Area rug vendor's push limits of value-priced products, with fresh constructions and luxurious looks.

NEW YORK -- Mass Merchants and big box buyers headed to the recent fall New York Home Textiles Market and their mood remained cautiously optimistic.

According to surveyed executives retail attendees were looking to refresh their inventories and pick up styles that address key consumer trends including machine-washable and indoor-outdoor rugs, machine-woven rugs that offer plenty of perceived value, and natural fiber product. In addition, scatters and mats, including holiday themed accents, remain a top priority of retailers at the four-day home textiles event.

Area rug participants didn't hold back, and many rolled out novel qualities and constructions designed to differentiate their offering. Some also expanded their product assortment, adding new categories to their fall lineup including handmade and machine-made wool products and wellness mats. Another major category that is becoming a popular selling point is offering innovative packaging of area rugs, either in slim stackable boxes or clear plastic carrying totes, to make it simple to purchase and transport rugs, including larger sized 8x10 area rugs.

Among the notable trends in colorations is the dominance of warm earthy tones, especially creams, ivory and brown tones; and retailers continue to shop for green hues as well. Moody dark grounds of charcoal or anthracite are in ascendency, as are pops of those tones in motif accents for punch. Styles run the gamut from painterly abstracts, updated classic motifs, and geometrics (from Scandinavian-inspired to contemporary styles to Moroccan and tribal), with a noticeable uptick in over-sized contemporary floral patterns.

In this industry exclusive report, tour the rug showrooms and innovations on display for buyers at the fall New York Home Fashion Market alongside RugNews.com.

DYNAMIC RUGS


A bold textural water-color inspired floral from the Silver collection proved a show-stopper.

Dynamic Rugs, which began meeting clients prior to the kickoff of Market Week on Sept. 16, noted that transitional designs in neutrals remain popular but more clients are asking for color. Dynamic Rugs responded by subtly injecting blues and greens, and other fashion colors, into its latest debuts.

Serena, which offers a range of contemporary styles, is woven of space-dyed polyester, and the Silver collection, which includes an over-scale painterly floral motif, both earned a thumbs up. Silver collection offers plenty of perceived value with its texture and hand, and a palette of blue, green, and ivory. Silver is made of space-dyed polyester and shrink polyester cross woven for added durability.

Another favorite is the Milano lineup of eight designs crafted of space-dyed polyester pairing neutral cool and warm tones. The Aimon collection, woven from polyester and shrink polyester, offers raised ivory traditional motifs with a multi-color ground including shades of blues, grays and rust.

For shoppers seeking plush and soft designs, Masai, machine-made in Belgium, is proving to be the favorite. The high-quality Masai, which offers a range of tonal high-low geometric motifs, is straight woven of polyester and shrink polyester.


Dynamic Rugs' Serena collection offered fresh geometric looks woven of space-dyed polyester.


A customer favorite at Dynamic Rugs is a tonal high-low organic pattern from its Masai collection, straight woven of
polyester and shrink polyester.

HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL (HRI)


An innovative HRI rollout, Bella, is machine-woven of wool and offered in a broad assortment of styles and two colorways.

HRI's featured debut for New York Home Fashions Market was its new Bella collection, which is machine-made of pure wool in Belgium. Bella offers a variety of transitional, traditional and contemporary patterns, and the transitional designs were a top choice with buyers in New York. The expansive collection includes two color stories, a more monochromatic neutral palette of blue, gray and ivory, and a vibrant assortment featuring classic colors such as reds, blues and beige.

Another introduction that earned major kudos from marketgoers was Stella, machine woven of polypropylene in a broad range of styles. Among the Stella lineup’s favorite designs were two watercolor-inspired floral designs.


HRI's machine-woven Bella collection, made of wool, was an instant success with buyers.


HRI introduces Stella for New York Market Week shoppers and its contemporary floral patterns were a favorite.

LOLOI


Loloi featured a blue color story display in New York comprised of a range of complementary collections and designs.

Loloi's generous New York showroom was filled with a range of new area rugs geared toward its big box and mass merchant buyers. The space’s second floor is dedicated to its area rugs, while its third floor features the company's growing lineup of bathmats, scatters, and mats, which included its first wellness mats. The popular Rifle Paper Co. licensed program debuted mats, wellness mats and scatter sizes at market as well.

"Mass is interested in a fresh approach with new looks, textures, colors, and constructions at a great value," Amir Loloi told RugNews.com.
Top choices included the machine-washable Anniston collection of classic motifs in rich, saturated colors. A counterpoint is the new Uriel, a range of understated classic motifs, power-loomed of polyester in subtle colorations including browns, greens, grays and more. Another major power-loomed introduction is Urban, which offers a wide range of design styles from contemporary geometric looks to distressed-styled traditional patterns. Another catchy roll out is the power-loomed outdoor Mika collection of vibrantly colored floral patterns.

Finally, Loloi also continues to introduce fresh hand-tufted wool step-up products adding the Callum assortment of tonal classic motifs in a cut and loop pile construction.


Colorful indoor-outdoor floral rugs are in demand and Loloi's Mika collection ticks the box.


Loloi's new Urban collection, power-loomed of soft polyester, offers a range of styles and color palettes including sought
after anthracite as an accent color or ground.

MOHAWK HOME


Mohawk Home's lustrous Ambrosia collection of high-low abstract designs machine-woven of olefin and polyester.

In response to client requests Mohawk Home returned to New York Home Fashions Market for the first time since the closing of 295 Fifth Ave., where its showroom had been located. The company presented its latest machine-made area rug assortment in its spacious corporate office location at 125 W. 25 St.

And, according to John McLeod, SVP sales, “The response was great!  All our customers who attended the market came to see us.

"NY market is a great venue for us to launch many new creations and this market proved that, and we plan on staying in New York going forward.”

The showroom featured several displays of full-size area rugs in a broad range of styles including abstract, updated traditional and geometric, with many produced domestically. A showstopper is the shimmering Ambrosia collection of high-low abstract patterns, woven of olefin and polyester. Other standouts were a range of graphic black and "warm" white rugs from various domestically woven pure polyester collections: Heirloom, Milan, and Vintage. Motifs ranged from striped looks to tribal global motifs and zebra-like looks.

Ultra soft textured rugs were also front and center with the domestically made Cashmere, offering a range of design styles from abstract to updated traditional, and an imported counter point, Halcyon, made in Turkey of polyester, which featured tonal traditional styles.


Two debuts at the Mohawk Home showroom included to super-soft collections: Halcyon, left, and Cashmere, right.


Mohawk Home showcased a range of graphic black and "white" designs from various collections including Heirloom,
Vintage and Milan.

MOMENI


Momeni's new Haim collection, woven of soft cotton-blend fibers and with high-low motifs, was an instant hit.

Momeni showcased dozens of new rug designs for shoppers attending the New York event at its 3 W. 30th St. space. Among the Momeni introduction favorites was its new Haim collection of cotton blend machine-woven rugs offering a range of geometric motifs with a soft hand and plenty of texture and natural colorations. New additions to Momeni's popular Morgan collection included fresh textured abstract and traditional design featuring green to address continued request of the shade from clients. Morgan rugs are machine woven of soft, durable polyester with an open back.

The debuting Menlo collection received a "great" reaction from marketgoers. This lineup of high-low understated traditional patterns is part of Momeni's opening priced assortment and is machine made of polyester in updated colors pairing cool tones and beiges. Another favorite was Ansel, a step up from Menlo, which offers a rich hand and texture and the same palette as Ansel.

Geometric looks remain popular and Momeni's new Fez collection of high-low patterns, woven of plush polyester, was a top choice for its ivory pile paired with black accents.

For shoppers looking for outdoor options the Faye collection ticked the box. Faye's tonal scrolling floral design, bordered by cheery pink blossoms, earned a big thumbs up from shoppers. And buyers looking for jungle-inspired looks gave a thumbs up to a bold design featuring leopard and palm leaf border.


Momeni clients gave a big thumbs up to its new indoor-outdoor floral design from its Faye collection.


Momeni's new Fez lineup of high-low Moroccan-inspired patterns, woven of plush polyester, was a top choice for its
ivory pile paired with black accents.

NOURISON HOME


Nourison's Shadows collection is resonating with buyers for its vintage looks, loom woven of soft polyester.

"New York Market went exceptionally well," Giovanni Marra told RugNews. "Our customer meetings were fruitful, and our new, affordably priced rug collections were well-received. The majority of buyers sought warm neutral colors and contemporary styles that offer great value."

Among the winners was the new Hastings collection, made from 100 percent polypropylene, with a soft, thick pile and featuring warm neutral tones and classic motifs. Its Shadows collection, which debuted in Vegas and performed well at the show, received a similar reaction in New York. Shadows offers vintage-inspired looks loom-woven of ultra-soft polyester with a short fringe. 

Another favorite was Nordic, power-loomed of polyester, and featuring Scandinavian inspired geometric motifs with a softly textured high-low pile and subtle sheen. Colorations include graphic black, gray and ivory patterns, and more subtle, tonal beige designs.

For buyers looking for natural materials a favorite was Nourison's newest color styles (gray and moss green), welcomed additions to its handmade Natural Jute collection.


Nourison Home debuts the textural, machine-woven Nordic lineup of mid-century modern geometric patterns.


Nourison Home introduces Hastings, a range of traditional motifs in a palette of  ivory, mocha and gray.

ORIENTAL WEAVERS


Oriental Weavers introduced New York buyers to its high-quality Cavett collection, which offers a range of textured styles in  plush hand.

Oriental Weavers debuted plenty of freshness for New York shoppers in both the machine-woven and handmade categories this fall. The company, which offers hand-knotted pieces for its furniture store buyers, unveiled about 10 handmade collections for New York shoppers. OW introduced several new collections catering to a diverse range of trending looks, which includes tonal geometrics and transitional designs, tonal botanical designs, abstract styles and solid-foundational pieces. Within the category OW premiered its first knitted collections, Tillery and Julian, both made of polyester.

"All these products can retail for under $150 in 5x8," said Andy Brumlow, chief commercial officer, Oriental Weavers USA. "You get a handmade wool rug at a really good price -- it diversifies our offering. For this market, we focused on simple patterns in simple colors and that is what we need in the mass segment." The introductions featured a range of textures and different mixes of yarns to create a variety of looks.

On the machine-made side, two featured collections, Ethereal and Transcend, which share the same construction but different creels, received line extensions with a range of new styles including trending geometrics. These rugs offer a high-low textured construction with a super soft hand and shiny accents.

The debuting Crescent collection, which offers an array of motifs including geometric styles and animal-print looks, features polyester shrink yarn that shrinks at different levels for an innovative texture. OW also rolled out the textured and soft Cavett collection in a range of design styles from classic motifs to abstract styles in trending colorations blending warm creams and browns and cool blues and grays. Another well-received addition to the OW assortment is the plush Tuscan collection, which is woven of soft micro-fiber polyester in Egypt. This collection includes a line of gold, blue and green abstract designs, an ombre-like blue and gray pattern; and also a range of soft black and white graphic looks.


OW expanded its New York assortment to include a range of handmade, priced right rugs. Shown, Linwood, a cut-and-loop design hand-tufted of wool.


Oriental Weavers introduces Ellery collection offering with a transitional design with a trending inky ground.

RUGS AMERICA


Rugs America featured its Badgley Mischa program showcasing its plush and soft Oasis collection.

Rugs America, which returned to New York Home Fashions Market with a showroom in 230 Fifth Ave. in the spring 2024, showcased its new collaboration with fashion house Badgley Mischka, which rolled out earlier this year. The collaboration includes three lines and the news at fall market were the partnership's first machine-washable collection, Whitley. Whitley rugs are digitally printed on a plush micro-fiber base in China and available in three price tiers.

Another step-up option for the Whitley collection is new construction for Rugs America that features a 3D mesh non-skid backing with between 10mm - 20mm memory foam for ultra cushion and comfort. The company introduced a choice of boxed packaging or clear bag totes as an option for this assortment.

In the Badgley Mischa program is the high-quality Oasis collection constructed in an ultra-dense 2 million point construction of 80 percent pre-washed viscose and 20 percent acrylic shrink. And the program's Opal collection offers a thick plush pile with high-low texture.


Rugs America introduced its first washable area rugs in its partnership with Badgley Mischa called Whitley.

SURYA


Surya debuted Saint Elmo, a high-quality range emulating the look and texture of a wool and silk hand-knotted.

Surya's 230 Fifth Ave. showroom was full of new debuts under its recently introduced Livabliss label, geared toward its mass merchants and big box clients, and offering the company's value-priced assortment, explained Brandon Culpepper. Surya's VP, mass merchants.

"We are pushing hard in our development of washable and indoor/outdoor rugs. Shoppers right now are looking for extreme value in all categories," Culpepper added.

A new construction that earned a big thumbs up was machine-washable, plush Rebound, which adds a soft memory foam into the tufted polyester base. Rebound, made in Turkey, offers contemporary patterns, as well as textured solids. Another washable favorite is Zsa Zsa, which features a hand-made vintage look with a non-skid backing and is made in Turkey. Rebound and Zsa Zsa also offers coordinating mat versions in addition to full-size rugs. Finally, the Showpiece collection is printed on a jute base lending the lineup more rigidity giving it the appearance of a handmade rug.

Buyers seeking more elevated pieces gave the new Saint Elmo thumbs up. This range of multi-level motifs features pin-point shrink polyester along with high-luster polyester yarn. The patterns use the high-luster yarn in accent motifs to create the effect of a hand-knotted rug with silk accents. Another stand out is Shoal Creek, offering a heavy machine-woven construction made with two types of space-dyed polyester yarn, along with polyester shrink yarn. Designs have multiple pile heights for texture and feature a shaded, tonal color palette that replicates Tibetan hand-knotted rugs.

In the mat category, Surya introduced a range of new tufted goods, a new lineup of indoor/outdoor scatters, as well as unveiling its first wellness mats at the fall event.


Surya's new washable Rebound lineup offers a plush hand and soft memory foam cushion.


Surya introduces Showpiece, a collection of printed designs on a jute base, for a handmade look and feel.