RugNews.com takes you on an area rug tour of the High Point campus to showcase the top designs and the
buyers checking them out.
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The streets of High Point buzzed with activity as retailers and designers shopped the fall High Point Market. Of course, the new products on display included thousands of area rugs, ranging from affordable and stylish machine-made versions, to on-trend mid-priced options in a range of weaves and yarns, to exquisite high-end offerings for the most discerning consumers.
And while the styles, colors, and weaves ran the gamut, the editors at RugNews.com pinpointed a few key trends that are sure to figure big in what’s seen on retail floors in the coming year. Chunky rugs crafted of thick yarn were seen in many showrooms, often in warm neutral solids that showcased the nubby texture. Mid-century modern and Art Deco looks, with simple graphics and bold colors, could be seen from several rug companies. Softer-than-ever fibers, including plushy synthetic yarns and wool blends, promised comfort underfoot. When it came to color, warm neutrals and accents of green and rust edged out the prevailing palette of blues and greys. And finally, in many collections, patterns were executed in the weave, letting texture speak for itself for fresh new takes on the increasingly popular solid-colored rug.
In Part 1 of this two-part roundup, RugNews.com takes a look at some of the biggest introductions and best-received collections at rug showrooms from Amer to LR Home. Part 2 continues the coverage with showrooms from Momeni to Well Woven.
AMER
Amer debuts dozens of new hand-knotted area rugs including the brand-new Arlington collection, which proved a fall
market favorite. Shown, ARL-4
Amer had plenty of newness on display, especially in the hand-crafted category, for fall shoppers and one of its major launches is the Arlington collection. Available in five colorways in sizes up to 10 by 14 feet, the 100 percent wool hand-knotted lineup features subtle variations of weaves and patterns that create a sophisticated contemporary look.
Another contemporary introduction is the Ensemble collection, which includes two hand-knotted wool and silk designs. A palette of beige, brown and gold creates abstract patterns of organic lines and blotches.
The company is also getting a great response to Craft, a range of transitional motifs hand-knotted of raw hand-spun New Zealand wool featuring erased-style ornate traditional patterns in a zero-pile weave. The Milano collection is also a zero pile range and made of raw wool; the collection features rich, saturated colors in classic transitional bordered patterns.
Amer's hand-knotted Craft collection, habd-knotted of raw hand-spun wool, is off to a strong start with buyers. Shown, CRA-7
ART RESOURCES
Jalil Raoofi of Art Resources showing the company’s newest rugs to Louise Bancroft and Barbara Preusse,
Stark Carpet, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Lots of artistry was on show at Art Resources’ Market Square space, from its boldly colored Art collection's abstract designs to a new series of traditional classics in a Soumak weave. The company also introduced a new addition to its Emerald collection, a lustrous abstract design hand-knotted in wool and silk (AR133). The company showed off its design and weaving acumen with an organic neutral toned rug incorporating multiple textures through its combination of Soumak flatweave and hand-knotted pile.
A brand new addition to Art Resources’ Emerald collection debuted at High Point Market in wool and shimmering silk.
CAPEL
Cameron Capel presents Capel’s newest rugs to Francisco Ramirez of Pottery Barn at the company’s Market Square
showroom.
Big winners in the Capel showroom were its newest collections crafted of natural, undyed wool. The new hand-tufted Zen Garden collection offers an Art Deco-inspired motif, with a high-low pattern of overlapping concentric circles in a solid color. A market top hit was the debuting hand-tufted Lineas collection in shades of cream and greige. Lineas offers a range of linear motifs executed in a raised loop construction over a solid woven background.
Finally, another pleaser was Kerrington, a hand-knotted wool offering with a fringe, and offering over-scale Arts and Crafts motifs in a range of color combinations including a trending warm palette of brown, gray, yellow, cream, red, and blue.
Capel's undyed wool rugs were popular with fall market-goers and its new tufted Zen Garden was a hit for its tone-on-tone.
CREATIVE TOUCH
Chelsea Novakoski and Baki Ildez of Creative Touch Rugs and Domenica Parisi of Authentic Looms Rugs, Fairfield,
New Jersey. Rugs shown, hanging, left, SH-14, right, Fusion-139; rear stack, MI-509, and foreground, (Zile 32724).
At Creative Touch's Suites at Market Square booth major rug design directions were on display. Buyer's gave a thumbs up to the company's successful hand-crafted Bosphorus lineup's latest additions. Standout designs are the high-low over-scaled geometric (MI-509), which features a looped wool yarn in warm gray and ivory, and a linear motif (VR-2063), also in warm gray and ivory, that offers a plush ribbed texture and varied pile height. using natural wool.
Another popular collection that sees an on-point line extension is the hand-knotted Ankara, which adds SH-14, a geometric nomadic pattern crafted using small batch dyed wool. And lastly, Creative Touch's Modern Art Texture series adds Fusion-139, an abstracted simple geometric motif hand-knotted of tightly woven wool for an ultra-low pile.
Creative Touch continues to grow its best-selling Bosphorus collection adding the textural linear VR-2063.
DALYN
Brian VanderWerf of Dalyn with Ross Parker and Rhonda Baker of La-Z-Boy Furniture and Laurie Sadler of Dalyn.
Shown, the Odyssey collection
With 19 different patterns displayed throughout the showroom, the Odyssey collection is Dalyn’s big introduction for the market. The color-focused abstract designs are based on alcohol ink art and translated into area rug patterns made of soft polyester microfiber pile. The rugs are produced using the company’s proprietary prismatic color processing technology, which allows for thousands of variations of colors to create rich, dimensional designs. The rugs come in nine standard sizes, including an eight-foot round, and are domestically made.
Dalyn also showcased several other new area rug collections, including two that were displayed together to illustrate how the rugs coordinate. Hanu is a chunky hand-loomed rug with a nubby texture achieved with a weave of thick and thin yarns. And Abruzzo has a sweater-weave texture and is hand-loomed in India. Both rugs come in a variety of warm variegated solid colors, such as brown, rust and green. Finally, the new jute-inspired indoor-outdoor Bali was also a top choice.
Brian VanderWerf of Dalyn gives Wendy Otowschitz of Rooms to Go Patio a tour of the latest introductions. Shown,
Bali
FEIZY
At the Feizy 50th anniversary party: from left, Feizy's Mike Riley and John Feizy, Nora Gomez and Pattie Wojtkiewicz
of Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Cameron Feizy. Behind them are the Fillmore (left) and Riplee (right) collections,
both hand-knotted in wool.
High Point market-goers stopped in to celebrate Feizy's 50th anniversary and shop a fresh selection of fashion-right area rug designs. The chatter in the Feizy showroom focused on the Pryor collection, which is machine-made in Turkey. Acrylic yarn comprises the neutral backgrounds, while space-dyed viscose in vibrant colors like fuchsia and bronze create a veiny pattern. The rug is over-dyed for further dimension and sophistication. There are seven designs in the collection.
Another collection that got a thumbs up from buyers is the hand-crafted Brighton, a Tibetan-woven lineup that is sheared by hand. Made of wool and viscose, these rugs have ray-like patterns in warm neutral colors.
For shoppers seeking more transitional styles Rapsody ticked the right boxes. Made of Gazni wool yarn that is dip-dyed for a naturally striated effect, the rugs are woven with a Persian knot and offer intricate patterns rendered in rich colors of mustard, rust, brown, cream, and blue.
An instant sensation in the Feizy showroom was its dramatic Pryor collection, with a background made of an acrylic yarn
and accents of with space-dyed viscose.
HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL (HRI)
The on-point Coco collection from HRI is a hit for its modernist inflected geometric motif, sophisticated colorations
and lustrous accents.
Harounian Rug International’s renovated showroom was the perfect backdrop for its exciting new Coco collection. Rendered in cream and charcoal, the collection of three designs is inspired by the Art Deco movement. Hand-knotted in India of wool and viscose, the rugs feature geometric patterns of overlapping and intersecting circles and lines. Coco rugs come in four standard sizes from 6x9 to 10x14, with custom options available.
Milo was another debut that took center stage at HRI. These abstract ombre-styled organic shaped patterns are hand-knotted of wool and offer a dense pile that continues to gain traction with rug buyers. “These rugs are so finely woven, which is what achieves the subtle gradient” in the patterns, says Greg Jordt, executive vice president, sales and marketing, for HRI.
Finally, the hand-knotted Viceroy, featuring soft Oushak patterns, was a hit for its performance qualities. Crafted of 100 percent PET polyester these rugs are made in a tight weave to withstand busy households.
The ombre art-inspired designs of HRI's Milo collection paired with a dense pile earned the lineup a thumbs up from shoppers.
JAIPUR LIVING
Jaipur offered a preview of its forth coming Fine Fibers made-to-order rug program, featuring fibers such as silk, cashmere
and alpaca,
Jaipur focused fall High Point Market on its custom rug program and previewed its Fine Fibers program, launching in Q1 of next year. This made-to-order program offers rugs made with luxury fibers such as silk, cashmere and alpaca, all of which are sustainably sourced.
Jaipur also added to its best-selling Someplace in Time collection, which features intricate patterns that take six to nine months to produce. The newest design is Anzad, a beautiful pattern featuring an oversized central medallion with an elaborate border.
The company also introduced its new hand-knotted Heja Home licensed collection, created by the Heja Home husband-and-wife duo who curated their favorite vintage Moroccan rugs and re-created them with Jaipur.
Jaipur introduces its new hand-knotted Heja Home licensed collection of updated Moroccan designs.
JAUNTY
Audrey Sclarow and Kami Navid of Jaunty with Ivy Lehman of Creative Design Group. Shown, the Paxton collection
The big hit in Jaunty’s showroom was Hermosa, an all-wool, hand-woven rug with an over-tufted shag construction with a contrasting woven background for a high-low effect. The rug comes in 10 colorways. Also new is Normandy, which is woven of wool with viscose for highlights in the oversized swirling pattern. And Malibu is made of wool and PET blended yarn, with a raised cross-hatched design over a contrasting color design. Finally, Jaunty grows its popular Hillcrest collection with five additional colorways. These floral motif rugs are hand-tufted with a wool loop pile that has become increasingly sought-after.
Jaunty's new Hermosa collection was a market favorite for its trending high-low over-tufted shag construction.
KALATY
A popular choice at the Kalaty showroom were its latest Oushak-inspired additions to the hand-knotted Amalfi lineup.
Among the top-selling introductions from Kalaty at fall market were its newest addition to the Amalfi collection. Crafted of hand-spun wool with a zero-pile construction, the rugs offer an antique look of traditional floral patterns with subtle, muted colors and a dense fringe. Likewise, the Lyra collection's latest classic traditional floral patterns crafted of premium hand-spun wool and zero-pile construction, got a thumbs up from show shoppers.
Finally, contemporary looks also remain a top choice, and Kalaty's abstract Orian, made of wool and Silkette, continues to be a top choice for its brush-stroke design and soft hand. And, the bold Juno collection, hand-knotted of 100 percent Silkette, adds fresh styles and remains an on-trend choice with buyers, who appreciate its high-low hand-carved abstract patterns executed in a Tibetan weave.
Kalaty's newest abstracts continue to perform and Orian is a hit for its pairing of wool with shimmering accents.
KALEEN
Kaleen's LUXE Jara hand-knotted rug (JAR01) was selected as part of the fall 2023 High Point Market Trendwatch.
For fall High Point Market buyers, Kaleen focused on its growing LUXE label of handmade area rugs. The response to the lineup has been positive and the LUXE offering has doubled and now totals to 50 rugs. Retailers appreciate the program's custom options, in addition to stocked sizes, which simplify and speed up the production of custom rugs. LUXE rugs are produced in 15- by 50-foot rolls of hand-knotted patterns that are cut to order and hand-serged for delivery within 90 days. One of the standouts at fall market is the new Jara collection rug (JAR01), which was selected as part of High Point Market's Fall 2023 Trendwatch. JAR 01 features a shaggy high-low abstracted linear motif that reveals glimpses of a contrasting flat-weave base. Another new introductions is Alma, which offers a popular chunky knot styling. And finally Nectar, which is made of wool, viscose and cotton, features a two-toned concentric square pattern.
Kaleen's LUXE high-end area rug collection has doubled in size to include 50 hand-made designs.
KARASTAN
TV celebrity Bobby Berk gave a High Point Market Keynote address, sponsored by Karastan. He then stopped by the
showroom for a cocktail hour to introduce his latest rugs.
Bobby Berk stopped by the Karastan showroom following a keynote address to greet buyers and introduce them to his latest Karastan Rugs. His new Artemisia collection is Berk's first hand-knotted lineup and is woven in a tight 30 knots per square inch, with zero pile.
Cabana, a new outdoor rug collection, was getting a lot of attention in the Karastan showroom. With a saturated palette of spice tones, indigo, and neutrals, the rugs come in a range of patterns, including contemporary looks, oversized foliage designs, and interlocking, stylized floral patterns. The rugs have a low flat-woven construction that resembles sisal, accented with with cut pile. Retailers can buy a set of 25 rugs that come rolled in a display box. Another outdoor collection is the Lanai collection under the Salt Life license, which features trending jute looks but are made of indoor-outdoor easy-care 100 percent polypropylene.
Bobby Berk by Karastan debuted the licensing program's first hand-knotted collection, Artemisia, crafted in Turkey.
LOLOI
From left, Austin Craley of Loloi with Rachael Celinski of Gallatin Valley Design Group, Christine Schellenback of Loloi,
Michelle Scott of Gallatin Valley Design, and Nancy Lee of Loloi. Shown, the Wylder collection
Loloi focused many of its fall debuts on its licensing programs with notable additions to its newest partner, Angela Rose, and also Amber Lewis. In fact, Lewis, an instant hit with buyers and designers, stopped by the showroom for a signing event to introduce her design book as well as her newest pieces.
The debuting Malibu collection is Amber Lewis x Loloi’s first entrée into indoor/outdoor rugs. The polypropylene rugs come in five designs, in neutral colors with striped or textured solid patterns. Also from Amber Lewis x Loloi are several wool rug collections. Rocky is hand-tufted wool, in warm grey neutrals with subtly blocky, striated patterns. Libby, rendered in chunky, hand-knotted wool, features a dotted design and an organic stripes pattern, both reminiscent of animal prints.
Cyrus Loloi with Amber Lewis in front of the partnership's latest area rug addition, Malibu, the program's first indoor-
outdoor collection.
LR HOME
LR Home’s Laddha brothers, Vaibhav and Vinamra, stand behind Myriam Manevich of Homecenter in Panama, licensing partner Evette
Rios, Liat Korc of Homecenter, and Megha Laddha of LR Home.
LR Home grows its area rugs, home accents and furnishings for fall shoppers, who were the first to see a revamped fifth floor shopping experience. In area rugs, there were dozens of new introductions, many of which expanded on the company’s best-selling natural fiber rugs. Mesa is made of wool stitched over a jute and cotton base, with a linear geographic pattern. Willow, made of jute and wool, features a stylized medallion and border pattern. And another new release is Geoblend, also crafted jute and wool. These rugs have a nubby, broken stripe pattern woven over a flat-weave base.
The chunky-textured look is represented at LR Home with Dome, a hand-loomed rug made of New Zealand wool, which features a thick yarn cross-woven with a thinner yarn to create a nubby, cobbled texture. For a more traditional look, the tufted Euphoria is made of 10-count wool done in a variety of textures of loop and cut pile to give the elaborate patterns more depth. Meanwhile, Zenith, made of wool and cotton, has a sophisticated look with a simple, stark embossed line pattern, a favorite of shoppers.
LR Home's textured Geoblend collection, crafted of wool and jute, is a success for its glamorous, on-trend neutral tonal styling.
-- Continue reading HPMKT Rug Extravaganza: People & Product, Part 2