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KARIM RASHID EXPANDS
HIS FOOTPRINT IN RUGS
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Karim Rashid is bringing his color energy to new mass market and high end designer rugs.
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NEW YORK - With non-stop architectural and interior design commissions across the globe, product designs by Karim Rashid have grown to over 3,000 items from manufacturers across all lifestyle categories. On the heels of his keynote speech at Maison & Objet Americas in Miami in May, and appearances at ICFF and Wanted Design in New York, news is breaking about Rashid's new floor covering designs for several companies in a range that covers the mass and high end designer markets.
Karim Rashid for Grund
On June 1, Grund America officially launched the Karim Rashid Kolor My World collection to U.S. consumers via its online web store. "Later this week online sales will go live at Amazon, Bed, Bath Beyond, and Wayfair," said Michael Twer, vice president/general manager, of Charlotte, NC-based Grund America. "Karim is a great designer. His collection is so popular in Europe we are testing the waters in the U.S. with seven styles. By the fourth quarter, we can have close to 100 designs to bring in," Twer added.
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Karim Rashid's Kolor My World rugs for Grund express his philosophy on color.
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Grund, a 25-year-old company headquartered in the Czech Republic, introduced the Karim Rashid collection to international buyers in January 2015 at the Heimtextil fair in Germany. The rugs were later previewed at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago in March [click here for story].
"At the Housewares show, we introduced Grund America to the retail trade, and as a result major retailers have decided to pick up our products during the second half of the year. They loved the design, the comfort, the durability and especially the five year warranty which is unheard of in this country," Twer explained. Of the seven items currently offered, three designs are sold in the 36" round for $69.99; two are 21"x 34" retailing at $34.99 and one is 40" square at $79.99.
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The 40-inch square Fun Rug by Karim retails at $79.99.
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"For Grund, I created a collection that has the vibrancy and energy of our digital world or what I call 'digipop'. The collection was also modeled after my philosophy on color. Color is a highly emotional phenomenon. Contemporary decoration and color can add great pleasure to our everyday lives," Karim explained.
Lindstrom Rugs' Korgamy by Karim
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Prismatic designs at Lindstrom Rugs ICFF 2105 show space in New York.
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At ICFF 2015, RugNews.com spotted new rugs from the new Korgamy by Karim line hanging on the exterior walls of the Lindstrom Rugs booth, in prismatic motifs indicative of the collection. Hand-tufted of wool, Karim's collection of seven designs is reportedly available exclusively through Lindstrom Rugs and two other high end showrooms. Founded by Erick Lindstrom, Lindstrom Rugs, which won the ICFF Editors' Award 2015 for Carpet and Flooring, offers custom, hand-knotted and hand-tufted carpets for residential and commercial clients [click here for story].
Karim Rashid at Wanted Design
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Karim designed a custom printed carpet for the Bounceworld booth at WantedDesign.
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During New York Design Week in May, visitors at the WantedDesign, NYC 2015 show got to see more of Karim's floor covering creativity at the Bounceworld booth he designed for Italian furniture and seating company Gufram. The custom printed carpet is a graphic interpretation of the innovative and colorful Bounce chair Karim designed for Gufram in 2015. Alternating high and low platforms were covered in the carpet designed by Karim and manufactured by Milliken.
06.03.15
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