Area rug companies expand and elevate offerings of sustainably-made styles. Recycled plastics-made fibers are not new to the world of area rugs. For a while now, suppliers have been developing and promoting these products to promote not just for their sustainability attributes but also their inherent performance benefits—namely, extra softness and resistance to fading and staining— all of which are highly conducive to today’s family- and pet-friendly lifestyles.

Customization trends are carving new business opportunities for the carpet category.

Broadloom 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.”

As the daughter of a rug wholesaler, I have vivid childhood memories of visiting customers with my father, sitting on a stack of rugs while the men attended to business. There were rarely women present in these spaces—but it wasn’t until I joined the industry years later that this struck me as odd.

Rug companies continue to focus on programs that make it easier for interior designers to find and purchase custom rugs.

Interior designers have always been a critical part of the rug industry. But in recent years, as more people look to furnish their homes and make them a desirable place to live, work and raise children, interior designers have become more important than ever. And because the interior designer channel is booming—with over 119,778 interior designer businesses in the U.S. today—rug manufacturers have been introducing and revamping their designer rug programs to make them easier and more efficient for interior designers.

The Met has chosen Exquisite Rugs to design a collection based on the museum’s variety of historical art. Uniquely designed rugs are truly pieces of art, and to celebrate that fact, Exquisite Rugs is creating an exclusive line of rugs based on art from The Met.

Area rug companies expand hybrid styles to balance artisan- and machine-made constructions.

Trends abound in area rugs, keeping category players busy juggling the gamut of consumers’ varied style preferences for products. To name a few: sustainability, artisan craftsmanship, power-looming innovations and performance conveniences.

Melding these attributes is a delicate balance that requires imagination and expertise. But it can be done—and is being successfully accomplished by many versatile companies adept at designing, developing and sourcing a range of product qualities spanning artisan-made to power-loomed and in between.