Bold designs help rug resources stand out

Lissa Wyman -- Furniture Today, January 15, 2006

Atlanta — Differentiation is the name of the game in the rug business. As rugs spread through every retail price point and distribution channel, vendors are relying on creativity to set their products apart from the competition.

This season, producers are taking greater design risks to achieve the winning combination of beauty, salability and value. Here are some of the hot looks to watch for at this week's Atlanta International Rug Market.

Let's do the wave

Dancing, wavy lines are replacing straight and narrow stripes. The new looks create a more dynamic relationship between furniture and floor coverings.

FOREIGN ACCENTS: Festival collection is hand tufted in China of flame-resistant modified acrylic. $597 in 6 by 8.

JAUNTY: Montage reflects the renewed interest in the Art Nouveau movement of the 1920s. Hand tufted in China of wool. $449 in 5 by 8.

Fabric inspirations

Rug designers and textile stylists are beginning to merge their modalities. The resulting cross-referenced products work together or on their own. It started with toile. Now damasks, Jacobean florals, Indian embroideries and even chintz are being interpreted in rug designs.

SURYA: Jacobean print design is interpreted in cool, contemporary colorways in The Sea collection. Hand tufted in India of New Zealand yarn wool. Herbal washed. $449 in 5 by 8.

COMPANY C: Medici is hand woven of cotton in subtle tone-on-tone patterns inspired by silky damask textiles. $1,140 in 6 by 9.

Sumptuous

Rich and dense as Godiva chocolate, sumptuous rugs create an elegant environment, even at value-oriented price points.

CAPEL: The Nadia panel design is machine woven of olefin. Wilton woven in Romania. $199 in 5′3″ by 7′6″.

JAIPUR: Legacy collection features richly detailed Old World designs. Hand knotted of proprietary wool. $1,699 in 6 by 9.

UNITED WEAVERS: The Elite collection is a tour de force of the art of machine-made rugs. Dense millon-plus point, eight-color construction allows finely detailed patterning. Heat-set polypropylene. $199 in 5 by 8.

PASARGARD: Ziegler Mahal design is hand knotted in India of mountain wool on a cotton foundation. $3,000 in 6 by 9.

NOURISON: Heritage Savonnerie collection is inspired by 18th century French court carpets. Hand tufted of space-dyed, hard-twist wool yarns. $799 in 5′6″ by 8′6″.

Bluesy

Everyone is singing the blues when it comes to design, but each vendor's version strikes a different note. From easy-going denim to dusty Williamsburg tones to vibrant turquoise, blue is this year's fashion statement.

HELLENIC RUG IMPORTS: Retro Denim is a mid-century approach to the blues. Hand tufted of wool. $399 in 5 by 8.

HAROUNIAN RUG IMPORTS: This design in the Milano collection features wrought-iron patterning in a fresh blue-green. Hand tufted in India of premium wool. $359 in 5 by 8.

MILLIKEN: Uptown design from the Modern Times collection morphs gray to blue in a techno pattern. Shaggy nylon freize base. $199 in 5′4″ by 7′8″.

Nature's bounty

Leaves and blossoms are making large-scale statements in highly stylized designs. This year's botanical iconography is a far cry from the palm trees and ferns that flooded the market two years ago.

FEIZY: Leafscape collection combines stylized patterns and modern muted color palettes. Hand knotted in a Tibetan weave. Made in India of wool. $1,216 in 5′6″ by 8′6″.

MOMENI: Overscaled florals create a dreamscape in this design from the Dynasty collection. Hand tufted and hand carved in China. Wool. $519 in 5′3″ by 8.

Urban contemporary

The genius of true modern design is that it is resolute, proud and uncompromising. These patterns are not for the masses or for the faint of heart.

COURISTAN: The Pokhara collection is hand knotted in an Indo-Nepalese weave using semiworsted New Zealand wool for a rich patina. Made in India. $919 in 5′6″ by 8.

RADICI: This traditional plaid with a contemporary edge is part of the Elegance collection. Hand tufted in India. $599 in 5 by 8.

DYNAMIC RUGS: This bright, asymmetric chain design is part of the Nolita collection of hand-tufted wool rugs. Made in India. $399 in 5 by 8.

SARTORI: A deceptively simple interrupted stripe combines hand knotting and Sumak weaving techniques. Hand-spun Pamir wool using natural dyes. Part of the Rialto collection. $3,000 in 6 by 9.

Art and architecture

Rug stylists are venturing into the realm of art and architecture for design inspiration. Art Deco architecture, wrought-iron scrollwork and antique mosaics provide looks that are both fresh and comfortably familiar.

TRANS OCEAN: Designer Liora Manné adapts antique mosaic patterns to the Terrace collection, a group of indoor-outdoor rugs made of 100% polypropylene. Wilton-woven in France. $99 in 4′9″ by 7′4″.

BASHIAN: Inspired by New York's Art Deco skyscrapers, the Tribeca collection is hand woven in India of wool. $699 in 6 by 9.

Shapely and practical

Shapely rugs are not only fun, they're practical. New home architecture includes dramatically shaped rooms, so look for rugs in squares, octagons, scalloped borders, runners and custom shapes to accommodate the trend.

HOMEFIRES: Diamonds Are Forever combines traditional Oriental patterns in shapes based on gemstone cuts and settings. Hand tufted of hard-twist wool. $700 in 5 by 8.

CHANDLER FOUR CORNERS: The Lodge Cabin collection is designed by Laura Megroz in Vermont and hand hooked in India. $290 for a 30″ by 96″ runner.

Relaxed traditional

Consumers still love classical rug styling, but the busy, cluttered patterns of the past are being replaced with streamlined versions of old favorites. In natural beige, browns and sage colorations, relaxed traditional designs work with both formal and casual furniture styles.

SHAW LIVING: Palladian, part of the Origins collection, reflects the growing interest in uncluttered traditional looks. The distinct texture produces a hand-made appearance. Machine woven of polypropylene. $349 in 5′5″ by 7′8″.

828 INTERNATIONAL: This classic panel design in the Greenville collection is power-loomed of heat-set polypropylene. $299 in 5 by 8.

KAS: Floral and traditional motifs combine in this design from the Kensington series. Machine made in 1.5-million-point construction with heat-set polypropylene. $299 in 5′3″ by 7′7″.

KASHANIAN: Elegant and uncluttered, this Oushak design is part of the Indo-Peshawar collection. Hand knotted in India. $2,300 in 8 by 10.

RENAISSANCE CARPETS & TAPESTRIES: Subtle vegetable-dyed colors of hand-spun wool yarns bring a softness to this classic Mugal hand-knot design.

THE RUG MARKET: Ethnic Chic offers a good-humored approach to traditional design. Hand tufted of wool. $495 in 5 by 8.

ORIENTAL WEAVERS USA/SPHINX: The Vista collection is inspired by Pakistan's classic Peshawar designs. Hand tufted in China of hard-twist wool yarns. $399 in 5 by 8.

SAFAVIEH: The Stately Home collection brings hand-knotted detailing to the machine-made rug category. Cross-woven wool with fringe on a flexible cotton foundation. Made in Belgium. $499 in 5 by 8.