Rug Insider Magazine, Winter, 2023

RUGS AND CARPETS FOR THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL

WINTER 2023 - VOLUME XXVI - ISSUE 3

BROAD SPECTRUM + Broadloom, Bespoke Empowering Women Weavers InSTYLE Winter Markets Bricks & Clicks Just Scroll with It! On The Cover | SAMAD

Winter Whites m

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Experience the winter’s biggest in-person, cross-category buying opportunity.

You’ll find rug and floor covering resources offering a variety of styles, sizes and price points including new designs and exciting collaborations.

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ANDKHUY RUGS

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WINTER 2023 – VOLUME XXVI – ISSUE 3 BROAD SPECTRUM RUG INSIDER Magazine is a quarterly publication which covers the rug and carpet industry with a focus on quality, design, and an eye toward the future.

CONTACT 4 Fortsalong Road Meredith, NH 03253 USA 603 279 4938 | ruginsider.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 Year $40 (USD) subscriptions@ruginsider.com ruginsider.com/subscribe

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Peter Woodaman peter@ruginsider.com C: 603 387 6477 V: 603 279 4938 DESIGNER Cheryl Sivewright cheryl@ruginsider.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Aric Morrison aric@adversityrockstar.com Cecile Corral cecile@cecilepr.com

ON THE COVER

Alex Milstein alxmilstein@gmail.com

SAMAD

Rodney Hakim rodney@pgny.com

Samad’s thick-pile Bohemian Collection is the epitome of cozy comfort. The rugs are hand-knotted using the Senneh knot and natural un-dyed Australian wool. Modern geometric designs, inspired by 70’s fashion, can easily suit a minimalist aesthetic or lay the groundwork for busier decor. Gracing our winter cover is the aptly-named Free Spirit design in natural ivory and black. samad.com

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InFOCUS 34 WINTER WHITES Playful and fun, the tufted polka dot design is like perfect rows of freshly scooped french vanilla ice cream! Momeni’s Patara Collection is handwoven in 100 percent Argentinian wool; made exclusively for Little Salt, Pure Salt’s baby and kids brand. momeni.com

InDEPTH 39 BROADLOOM, BESPOKE Contributing Editor Cecile Corral reviews the proliferation of broadloom within the marketplace—fueled by designers and customization-craving consumers.

Insider’s View 21 EDITOR’S STATEMENT RUG INSIDER Contributing Editor Alex Milstein presents our winter issue packed with products and insight. Warmest tidings for the holidays and coming new year— the RI Team wishes you a healthy and prosperous 2023.

InPERSPECTIVE 46 EMPOWERING WOMEN WEAVERS Contributing Editor Alex Milstein shares how Julie Dasher Rugs works directly with women weavers to help them earn more money for their families.

InSTYLE

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49 Don’t miss our curated gallery of the hottest products you’ll see at the upcoming Winter markets!

From Las Vegas to Domotex, companies are set to share their wares in style.

InPERSPECTIVE 60 BRICKS & CLICKS Contributing editor Rodney Hakim of Persian Gallery New York asks and answers the question: “Is it more important to have an area rug showroom or an engaging online website?”

Index

63 Please consider purchasing from the fine companies listed here.

Our advertisers help support this magazine. We make an effort not to show an editorial bias as we acknowledge their contribution.

In the SPOTLIGHT 64 NOURISON Industry powerhouse Nourison is spotlighted for our winter issue with its Pinnacle Award-winning Scroll area rug design.

F eatu r e c o llec tio n : P r istma ti c PR S 3 2 . S e e m or e b e s t -s e l l i ng s t yl e s a t nour i s on . co m V isit No u r iso n at L as Vega M a r k et, Wo r l d M a r k et C enter B uil d i ng C , C 1 1 2

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In-House Exhibition 9 - 20 January 2023 As we will not be participating in DOMOTEX 2023, we will hold an In-House exhibition in January 2023.

VIP appointments can be made by contacting us at event@zollanvari.ch.

VIP services will include pick up from airport/hotel, VIP private showroom access & VIP prices on selected items.

Maison et Objet Paris

19 - 23 January 2023 Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre

Zollanvari Online-Shop

Back Soon with an Exclusive Online-only Collection Keep a Look Out @ www.zollanvari-onlineshop.com

INSIDER’S VIEW | FROM THE EDITOR

Norman Rockwell’s famous paintings depict incredible winter wonderlands—and this year, they take on new importance as Winter Whites trend heavily.

Our InFocus section in this issue takes a closer look at these bright naturals in the form of organic and modern rugs blended with neutral tones.

Winter also is a busy market season — from the Atlanta Market to Domotex, Las Vegas Market and Surfaces, and RUG INSIDER will bring you the inside scoop on all that's happening.

We are happy to report that Cover Connect will regroup at the Surfaces event in Las Vegas, Jan 31 - Feb. 2, 2023. Fresh off the successful New York run this past fall, Cover Connect Las Vegas will be represented by several venerable companies such as French Accents, Tamarian, and Samad, to name a few.

As we go into show season and distribution channels change, more traditional rug retailers are offering broadloom selections. Contributing Editor Cecile Corral looks at customization trends that are carving new business opportunities for the carpet category in Broadloom, Bespoke.

I was grateful to speak with Julie Dasher Rugs about the women weavers it employs in Afghanistan. The company works with them to help ensure that they not only can get paid a living wage, but also receive education for themselves and their children.

Also in this issue, Rodney Hakim shares his thoughts on the battle between brick-and-mortar stores and online in his Bricks and Clicks column, and leading importers pull out all of the stops for our InStyle gallery, which is jampacked with 40 latest and greatest rug designs that you won’t find in any other trade magazine.

We appreciate the subscribers and advertisers who make it possible to do what we do—we couldn’t do it without you.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Julie Dasher Rugs believes firmly that women weavers deserve a liveable wage to support their families and raise their children in a positive way. Words to live by as we turn the calendar. Read more, page 46.

On behalf of Peter Woodaman and the entire RUG INSIDER family, I wish you all the very best holidays and successful business in the New Year.

Alex Milstein Contributing Editor

juliedasherrugs.com PHOTO KATHA HARU © GOODWEAVE

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InDEPTH | BROADLOOM, BESPOKE

Broadloom,

BESPOKE Customization trends are carving new business opportunities for the carpet category Kaleen’s Home Porch Collection in Neutrals

B

roadloom is enjoying a comeback, but in a different way—thanks largely to renewed interest from designers and more customization-craving consumers.

Wall-to-wall carpet is tapping into relevance and resourcefulness in the form of made-to-order area rugs and runners for stairs, halls and entryways.

“Today, everyone wants customization in every aspect of their home and in their home furnishings,” noted Christine Zampaglione, Senior Director of Marketing, Stanton. “Customization is the way of the future in broadloom.”

The proof is in its proliferation within the marketplace.

In October, luxury carpet and rugs source Stark expanded its customization capabilities via its acquisition of Naples, FL-based Designers’ Rug Center, a showroom of wall-to-wall carpet and custom rugs. The company, now known as Design Center by Stark, offers regional clients and interior designers a

broader scope of custom rug options as well as enhanced service and support.

“We are thrilled to now offer our clients and the interior design community a greatly enhanced array of the finest quality rugs and wall-to-wall carpet thanks to our affiliation with Stark,” said Designers’ Rug Center founder Chris Smith. “After 30 years in Southwest Florida, we’re confident our past and future clients will love our expanded showroom and increased inventory of the latest luxurious carpet and rugs available.”

Then in November the three cofounders of home exercise bike and treadmill brand Peloton regrouped to launch Ernesta, a new direct-toconsumer custom rug brand venture. It is set to launch in Spring 2023, backed by a $25 million Series A round of funding led by Addition.

"I've always had a passion for design, and when I noticed how confusing and overwhelming the process can be for consumers who want great style at an accessible price point, particularly in the rug category, I saw a white space in

BY CECILE CORRAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

the market,” said John Foley, cofounder with Hisao Kushi and Yony Feng, in a press release. "With Ernesta, our goal is to bring high-quality, custom rugs to a wide audience through a community-driven, curated and personal buying experience. Hisao, Yony and I are excited to work with a talented launch team, some of whom were part of the team that built Peloton into a household name, to help people find the perfect custom rug for their needs in a frictionless, affordable way."

The soft surfaces segment of the industry has always been a large part of the Surfaces component of The International Surface Event (TISE), and this year’s event—scheduled Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Las Vegas—will feature an expanded show floor to include 425+ participating exhibitor brands.

Among the highlights are: Shaw Floors, which returned to the event in 2022 and is back again this year; Stanton Flooring; Mannington/Phenix; Dreamweaver/Pentz; Dixie Home; Kaleen; Couristan; Marquis Industries; Prestige Mills/Stark Studio Plus; and Rebel Carpet & Rugs.

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TISE Surfaces Show 2021

Customization has been part of Stanton’s vernacular for 20+ years, she explained. But in the past decade, and especially more recently, the demand for custom sizes and styles made from its broadloom offering has heightened —triggering the company’s expanded capabilities.

“We’ve made a lot of advances in fiber technology, and last year we introduced our own yarn system for LION,” she said. “We’re now growing that line to meet growing demand.”

“[TISE] is seeing a great resurgence back to trade shows,” Michelle Swayze, Senior Marketing for TISE, told RUG INSIDER. “As the products our industry serves are very tactile with a need to experience in person, TISE is an important part of the sourcing and shopping experience.”

Building on the recent growth of the soft surface category, TISE’s Surfaces segment is also debuting a dedicated area to soft surface flooring new to the show this year: the Wools Pavilion, which will serve as a showcase of woolfocused brands like Stanton Flooring, Prestige Mills/Stark Studio Rugs, Couristan and others.

The company’s “Create A Rug Program” draws from Stanton’s estimated 4,500 SKUs in inventory at its Calhoun, Ga.-based facility, and is supported by a robust marketing campaign that calls out its customization options on promotional materials created for its 5,000 retail partners across the U.S. and Canada.

“Over the past decade, we have really seen year-over-year increases in customer demand for our custom rugs, and in that time we’ve really perfected the process,” she said. “At our facility in Georgia, we produce over 100 custom rugs per day.”

In a fortuitous move, Couristan revamped its custom rug program within its broadloom division just before the pandemic hit.

“We had started seeing our broadloom products being used more for custom rugs and runners for stairs and hallways —in fact, the majority of our custom cuts were coming from broadloom.

And that made us realize [custom] was becoming an important component of our business,” explained Larry Mahurter, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising.

In support of that effort, Couristan also revamped its merchandising tools to showcase carpets as custom rugs in room scenes, and added a custom rug calculator to offer customers real-time quotes on custom orders, he added.

Area rug company Kaleen made the move into the handmade broadloom category in 2015, and “from the start it’s been a consistently strong business for us,” said Monty Rathi, Chief Operating Officer.

He continued: “Wall-to-wall carpet has typically been a lower-end product from the major suppliers. We found our

And for the first time since the pandemic, the Design & Construction Week (DCW) is returning to Las Vegas with its five-stop, multi-show, onebadge experience, which includes TISE and Las Vegas Market.

Stanton Carpet is coming to TISE with a focus on its growing luxury performance category—dubbed LION / Luxury Indoor Outdoor Nylon—of broadloom and custom area rugs and runners, Zampaglione said.

“That means it is very high end, unlike the kinds of performance products the market has typically seen in the past,” she explained. “We’ve made our luxury performance offerings not just very beautiful, but also very soft to the touch, plus easy to clean, durable and able to maintain their quality integrity.”

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Nourison broadloom custom rug and stair runner.

InDEPTH | BROADLOOM, BESPOKE niche in handmade all-wool and woolrich blends, and it’s working well for us.

We’ve grown from zero to 850 SKUs of carpet in just seven years.”

Custom rugs cut from carpet is a driver of the business, Rathi noted, which is partly why Kaleen’s broadloom program is expanding from three to four collections come January at TISE Surfaces. The company will launch its new Home & Porch program of outdoorfriendly products, hand-woven of UVtreated polyester.

custom rugs,” he noted. “And they like the idea of coordinating throughout the home with different but related products—for example, broadloom in the living room, custom runners in the entryway or stairs, and a custom rug in the dining room.”

Nourison offers a diverse broadloom mix. Its tufted line is produced domestically at its Georgia-based facility; but

it also imports other varieties from China and India.

To keep the assortment fresh and fuel ongoing client interest, Nourison is adding specialty looks, including new hand-carved patterns.

Carpet comprises 40% of flooring giant Mohawk Industries’ total flooring business, said Bart Hill, Senior Vice President of the Mohawk Home division.

“It comes in broadloom plus custom rugs and runners,” he noted. “We can customize a rug in any size up through 16 foot 4 inches wide and 85 feet long.”

The company’s three other broadloom brands are: • Kaleen, which comprises a mix of textures and wool blends; • Pure Life, a 100% natural fiber product that employs a clean construction free from harmful chemicals; • Hook & Beam, a collection that is 50% machine-made and 50% hand-crafted.

Similarly to Kaleen, Momeni launched its broadloom division seven years ago, “and it has grown steadily for us in that time,” Reza Momeni, Principal, said.

Covid put the brakes on the company’s new product development for the category, which for Momeni spans mostly all-wool and wool-rich blends.

“But designers love it, and they really like that we can customize into rugs, so we are planning to add new looks and new constructions in the second half of 2023,” he said.

A more than 30-year player in the broadloom arena, Nourison has seen orders for custom rugs from broadloom climb considerably, said Giovanni Marra, Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy.

“People like the cleaner looks broadloom offers, but they want them as 31

InDEPTH | BROADLOOM, BESPOKE

Couristan broadloom installations, left & center: Boteti/Aegean and Royalax II - New Keshan/Ebony Sky courtesy of Sudbury Rug and Carpet; far right: Envision Collection Daring/Aegean Blue courtesy of Floor & Decor.

In line with the continued growth of hard-surface flooring, the need for area rugs increases in tandem, he observed.

And that includes custom styles cut from the company’s wall-to-wall offerings, he noted.

“To that end, we’re adding more patterns in tufting, more multicolor, more tonal, more high-low looks, more loops and cuts—especially for the high-end side of the business,” Hill said. “These advancements in tufting techniques allow us to create better custom rug options for our customers.”

While not a broadloom source, longtime area rug player Dalyn has put a new lease on the life on its custom rug program—made from rolls of broadloom.

“What put us on the map was our custom rug program that we had for years. But it became dated, and it eventually went away,” explained Brian Vander Werf, Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

For five years, Dalyn explored alternative ways to bring the program back under a new identity that made sense and filled a gap in the marketplace.

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“We wanted to reinvent ourselves in the custom rug category, but we wanted to do it right,” he said.

Two years later, they found their formula: “Take our top sellers that we were already bringing in as rugs in six sizes, and make them available for customization.”

Custom sizes are unlimited in length and can go as wide as 15 feet, which is the width of the carpet roll. Shapes are also available, and include: rectangle, square, round, oval and octagon.

Dubbed “Tailord,” the program spans “what call active solids” that are loomed and tufted into 21 different qualities.

In 2023, Dalyn is expanding the line to 30 styles, adding several new looks while replacing some existing styles that haven’t been as popular.

“Tailord has been a success for us,” Vander Werf summed. “We’re very pleased with it, and we have room to grow.”

IMAGES COURTESY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES.

Dalyn’s Tailord program includes top-selling collections available for customization.

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©2022 International Market Centers, LLC

InFOCUS | WINTER WHITES

Winter Whites m

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ever pure—yet always alluring—winter white speaks with creamy ivory undertones. Subtle white-gray shades evoke overcast winter days. During the Elizabethan era, only the rich were allowed to wear pristine white which was difficult to produce and keep clean, while the poor could wear the natural, off-white color of wool.

Today’s winter white interiors are in vogue from farmhouse to coastal, contemporary, and boho styles. Paired with minimalist neutral, natural, and muted decor, the most successful schemes rely on layering a variety of textures, tones, and contrast. Enter surprise accents: skillfully woven abstract elements reminiscent of animal tracks, stark leaves and branches, or frozen patterns in charcoal, caramel, mocha, khaki and more.

Subtle drama transforms these winter rug fantasies from blah to awe!

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InFOCUS | WINTER WHITES

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Never use pure white; it doesn’t exist in nature.

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ALDRO T. HIBBARD, AMERICAN PAINTER

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1. Leaftree by Alicia D. Keshishian | adkcarpets.com 2. Kalaty’s Oberoi Collection | kalaty.com 3. Bohemian Collection by Samad | samad.com 4. Sirocco Algiers Black/White by Drew & Jonathan Home

by Karastan | karastan.com 5. Safavieh’s Palma Collection PAM308A | safavieh.com

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InFOCUS | WINTER WHITES

“

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth…it is the time for home.

EDITH SITWELL

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6. Calvin Klein Irradiant Collection from Nourison | nourison.com 7. Art Resources’ Atlas Collection | artresources.us 8. Design ST27 from French Accents | farugs.com 9. Canvas Art Collection by Bokara | bokara.com 10. Freeworn Silver White by Tamarian | tamarian.com 11. HRI’s Fern Collection | hrirugs.com 12. Charcoal by Wool & Silk Rugs | woolandsilkrugs.com 13. Couristan’s Marina | couristan.com

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InFOCUS | WINTER WHITES

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14. Design 84212 from S&H Rugs | shrugs.com 15. Anica Collection by Feizy | feizy.com 16. Zollanvari Inverted Snakeskin 1, Gabbehs Flora & Fauna | zollanvari.com 17. Oriental Designer Rugs Echo Collection orientaldesignerrugs.net

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LAS VEGAS 2023 Comprised of three world-class tradeshows: SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomac | TileExpo events, The International Surface Event (TISE) is the largest North American floor covering, stone, and tile industry B2B event - the annual, first-ofthe-year marketplace for sourcing the newest industry products and services.

InPERSPECTIVE | EMPOWERING WOMEN WEAVERS

EMPOWERING Women Weavers

BY ALEX MILSTEIN CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

JULIE DASHER RUGS AIMS TO PLACE MORE MONEY IN THE HANDS OF WOMEN WEAVERS. Julile Dasher, Julie Dasher Rugs

I

n an industry heavily focused on rug designs and designerbranded products, it’s easy to forget about the people behind the scenes who make everything happen—the weavers.

Julie Dasher of Julie Dasher Rugs— which recently won first place in the rug/tile/textile category for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Arizona North’s 2022 Design in Excellence Award—is on a mission to change that.

The company noticed after forming in 2008 that there were a lot of children weaving rugs, so Dasher connected with Goodweave—a program to stop child labor in global supply chains— and donated a percentage of her profits to fight child labor, help improve environmental practices and aid with the education of the weavers and their children.

That was the beginning of their work with the Nepalese weavers, 60 percent of which are women.

“When I was in New York at one of the shows, I connected with a group that 46

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Now, 100 percent of the weavers are women, and wages have increased 10-25 percent.

“

was weaving rugs in Afghanistan,” Dasher explains. “Most of those rugs are made in people’s homes, and the weavers are women. It’s the women and their daughters that are learning, and their moms are mentoring them.

But what I found out was that those women who were spending hours on end, tying the knots to make the rugs were going to market in their communities and selling their rugs to the brokers in Pakistan, and basically not making a livable wage.”

Dasher worked directly with those women to help them earn more money for their families, and eventually connected with other weavers in Afghanistan.

For a time, the Taliban came into Afghanistan and shut everything down.

But Dasher says over the last six months or so the women weavers are

back working again and she’s able to place orders with them.

Now, 100 percent of the weavers connected with Julie Dasher Rugs are women, and wages have increased 1025 percent as a result of these direct relationships.

Aside from the fact that Dasher is making a difference in these weavers’ lives, she says it also helps business— which brings everything full circle.

One of the biggest ways it helps is because Dasher says younger designers put more value on social missions than older designers do.

“I think we’re headed in a good direction, consistent with what the up-andcoming designers are looking for,” Dasher says. “I find that more of them tell me it’s so wonderful that we’re supporting a good cause and that that’s critical when they’re selecting vendors.

Whereas the older designers are sometimes more focused on just lead times and pricing and pattern selection.”

If your company is interested in getting involved with weavers in other countries and supporting their important and highly skilled work, Dasher has a few words of advice.

“With the globalization of the economy and the ease of communication worldwide, now is the time to make connections directly with women weavers,” she explains. “And try to directly connect with women because they’re doing the majority of the work. I feel they should be rewarded for their work by making better money than they do with the middlemen in the supply chain who take a big chunk and don’t leave much behind for the women.”

Dasher believes firmly that these women deserve to make a livable wage so that they can help support their families and raise their children in a positive way, and she’s doing everything she can to support that idea.

“I want them to give their children a good education so that they can grow up and find their passions,” she says. “I was a career counselor before I became a rug designer, and I always told my clients to find a job that they love and they will never have to work a day in their life.

Silk Clouds by Julie Dasher Rugs is customizable by fiber, construction, size, and color with over 1,500 colors available.

“If you pursue your passion, do what’s in your heart and do what you think is right, the money will follow,” she continues. “Don’t just do things for the money—because you’re never going to be happy that way. If you’re happy and

you’re making other people happy in your business, then that’s the best way to go.” juliedasherrugs.com IMAGES COURTESY OF JULIE DASHER RUGS

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Hall 20, Booth B48

Widen your flexibility in creating carpets 47

Happy New Year!

Start ‘23 off with a Print Subscription to Rug Insider Magazine The Voice of the Area Rug Industry.

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Surfaces/Cover Connect Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2023 intlsurfaceevent.com

SAMAD | samad.com

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KALATY | kalaty.com

SAFAVIEH | safavieh.com

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Cover Connect Las Vegas Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2023 intlsurfaceevent.com WOOL & SILK | woolandsilkrugs.com

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COURISTAN | couristan.com

Las Vegas Market Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2023 lasvegasmarket.com

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Las Vegas Market Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2023 lasvegasmarket.com

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ANDKHUY | andkhuyrugs.com

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Las Vegas Market Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2023 lasvegasmarket.com NOURISON | nourison.com

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iii

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INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH

PAGE 46

Fritz Langauer and Christoph Ziereis (Oritop, Austria): “Afghan rugs are highly contemporary”

COVER STORY: DOMOTEX

PAGE 24

■ ■ ■ SN-FACHPRESSE HAMBURG

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TELL THEM I MADE IT If you met 16-year-old Gulafsa as she appears in this picture – wearing a dress she made herself – you would encounter a bubbly high school student with a dream to be a fashion designer or a doctor. But Gulafsa almost missed her chance to go to school. When she was just 11 years old, GoodWeave found her working in a carpet factory in India. GoodWeave helped transition Gulafsa back to school and is providing support to continue her education.

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InPERSPECTIVE | BRICKS & CLICKS

BRICKS

&CLICKS

W

e are kicking off 2023 with a look at various segments of the area rug industry, running the gamut from high end hand-knotted antique rugs to more economically priced

machine-made and tufted rugs. Regardless of which end of the price spectrum one is looking at, an increasingly important decision for buyers and sellers has become not just what type of rugs they want to what locations they want to buy them from.

Traditionally, area rug buyers gravitate to in-store, brick and mortar locations to source their desired carpets. In the past several years, particularly during the height of the pandemic shutdowns there has been a dramatic shift to online rug shopping. Unable to make the journey to a trusted rug vendor’s showroom, buyers instead made an online journey through various rug vendors’ websites.

As we enter 2023, and the covid pandemic shutdowns are thankfully behind us, where does the area rug industry stand? Is it more important to have a brick and mortar location where buyers can come review rugs in person, or is it more important to have a website with a wow factor, to allow buyers to peruse rugs from their computers, tablets, or mobile devices?

Whereas the pandemic brought about the shutdown of many rug showrooms, some temporarily, and some permanently, the aftermath has instead seen a big uptick in investments brick and mortar rug locations.

60

The home furnishing megastar, RH (formerly Restoration Hardware), has been running a highly successful business model in the way of establishing massive and elegantly appointed retail locations in major cities across the United States, with each location selling rugs, furniture, lighting, and more. One of their locations has become an anchor in New York City's Meatpacking District, and has helped to lead the revitalization of that district, and turn it into one of the hottest parts of the city.

Major names within the area rug industry have also established footprints in New York City, with Mansour from Los Angeles and Boccara from France securing significant showroom spaces in the posh Upper East Side. Loloi and other top brands set up new bases further downtown in the vicinity of the famed Textile Building on Fifth Avenue.

The increased push into brick and mortar showrooms has also coincided with an equally big investment into area rug websites and other online rug sale portals. The aforementioned vendors

BY RODNEY HAKIM

all have strong websites, but some other companies have focused more squarely on the digital realm than on the physical one.

One of the big newsmakers in recent months has been Ernesta, a new venture from the former CEO of Peloton, which will be launching this Spring, as they have invested $25 million in a custom rug venture that will initially be based online, and work in a direct-to-consumer model.

Top online locations where area rugs are sold include Amazon, Wayfair, Chairish, One Kings Lane, Ruby Lane, Etsy, eBay, Houzz, and more. Individual rug companies have also moved further and further into the digital space, with even more area rug companies at all ends of the price and antiquity spectrum displaying their complete collections online, increasingly with pricing and online checkout available.

This concept has also borne itself out in online auctions, with longtime auctioneers Sotheby’s and Christie’s stepping back from running regular area rug

RUGS

auctions. Other rug-focused entities like Nazmiyal Auctions, Material Culture, and 1st Bid Auctions (not to be confused with 1stDibs, which also has online auctions) running successful online rug sales every couple of months.

“

Is it more important to have an area rug showroom or an engaging website?

“

So which one is it? Is it more important to have an area rug showroom or an engaging online website?

In the past, and the present, one of the keys to success is a big, beautiful brick-and-mortar showroom in a prime location to showcase your products.

At the same time, there is an increased emphasis on having an eye catching, full-featured, and easy-to-use website, so people around the United States and beyond can shop your inventory day and night—24-7-365.

A rug industry veteran I was recently speaking with summed it up best. He said, “It used to only be about the Bricks. Then, it was all about the Clicks.

Now, the Bricks don’t mean as much unless it’s Bricks AND Clicks.”

I couldn’t have put it better, myself!

SHOWROOM IMAGE COURTESY OF THE DAVID ADLER FINE RUGS

61

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In the SPOTLIGHT | NOURISON

Just Scroll with it!

Plastic Rivers, Ganges design

T

he history of scrolls dates back to ancient Egypt as the first form of editable record keeping texts.

Leading floor covering and home accents manufacturer Nourison debuted its Scroll Area Rug, Grey Shadow at the Fall 2022 High Point Market with a limited edition of 100 pieces.

The multi-toned grey design pays homage to the classic art of parchment crafting, framed by artistically shaded edges that seem to leap from the hand-tufted ground, much like a sheet of aged paper. Made from a blend of New Zealand wool and silky Luxcelle™, the Scroll area rug is finished with hand-carved accents for depth. An individually carved unit number features at the bottom corner of each rug.

64

Nourison's Giovanni Marra and Kimberly Welling are flanked

by Jane Dagmi, Managing Director, HPXD (far left) and Carrie Dillon, Managing Director, International Textile Alliance.

Nourison’s stylish creation was honored at the 26th annual Pinnacle Awards held during High Point Market as the winning design in the Floor Coverings category. This year’s theme, “Creating Tomorrow’s Homes,” focused on the style, forms, finishes, and functionality of the furnishings that will be part of our future lives. Just as parchments preserve antiquity, we agree: Scroll will remain a timeless icon. nourison.com

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