcasing designs surrounded with cleaning gear to make the point. Performance rugs are evolving and showing up in once-exclusively hand-knotted venues – these are not your grandma’s outdoor rugs – they’re more sophisticated in design, weave, texture, color and materials than ever before.
RugNews.com, in this exclusive recap of areas rug hits at High Point Market, tours a whopping 30-plus area rug showrooms, from high-end hand-knotted purveyors to machine-made specialists, and brings you the biggest area rug hits. We kick off with Part 1, below, and don't miss Part 2, where the coverages continues with more than a dozen additional showrooms.
AMER
Amer rolled out 10 new area rug collections and the best-seller proved an reworked classic design from the new Craft
collection.
All eyes were on the Craft collection in the Amer showroom, a line made of oxidized Afghan wool in 8/8 quality with an elegant traditional pattern. Other highlights were the Anna collection, made of 100 percent hand-spun wool in 6/6 quality, woven in a striated solid pattern with a very subtle line design overlaid, a delicate fringe and colorways of copper and beige. And the Willow collection got a line extension in a gray traditional pattern of blended New Zealand wool in a hand-knotted construction.
Amer's latest addition to its popular hand-knotted Willow collection, which reworks traditional geometric motifs in
trending palette, was a hit with market-goers.
ART RESOURCES
Art Resources is a High Point Market go-to source for on-point Navajo flatweave rugs and its latest Southwest motifs
are again seeing a renaissance.
At Market Square, the Art Resources showroom was abuzz with retailers and designers who visit each market to replenish their stock of the company’s best-selling Navajo collection of wool flatweaves. Although the Atlas collection’s organic neutral palette was a favorite, Art Resources’ Max Moussavi noticed an unexpected uptick in requests for pink area rugs this season, and a high-low lavishly textured Moroccan-influenced design in pink was a surprising top seller.
This pink organic high-low pattern from Art Resources’ Moroccan-influenced Atlas collection was a winner.
CAPEL RUGS
Capel's new Aria collection was a hit for its undyed natural wool and high low texture
braided border.
Down East was turning heads in the Capel showroom. A polypropylene indoor-outdoor rug lineup, the yarn is treated and texturized so it looks and feels like wool, and constructed in a braided pattern with a contrasting braided border. Another highlight was Aria, hand-woven in India with undyed yarn to create a blocky design and a high-low texture. “It’s funky and fun, neutral, and easy to decorate with,” noted Cameron Capel, president-sales and marketing. Another market hit was Manhattan, a dramatic black-and white modern abstract woven of high-low polyester.
Six more patterns were added to the Verve collection, including traditional Oushaks done in fun pastels. Lineage also got some additions; traditional influences like Heriz medallions, and kilim rugs inspired the new patterns in machine-made New Zealand wool. Also new from Capel were Captiva and Retreat, new indoor-outdoor designs. The first features an Ikat design while the second has tonal coloring and a high-low construction.
Capel's popular Oushak-inspired Verve collection adds six designs pairing pastels with rich jewel tones.
CENTRAL ORIENTAL/NATCO HOME
Central Oriental/Natco Home continues to grow its popular Stonington collection with plush high-low designs.
Central Oriental/Natco Home’s popular Stonington line, which is made in the United States, received a line extension to expand the collection to 14 designs. This plush line is made of shrink microfiber and heat-set polypropylene for a very soft hand and a high-low effect. The rugs have geometric patterns executed in neutral colors.
The new Revitalize collection, within the company’s licensed Trisha Yearwood program, is the program's foray into washable rugs. Made of low-pile polyester, the rugs have traditional patterns and are treated so spilled liquid beads right up.
Central Oriental/Natco Home continue to expand the partnership with celebrity Trisha Yearwood, adding the first washable
rug collection, Revitalize.
COURISTAN
Couristan introduced its Velvet collection, which offers updated classic tribal motifs in contemporary colorations.
Couristan got a thumbs-up from Market shoppers for the innovative new Velvet collection which is a printed Soumak weave in polyester and cotton in trend-right colors. “This is second generation printing – a step-up and buyers loved it,” said Steve Couri at the company’s Suites at Market Square booth. Velvet debuts with six designs.
Also topping Couristan’s best-seller list were two new patterns added to the popular Halli collection in 100 percent Courtron polyester. Cross-woven on Wilton looms, Halli rugs can use up to 72 colors and its thick pile plus a short antique fringe lend a handmade look and feel to each piece. Another winner was a sophisticated indoor-outdoor collection called Adirondack, which launched in High Point and features a high-low texture in 100 percent Courtron polyester.
Couristan expands its indoor-outdoor assortment debuting Adirondack, and this new textural geometric (1845D) was
a top hit at spring market.
CREATIVE TOUCH
A showstopper with its carved texture and painterly arrangement of irises, this new floral is part of Creative Touch's
Modern Art Texture collection.
Creative Touch brought a broad assortment of fashion-forward textures and designs to their Suites at Market Square stand, and designers had plenty of exclusive looks to choose from. One showstopper was a contemporary arrangement of irises from the Modern Art Texture collection, hand-knotted in a mix of wool and silk on a cotton foundation. Another was a sunny yellow Delta collection design woven from wool on Soumak looms with a braided technique. New looks in the Bosphorus all wool collection and an ombre design from the Modern Handloom lineup were all market winners.
From the Modern Handloom collection this new ombre design is hand-crafted from denim pile with Tencel.
DALYN RUG CO.
The new printed Kars collection's Canyon design, made domestically, was a hit for its vibrant rust/red colorway.
Among the many highlights from Dalyn was the new collection Tuscany. With 13 pieces in the launch, this made-in-the-US line features unique colorways, a non-skid base, and patterns applied using the company’s Prismatic Color Processing technology. The rugs have a plush cut pile construction made of polyester and come in a wide range of sizes in round and rectangular shapes. Kars also is printed with the Prismatic Color Processing technique, however it offers a heavy chenille that simulates an old-world hand-knotted one of a kind rug, Kars includes 14 pieces, including the striking Canyon pattern in a vibrant rust and red colorway. Bergama is constructed of space-dyed yarn, and at $199 retail, it offers a traditional look at an affordable price point. The Bali collection offers indoor/outdoor performance in a polypropylene flatweave, with six simple patterned designs and four colorways. And Regal’s six-piece collection has a million-point construction with looks ranging from worn traditional to casual and abstract designs, all with soft colorways.
Dalyn's new printed Tuscany collection was a success with market shoppers who appreciated its plush cut pile construction.
EICHHOLTZ
Eichhotz's added its first hand-knotted rugs to its its lineup for spring buyers, including the organic and textural Elyn.
In its beautiful showroom, Eichholtz showed off its first hand-knotted rugs, incorporated into vignettes showcasing its high-end furniture and accessories. Elyn, in ivory and camel wool, has a raised pattern of organic shapes for texture and dimension. Limitless was a study in tonal textures, with designs featuring abstract geometric patterns that had a mid-century feel in a warm color palette. And Vava incorporated a freeform square design in white over black background. Other additions are hand-knotted, hand-tufted, or hand-woven in New Zealand wool.
Limitless was a hit for its abstract geometric styling with multi-level textures and natural coloration.
EXQUISITE RUGS
The Met collection of rugs draws on 20,000 pieces of art in the archives of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
Exquisite Rugs unveiled its new The Met collection at its sprawling IHFC showroom, and the licensed program will be offered to limited distribution, according to owner Hersel Bani-Esraili. A broad range of designs are offered in 1-million- and 2-million-point construction, and the launch includes the Antique Loom, Antique Weave, Legacy, and Vintage Loom collections. The rugs are licensed with The Met brand and targeted to interior designers and medium to high end retailers.
A design from the Antique Loom collection in The Met licensing program debuted at Exquisite Rugs.
FEIZY
Feizy takes its best-selling one-of-a-kind rug motif and reworks it for the hand-knotted Killian collection.
There was a lot to see in the Feizy showroom, with introductions arranged under the top Feizy identified design trends, including Keeping with Tradition and Serene Spaces.
Within Keeping with Tradition, Wembly was a new offering in the company’s Fine designation. It is hand-knotted of 100 percent wool offering traditional patterns in a weathered look, with a shaved pile and a short fringe. Ronin features rich blues, rusts and oranges in a traditional patterns and a 100 percent wool, hand-knotted construction. The vibrant colors in the Killian collection are derived from vegetable dyes, a dyeing method that’s better for the environment than chemical dyes. These hand-knotted rugs, which have a shaved pile, include a pattern that was inspired by one of Feizy’s most popular one-of-a-kind designs.
Within the relaxing and natural Serene Spaces trend is Navaro, which has a contemporary look with neutral colors and a subtle striped pattern. It’s hand-woven of wool and viscose. And, several new patterns rolled out under licensing partner Thom Filicia's label that fit within the trend as well. The debuts include neutral and geometric offerings, such as Peconic, a handmade wool rug in an abstract geometric pattern.
The natural understated styles in the hand-woven Navaro collection were hits with shoppers.
HRI
HRI's textural contemporary Oushak-motif Lola collection, which offers more affordable hand-knotted designs, is a hit
with shoppers.
The Lola rug was a standout from Harounian Rugs International (HRI). Hand-knotted in India of 100 percent wool, the rugs have a heavy texture and an elegant Oushak design on various washed-out backgrounds, including blush, green, lemon and silver. A more contemporary look was Horizon, an abstract, striated design hand-knotted of wool and viscose in five different versions. Splendid featured crisp, bolder colors with an oversized, bordered design in a Persian knot construction. And from the Alfredo Paredes line, designed by a former designer for Ralph Lauren, Tapanga is hand-crafted of wool with a nubby texture and a palette of neutrals, plum, indigo and green in solid and striped offerings.
HRI's hand-knotted Splendid appeals to buyers seeking crisp Oushak designs in trending palettes.
JAIPUR LIVING
The Kasben collection offers Moroccan styling with plenty of special features including detailing on the border.
Jaipur highlighted its Kasben collection, which has a Moroccan feel and detailing on the border and is constructed of 100 percent wool that undergoes a washing process rendering the yarns lighter and lengthier, giving them natural dirt resistance. The hand-knotted rugs sell for $2,400 for an 8x10 size. Tempest is a silk and wool rug with a stippled, impressionist look with an abstract design rendered in cool colors. And the Verde collection was inspired by patterned tiles. The flat-woven rugs are hand-knotted in wool, with neutral colors of black, brown and cream. Jaipur Living also showcased an assortment of one of a kind rugs for market shoppers this season - to great response.
Jaipur showcased an assortment of one-of-a-kind rugs at spring High Point Market.
JAUNTY
The Paxton collection resonated with market-goers for its overscale motifs and hand-tufted construction.
The big hits in the Jaunty showroom included Paxton and Paradise. Paxton, a line of Oushak designs, is hand-tufted wool with a hard twist that gives it a striated look. The colorways have the look of Pakistani vegetable-dyed wool, with 10 patterns and colorways. Paradise, meanwhile, is made of wool with a loop construction and is hand-tufted in India. One pattern has a vibrant cobalt blue background with a neutral design of organically drawn diamonds and lines.
Other highlights include Verdara, made of jute and PET polyester, flatwoven in a simple, striated solid design of multicolor thread, and Wilton, made of wool and viscose blended yarn for an easy-to-clean rug that comes in pale pastels
Verdara, made of jute and PET polyester, proved popular with buyers seeking active solid styles, above in Sunkist palette.
KALATY
Adana, which added fresh looks for spring shoppers, remains a best-selling collection at Kalaty.
Joseph Kalati, principal, reports that Adana continues to be one of the company’s strongest selling lines, and a line extension in a vibrant goldenrod color added yet another appealing option. The classic Oushak rugs are hand-knotted with hand-spun wool yarn and come in a range of sizes from 2x3 to 12x15, as well as a 10-foot runner.
Ankara was also a focal point in the showroom with a hand-knotted Oushak motif featuring a black background. Yet another Oushak collection, Ambrose, was a hit with customers for its softly mottled pastel colors and charming pattern arrangement. Both Ankara and Ambrose are crafted of wool and Silkette yarns for a lustrous sheen. Lyra is the company’s vintage-inspired collection, made of hand-knotted, hand-spun wool in a zero-pile construction and a neutral pattern including creams and grays.
The hand-knotted Ambrose collection's muted classic floral designs were popular with buyers.
KALEEN
Luxe by Kaleen, its high-end hand-knotted rug label, proved a hit for its latest natural styles and customization options.
In the Kaleen showroom, the new Luxe collection was a big hit. “We are really getting into that high-end realm,” said Blake Dennard, senior vice president. The collection is hand-woven of wool in simple, contemporary patterns and neutral colorways, and is available in programmed sizes of 8x10, 9x12 and 10x14. But what makes it unique is the opportunity to customize sizes to order. Kaleen will keep 15x50-foot rolls in stock in India, available to be cut to order, hand-serged, and delivered within a 90-day timeframe. The rugs can also be backed with carpet backing to create custom wall-to-wall hand-knotted carpeting.
It's a natural extension to the company’s custom program, which includes flatweaves, hand-loomed and hand-tufted options to produce custom sizes and shapes in as little as 10 days.
“The challenge in our rug industry is that you have to go deep in sizing, but the customer wants their size,” said Dennard. “We are spoiling our customers with the Luxe program, they get any size they want in 90 days.”
Keros from Kaleen's Luxe collection was a hit for its dense, hand-woven simple design and natural styling.
KARASTAN
Karastan's Pandora was an instant hit when launched last fall, and these new designs proved no exception. Shown Fury
Karastan’s Pandora collection has been a great success for the company, and two new line extensions build on its popularity. The Fury pattern comes in a cream and a beige colorway, with taupe, rusty reds, and accents of olives and coral. Pandora rugs are inspired by traditional Oushaks. The company also highlighted its popular area rug program alongside designer Stacy Garcia with a detailed vignette of her cross-category home goods. Another highlight from the series is the new Depiction collection, a watercolor-like abstract with a color palette of blues, yellow, ivory, black, and taupe.
Stacy Garcia showcases Depiction collection, a watercolor-like abstract crafted of pure wool.
KAS
The Avani collection was the market hit at the Kas showroom, crafted of space-dyed yarn in nature inspired colorways.
From Kas, the Avani collection was a market hit. Using a 10-color kreel of space-dyed yarn using hues inspired by nature, like rusts, blues, green and ivory, these rugs feature cross-woven polyester and shrink polyester. The 10 designs range from transitional patterns to abstracts. Another collection, Cove, is hand-tufted and hand-carved wool in a plush pile. The eight designs include tropical looks like oversized ferns, Monstera leaves, and flowers. Finally, Kas introduced London, a lineup of machine-washable rugs.
Kas introduced its hand-tufted and carved Cove lineup which includes a range of tropical styles.
-- Continue reading Breakout Rug Hits from Spring High Point Market, Part 2.