Corporate execs Kevin Erasmus, Jose Lopez and Kim Chaumont introduce High Point Market to the Quorum International's new rug division.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – At its High Point Market debut, new area rug company Lavin Rugs hit the ground running with 348 different designs across 49 collections including handmade and power loomed rugs. What’s more, the nascent U.S. rug brand launched four collections to premiere its licensing partnership with Bargain Mansions star, designer Tamara Day.
The rug company, which was launched in November 2023, has an interesting corporate family tree. The Lavin brand falls under the umbrella of lighting bigwig Quorum International, which also owns Cyan Design, a home décor and accessories company, and Oxygen, which manufactures decorative commercial lighting fixtures. In turn, the entire Quorum home furnishings group is a subsidiary of Davoil, Inc., a privately owned holding company based in Fort Worth, Texas.
RugNews editors caught up with company leaders at the ribbon cutting ceremony and launch party officially opening the first Lavin Rugs High Point showroom, space C-212 in IHFC’s Commerce wing. “We’re excited to add rugs to our home furnishings portfolio,” said Kevin Erasmus, president and CEO of Davoil. “We’re a very diverse company: we own a railroad, oil wells and home furnishings companies, and we’re very happy to expand into the rug category.”
Tamara Day introduced market shoppers to her new licensed rug program alongside Lavin Rugs.
Quorum International president Jose Perez told RugNews.com the move into rugs is part of a strategic plan to become more important to existing home furnishings customers and channels, while expanding its reach in both. “We saw rugs as a growth opportunity: Our goal with rugs was to add an element that would tie in with our other businesses, including lighting and home décor,” Perez said.
Jesus Lopes and Reed Rosenberg hold the ribbon for Jose Perez to make the cut with Kim Chaumont and Luis Gonzales
cheering them on.
To that point Kim Chaumont, director of sales and business development, was instrumental in driving Quorum International’s successful cross-category move into the hospitality business in 2023 and in the development of Lavin Rugs – from its brand identity in the U.S. to its product line, marketing and sales force. “We will expand our target audience in rugs with a good-better-best price point structure, and we plan to increase our hospitality business as well as capture the business of homeowners and home builders,” she explained.
Young rug brand Lavin debuts at High Point Market introducing nearly 50 collections for fall market-goers.
Area Rug Collections
Among the top selling rug launches is the hand-tufted Mitra collection, made of wool and cotton.
With a launch collection as comprehensive (and as big) as might be expected from a Texas-based company, Lavin Rugs’ 49 collections are produced in Turkey and India. Chaumont said the company is beginning to add rugs made in Egypt to their assortment as well. Quorum partners with Lavin Tapetes Decor in Monterrey, Mexico for the rug program.
Bargain Mansions star, designer Tamara Day, who already partners with Lavin’s parent company, Quorum, on lighting, introduced a line of area rugs under the Tamara Day for Lavin label on opening day of the fall 2024 High Point Market. Her four collections include Contemporary Luxe, Natural Luxe, Timeless Luxe and Laid Back Luxe.
Contemporary Luxe rugs are made of recycled PET for an indoor/outdoor quality and feature bold stylized patterns in high-contrast colors of black or dark brown and beige and a loop pile construction. Natural Luxe, meanwhile, is made of jute and cotton in a thick braided look woven into wide stripes, with shades of blue, grey, cream, beige, and brown. Eclectic Luxe features abstract and graphic designs, while Timeless Luxe presents a clean, classic aesthetic.
“We’re excited to bring Day’s modern and innovative designs to life with our high-quality rugs,” said Lopez, who is also president of Lavin Rugs. “Her relaxed style and sophisticated accents represent the perfect addition to the Lavin Rugs brand.” Tamara Day told fans, “Having such a successful partnership with Quorum International, I am beyond excited to launch our collaborative rug collection with a team that knows me, my design, and my goals. I’d say, “Laid Back Luxe” and “Lavin” sound pretty perfect together!”
Tamara Day by Lavin introduces Natural Luxe rug collection, crafted of jute and cotton with a thick braided style.
Rugs under the Lavin Rugs brand were dramatically displayed in a sophisticated racking system, and were merchandised in an inspiration launch catalog, Walk on Art. Live in Luxury, with rugs shown elegant location settings photographed at the Baker Hotel and the Crazy Water Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.
Lavin Rugs’ 2024 catalog features its tagline: Walk on Art. Live in Luxury.
Three of the collections that were among market hits were Mitra, Forza and Optika.
Mitra, a wool and cotton hand-tufted rug, features warm neutrals with a variety of repeated geometric and organic patterns executed in a high-low construction. It comes in a range of rug sizes up to 10 by 13 feet, including two round sizes. Forza is power-loomed of polypropylene. The indoor/outdoor rug comes in six sizes up to 10 by 13, including a runner. The rugs, in light neutral tones, feature raised geometric patterns over flatwoven bases for a tufted look. Optika is a bold graphic pattern of black and cream in a broken geometric pattern of angled stripes in a dense low polyester pile.
Optika from Lavin Rugs offers a dense low pile woven of polyester.