Safavieh Rugs “Style Spotted” at High Point Market Design Innovation and Trend-right Colors Cited

Janel Laban, executive editor of Apartment Therapy “style spotting”
Safavieh’s new Santa Fe geometric rug with Peshawar wool pile
and Soumak flat weave in metallic yarn.

HIGH POINT –Two Safavieh area rugs were selected by High Point Market Style Spotters as favorite products during the October 2012 home furnishings market, October 13-18.  Lisa Mende, principal of Lisa Mende Design chose an ikat rug from Safavieh’s sustainable hemp collection by Thom Filicia, and Janel Laban, executive editor of Apartment Therapy singled out a new Santa Fe rug introduced at Market.

“We are honored to have our designs validated by top home fashion trendsetters; this distinction is especially significant when you consider that of the 167 products selected by the Style Spotters this Market, only five were area rugs,” said Safavieh principal Arash Yaraghi.

“This promotion by High Point Market is wonderful exposure for exhibitors like Safavieh, and also for the area rug category as a catalyst for color and pattern trends.  As the Style Spotters program continues each season, we hope to see the percentage of rugs grow in proportion to their vital role in interior design,” Yaraghi explained.

Named a Style Spotter after winning the High Point Market's Olioboard contest this summer, Lisa Mende is known creating expressive interiors with stylish accessories.  A respected design blogger, Mende noted on her Pinterest board that she chose Thom Filicia's Nottingham rug for its trendsetting colors of red, blue, yellow and aqua. “This hand knotted beauty would be great most anywhere,” she said.

Of the Santa Fe rug, Janel Laban of Apartment Therapy said, “Brick red plush pile meets subtly metallic silver flat weave: Beautiful unique rug from Safavieh.”  The rug combines a Peshawar weave wool pile with a Soumak flat weave in metallic yarn.

Chosen for their ability to see ahead of the curve in home fashion trends, the nine interior designers and bloggers asked by the Market to walk the show capturing images of their favorite looks and on-trend products. The Style Spotters curated their choices on Pinterest, a website that lets users organize and share photos on virtual pin boards. Each photo posted lists the exhibitor’s name and showroom number.

The fall roster of Style Spotters also included:
• Traci Zeller, Traci Zeller’s Blog
• Gretchen Aubuchon, Fashion + Decor
• Lori Dennis, DesignCamp.com
• Julia Buckingham Edelmann, Material Girls
• Cassandra LaValle, Coco + Kelley
• Stacy Naquin, Stacy Naquin blog
• Jason Oliver Nixon, Demystifying Design

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Biggest Program Design Launch Yet For Jaipur

ATLANTA, GA — Jaipur Rugs, Inc is launching the biggest product addition launch since its inception. Expanding 100+ designs in each category including, tufted, indoor & outdoor, naturals, and the major hit of the High Point show – flatweaves. 

Taking a new approach, Jaipur widens its sophisticated product breath with refined solids untouched by anyone else in the industry. President/CEO, Asha Chaudhary states, “This show, new catalog, and design movement for Jaipur is about being more relevant and meaningful to our customers. That’s why we are here.” Refinement in product selection is the path chosen by Jaipur for its newest catalog, The Book 2013, and the October High Point Market show.

The Jaipur showroom is located at Showplace 3415. They will host a daily cocktail hour starting at 4pm allowing guest to relax and browse the new product selections.

For more information, visit www.jaipurrugs.com. Follow the company on Twitter (twitter.com/jaipurlifestyle); and on Facebook (facebook.com/Jaipurlifestyle) Share

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Dover Rug & Home Participates in Boston Magazine's 2012 Design Hous

New England's Dover Rug & Home announced it will participate as the floor and rug sponsor in Boston Magazine’s Design Home 2012, marking the sixth time the company has supported this charitable event.

The Design Home 2012 is now open for tours and runs for six weeks, through November 12th, with all proceeds benefitting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of New England.

Built by New England builder Eugene Mattie, The Design Home is a custom-designed residence within the sanctuary of Cowings Cove, a private community in Norwell, MA. The home is an inspirational showcase, featuring design components and brands from Dover Rug & Home, GerrityStone, Clarke, Circle Furniture and others in the Greater Boston design community led by the vision of interior designer Vani Sayeed. This project is unique in that it will represent a cohesive design aesthetic while highlighting some of the designs and products that make the Boston area a leader in home and interior design.

Dover Rug & Home provided a variety of flooring solutions in The Design Home.  Solid hardwood flooring with a combination of red and white oak in crisp and fresh tones is used in the kitchen and powder room.  Vinyl flooring, which provides a non-slip service with durability and thermal insulation, is found in the porch.  An environmentally friendly option - cork flooring - is used in the lower levels, providing an effective vibration absorber. Additionally, hand knotted rugs grace a number of areas. Sourced from around the world, the rugs are composed of a myriad of densities as well as knot counts. A variety of styles are represented: contemporary designed rugs are featured in the  office and entryway, traditional in the dining room and child’s room, and transitional in the living room and master bedroom retreat.

In addition to home tours, The Design Home is hosting a seminar series to share the most up-to-date info on home design, technology and trends.  Dover Rug & Home is participating in a number of activities, including the seminar Green Product Trends on Thursday, Nov. 1, 10:30AM – noon. Joining Mahmud Jafri of Dover Rug & Home as a presenter are Jim Gerrity and Mike Schena from GerrityStone and Deb Dumel from Frank Webb Bath Center.

“We participate in several design events a year, but the Boston Magazine’s Design Home is one that really stands out. It gives us the opportunity to showcase our rugs, carpets and flooring with some of the area’s finest furniture, art and home product retailers. The end result is a stunning display of home design,” states Mahmud Jafri, CEO of Dover Rug & Home.  “Design Home is inspirational and accessible to everyone, from first time homeowners to those looking to renovate, to professional interior designers. Most importantly, it benefits a wonderful charity- the Ronald McDonald House.”

The recipient of the “Best of Boston Home 2011” award, Dover Rug & Home has been designing, weaving and exporting fine, hand-knotted rugs and carpeting from around the world for three generations.  From its humble beginnings in a small showroom in Dover, MA to its new state-of-the-art 36,000 square foot showroom and Squash & Fitness facility in Natick, MA, Dover Rug & Home offers the finest rugs, carpets and flooring options in New England. Additionally, the company provides repair and restoration services, cleaning, installation, free pick-up and delivery, a life-time trade-in guarantee on all hand-knotted rugs and in-home rug trial with no obligation to purchase.

The CNC Reader’s Choice award for ‘Best Carpet Store’ ten years in a row, Dover Rug & Home supports over 50 charitable organizations on a regular basis and is an industry partner to the American Society of Interior Designers, a member and corporate sponsor of the International Furnishing and Design Association (IFDA) and a member of the World Floor Covering Association.

To learn more about the Boston Magazine Design Home 2012, visit www.bostonmagazine.com/designhome2012. For more information on Dover Rug & Home, visit the company website and virtual showroom at www.doverrug.com; on facebook at www.facebook.com/doverrug,  or call (508) 651-3500.

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Beaulieu Canada back in area rug business

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Broadloom carpet source Beaulieu Canada is re-entering the rug business and has hired Paul Jesson as vice president of its new Area Rug Division, according to Karel Vercruyssen, CEO of Beaulieu Canada.

Jesson was president of Beaulieu’s former area rug business from 1983 to 1999. He left Beaulieu to join Korhani and later Springs Inds. in Canada, which acquired Beaulieu’s North American rug manufacturing facilities in 2002. Springs subsequently sold the operation, and it was closed.

After leaving Springs, Jesson formed Heritage Textiles, a sales agency and consulting firm.

“When this opportunity came to renew Beaulieu’s involvement with the rug business, I jumped at it,” Jesson told Furniture/Today. “I have very passionate feelings for this business and this company.”

He said the company’s immediate priority is to establish a marketing and manufacturing team in Canada.

Jesson said the new Beaulieu Area Rug Division will be involved with both scatter rugs and room size rugs. The company currently has tufting and printing manufacturing capability in Canada.

“We do not have weaving facilities in North America, but the parent company in Belgium has extensive weaving capacity,” he said.

Initially, Beaulieu Canada will market rugs in Canada, but long-term, the company also plans to sell in the U.S. market, Jesson said. Beaulieu Canada’s rug lines will be oriented to the value and mid-level price points, he added.

No More Standing In Line At eCheck-Out

Online area rugs retailers, RugSale.com, has changed it's check out process reducing the number of steps by more than two thirds. "We listened to our customers and heard what they wanted from us loud and clear" Said Charlie Kaoud CEO of RugSale. He continued "Though we had originally made our checkout process simple but comprehensive, our customers wanted it shorter".

RugSale eliminated superfluous pages condensing only the most essential elements into just two steps. They also reduced redundant tasks. If the billing and shipping addresses are the same the information automatically appears in the shipping fields as it is being typed into the billing fields.

Eliminating the requirement to set up an account was also something customers asked for. "We found that many people didn't care about setting up an account. Once they find rugs they were looking for they just wanted to check out quick and move on" Said Charlie. RugSale made setting up an account optional in case some people still wanted to use the tools that they offer account holders.

They also found that many of their customers shop by price or selection not web site loyalty. So when they shop for a rug again and they end up coming back it is often because RugSale has the particular rug or a good price not because they are a loyal RugSale shopper. In these instances the shopper may not know their password and would simply start filling in customer information all over again. RugSale now has them put in their email address first and instantly checks their database to see if the customer has shopped there before. If they have, a message pops up explaining they already have an account and asks them if they want their password. The customer then can simply enter their password and they don't need to enter their information all over again. "We would like to think people come to RugSale because they love the site but even if they stumble over us twice in a row we want their experience to be as easy as possible." Charlie Concludes.

Surfing Surface for floor covering news

Surface, the world's largest annual floor-covering trade show, recently introduced the latest in flooring fashions to industry attendees hungry to pick up new trends. Manufacturers from around the globe convened in Las Vegas to show off a host of new floor-covering looks and styles, ranging from glazed Moroccan tiles to hand-chiseled hardwood.

Here, according to retailer group World Floor Covering Association, is what was hot:

• Vibrant colors.
  
• 
  
• Plush textures.
  
• 
  
• Luxurious looks.
  
• 
  
• • Customized rugs that are works of art in themselves.
  

Tiles designed for offices, dens and bathroom floors were presented in a wide variety of materials, including glass, porcelain, cement, rubber, brightly colored aluminum -- and even pony hair -- from a variety of makers.

Many manufacturers displayed one-of-a-kind pieces. Hand-painted tiles measuring from a half-inch to a full foot were shown in a variety of settings. There were also leather tiles in flat jewel tones and animal prints for home owners looking for lively accents.

Carpets and area rugs were on show in nearly every color, material and look imaginable, from hand-woven silk to leather.

If all these sound expensive, think again. There were stylish products for every budget.

As in previous years, banana leaf and sisal were also shown in abundance. Basket weaves and knotted rugs appeared among coverings for patios, living rooms and sun rooms.

Woods from such exotic locales as South America and Thailand were exhibited as wide planks, reclaimed antique, and stalks of natural bamboo laid side by side.

In addition, a number of manufacturers offered a variety of "green" products, including cork, bamboo and linoleum. Only the bark is used in making cork floor coverings, so the rest of the tree is left intact. Cork comes in a wide variety of colors and styles. Bamboo has been on the floor-covering scene for a number of years, but recent advances present the product in finer detail and darker shades.

Linoleum, which has been enormously popular for well over a century, is manufactured from renewable sources, such as linseed oil, resin, wood flour, cork powder and pigments. Linoleum's durability -- up to 40 years as flooring -- makes it very suitable for high-traffic areas.
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Monaco Carpet Designer Announces Bold New Concept

Monaco-based avant garde carpet designer Kamyar Moghadam reveals his new line of floor coverings which borrows concepts from the fashion world

Floors have not been getting quite the respect they deserve, if you listen to Monaco-based avant garde carpet designer Kamyar Moghadam. He's advocating equal treatment for these places which we may have grown accustomed to simply walking all over.

With "Fashion for Floors", his new line, he says: "You look at your floor the same way you look at yourself. You dress up: you dress your floor the same way you dress yourself."

Moghadam told the online magazine MonacoRevue.com he borrows techniques and materials from the fashion industry to create unique and luxurious pieces that could easily pass for works of art. Making no concessions to animal rights activists such as PETA, he mixes fur and leather in exquisite bed runners. "When you get out of the bed in the morning and you walk on that piece, you can only have a good day," he says. Another creation is a patchwork of raw silk and hand-dyed raw cashmere, which could work equally as a wall hanging or a floor covering, Moghadam suggests.

With saving the environment being such a hot issue, Moghadam even has a carpet that embraces eco-friendly principles. Instead of letting old jeans go to the landfill, he cuts them into squares and rectangles, then crafts them into quilted denim carpets.

Moghadam represents the second generation of the renowned Moghadam carpet house in Monte Carlo, which bears the title "official supplier to S.A.S. The Sovereign Prince of Monaco". And although the current ruler, Prince Albert II of Monaco, promotes himself as a champion of the environment, Moghadam betrays no hint as to whether princely feet tread on such recycled jeans up at the pink palace.

Moghadam presents his bold new concept in a video found at the website, an online celebrity and lifestyle magazine featuring articles from Monaco and around the world for an international readership.
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/17739/

Rugs with pedigree

You admired hip designer Nanette Lepore's peacock-patterned dresses, but they were so three years ago. Now you can resurrect the pattern for your floor.

Lepore has joined a growing list of fashion designers -- Calvin Klein and Liz Claiborne (with Nourison), Oscar de la Renta (with elson & co.), Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Diane Von Furstenberg, Lulu Guinness (with The RUG Company) -- all translating their passion for fashion design to floor coverings.

Lepore recently introduced a bold-patterned area rug with her peacock design for the Doris Leslie Blau carpet gallery in New York. The gallery also in early March unveiled two nautically-inspired rugs designed by Tommy Hilfiger (one blue with white anchors, the other navy with a red chain-link pattern).

In a phone interview, Lepore said she was approached by the carpet folks and is happy she did the project, especially since she now has one of her rugs in her own living room.

"The way it transformed my living room with color and a bold pattern, it would be fun to do more of that," the designer said. In fact, she's considering designing another rug for her pool table area that the public may see in stores some day.

What do those in the world of interior design think about fashionistas stepping in?

"I believe good design is good design and a good designer is a good designer," said Thom Filicia, best known as the design expert on the television series "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy."

Filicia, who has also designed for celebrity clients including Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony through his New York firm, Thom Filicia, Inc., said the important thing in interior design is understanding people's lifestyles, something fashion designers do well.

"A good designer can transcend from the area they are focused on into other areas and do it very successfully," Filicia said.

But would he recommend consumers start buying area rugs based on what's in their wardrobes?

Filicia said he wouldn't go that far. Still, he has a new show on the Style Network called "Dress My Nest" in which he will use fashion as a springboard to help folks figure out interiors.

"I do think there's a relationship. Saying you want to match your house to your clothes is too literal but clothes do indicate your point of view, your aesthetic," he said.

"Young and hip or traditional or conservative, you can tell when you see someone," Filicia added. "And you get color from people's wardrobes."

Filicia will also soon launch a series of seminars in U.S. cities as spokesperson for Karastan carpets. His big advice: Designing from the floor up is a good start.

"When they (his clients) don't know where to begin I tell them to start from the rug, in terms of colors and what sets the tone whether classical or modern, or whatever."

And yes, he foresees having his own rug line (in addition to furniture and bedding), but not for a year or two.

Designer Lepore said what was appealing to her about designing rugs was that rug patterns have a longer shelf life.

"People don't change their homes as much as they change their closets," she said.

As for the trend of fashion designers stepping into rug design, she said, it brings "a fresh eye" and new brands that will create more interest.

Julie Rosenblum, brand manager for Nourison, the manufacturer of the Calvin Klein and Liz Claiborn carpets, agreed.

"In this day and age people associate certain looks and concepts with fashion designers," Rosenblum said. "It's reaffirming to the consumer that the product has a point of view and they understand that point of few."

Rosenblum said she suspects more fashion designers will introduce area rugs, and that's a good thing. "It brings rugs to the forefront. They (the consumer) may not know who the manufacturer is. What they know is there's a line by that designer. It takes the business to a whole new level."

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Rugs to Reinvigorate the Floor

Like anything else you buy for your house, an area rug is one part functional, one part decorative. Some people buy rugs to protect the floors underneath; others buy them to cover up what’s there. Some buy them to keep their feet warm on winter mornings and, yes, some of us buy them to aid our ailing pups.

Whatever the reason you’re considering adding rugs to your decorating dream list, says Celia Tejada, senior vice president of product design for San Francisco-based Pottery Barn, you ought to carefully consider your purchase, because the right rug can make a room.

“You want the rug to be the heart of the room in which the furniture plays around it,” she says.

In recent years, rugs at Pottery Barn, Target and other furniture retailers have become increasingly popular. More homes these days have wood or tile floors, rather than wall-to-wall carpeting, and new fabrics and manufacturing methods have lowered the prices. People are using rugs to bring in color and pattern into a room, because they can take it up and move it within the house. Regardless of your budget or personal taste, design experts say certain rules of the rug apply.

Not All Rugs are Created Equal

Tejada says some rugs, such as Persians, are like a couch, a household item that you’ll have for years, if not generations. Other rugs, like shaped novelty bathmats, are more like a vase of flowers that you change from season to season. Know why you want a rug and how much you want to spend before you go shopping. Once there, in-store decorators can help you by showing you the rugs to fit your needs.

Know Your Fabrics

Looking through a rack of rugs can be confusing; there are as many different materials as are likely to be hanging in your own closet. But just as you don’t pull out your boiled-wool jacket in the middle of June, floor-covering fabrics vary because they have different purposes.

Sisal, seagrass and coir are all natural fibers woven from plants. The rug buyers at Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based HomeLife say sisal in particular is popular now because it is durable and neutral in color. But even when woven, sisal has a rough texture, meaning it may not feel right on bare feet, and Tejada cautions “people with pets and kids do not want to have a heart attack every time something spills on a light-colored rug.” Dhurrie rugs are flat weaves made from either wool or cotton. Kilim rugs are similar to dhurrie rugs, but they often have more elaborate patterns and sometimes are reversible. Looped rugs, as the name suggests, have cotton loops from back to front and back again. These look great, but if your dog’s paw or kid’s toy truck gets stuck in one, you’ll have a permanent pull. Cotton rugs are generally softer than those from wool or plant fibers, but they show wear over time and stain easily.

Size Matters

More homeowners who have wall-to-wall carpeting use area rugs as a way to add color to a room. In general, leave at least a 2-foot border between the wall and the rug so visitors can see the differences between texture and color of the floor coverings. In large rooms, use two area rugs. Placed correctly, one can create a conversation area while the other works as an entranceway. In those cases, the two rugs don’t have to match exactly, but they should have coordinating colors and styles, she says.

Just a Dose of Whimsy

Tejada likes to use inexpensive shaped rugs, such as flowers, fruits, leaves and moons, to brighten children’s rooms, bathrooms and tie in to the seasons. Whimsical patterns, she says, can give personality to a room: “You can put something like that at the foot of the bed and it really lets you bring a sense of humor into the room,” she says.

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Choosing a carpet comes down to color and material

Carpet: The difference in what makes a house a home.

Fashionably speaking, people don't have to follow trends to dress up their homes.

When it comes to carpet, Steve Brociner, owner of Carpet Mill in East Hanover, takes the rugged individualist approach.

"Each family is different depending on size and traffic," he said. "And everyone has different taste. A couple starting out in an apartment will have different needs than a family with kids or pets."

In carpet-speak, that translates to color and material.

"Some people like nylon because it resists dirt," he said. "Others like wool because it cleans very well. But again it's about individual preference."

If your preference is to follow trends, then carpet diem this: In with color; out with solids. In with patterns; out with plush.

"People are going for more patterns such as floral or trellis," said Peter Kaufman, owner of Abbey Carpet Center in Succasunna. "They're moving away from the more plain or solids and going for more colors."

Berber, or looped carpet made from wool, nylon or olefin, has created a customer buzz, Brociner said.

"It has a utilitarian look," he said.

Rolling out the red, berber or trellis carpet isn't for everyone though.

Joy Nan Rodia, president of the Design Studio of Spaces in Morris Plains, has answered many calls for area rugs.

"The benefits of rugs over carpets is that there's no installation costs and they can be easily cleaned," she said. "They add warmth to a space and provide sound-proofing for hardwood floors."

Area rugs can tie elements of a room together or serve as the main focal point, she said.

"For example, if you have a large family room with a fire place and separate seating area you can use two rugs," she said. "You just have to color coordinate with the furniture and walls and make sure that the rugs are similar in design and color to themselves."

If you wouldn't wear plaids and polka dots, the same dress code rules apply to your floors.

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Designer offers decorating tips

Michael Habachy remembers his parents' reaction the first time they visited his one level, industrial style flat at Hastings Seed Lofts on Marietta Street.

"My parents were like, what in the hell are you doing," Habachy recalls, laughing. "It looked like a concrete attic."

But the imposing concrete columns, aged brick walls, exposed ducts and large open living space were the very features he found attractive when he purchased the loft a couple of years ago.

Decorating it was liberating for Habachy, an interior designer who specializes in upscale residential and commercial properties, because it gave him a canvas to use sleek, contemporary furnishings in a gritty, architectural setting.


"I wanted to blend the historical character of an old industrial building with modern design," he says. "I try to keep things really minimal and simple."

Here are some things to consider, he recommends, when decorating a loft:

SCALE

"Scale can be the height of the space as well as the amount of space you have between chairs and sofas," he says. For example, "in lofts, you can get away with a chunkier table that fills the area."

FURNITURE

Choose pieces that accentuate the height of the room and that look good from all angles, so they can float in a room instead of being placed against a wall.

"It's nice to have some furniture that looks architectural," Habachy says, "then make a couple of pieces the brat pieces — the ones that are going to get a lot attention."

FRAMED ART AND OBJECTS

Consider using large sculptures as focal points, and hanging oversized framed pieces to make an impact. Or, cluster smaller pieces together to make one large focal point.

"I personally like large accent pieces more than knick-knacky pieces," he says. "The funny thing is, I grew up around a lot of knick-knacks. It drove me nuts."

DIVIDING LINES

Many lofts, particularly authentic ones built in old warehouses, don't have interior walls. But you can create a visual separation with screens or architectural partitions made out of wood and translucent materials.

"If you can partition off the bedroom it would be to your advantage, especially if there's more than one person who shares the space," Habachy advises. Rugs are another way to define or frame an area.

GALLEY KITCHENS

Keep them clutter free. When possible, stash small appliances and other counter clutter.

"One thing I like to do in a kitchen that makes it more minimal and sleek is reposition the outlets," he says. "I put them under the cabinets in power strips, so no one can see them. That way, you can get a beautiful backsplash."

WINDOWS

Like many loft dwellers, Habachy likes naked windows that let in plenty of light without compromising his privacy. For clients who prefer window treatments, he suggests architectural ripple fold drapes hung ceiling to floor.

FLOORING

Nothing warms a loft like heavily textured rugs, such as thick shag or fur. Although wall-to-wall carpet is an option, think twice before covering the floors completely. Hardwoods or concrete add to the character of the home.

PAINT

When choosing colors, include ducts in the mix. Habachy painted his a soft taupe to tone down the glaring metal. "It doesn't look so loud and harsh," he explains.