Exclusive Stories

With our hearts full of nostalgia we look to the past for guidance as we examine five areas of the industry which have undergone tremendous change over these past twenty-five years of RUG INSIDER Magazine. As for the next? Opportunity awaits.

It is somewhat serendipitous that this year marks both twenty-five years of RUG INSIDER and also the same quarter-century of my involvement in the hand-knotted rug and carpet trade. As a fresh, wide-eyed, rather green and unsophisticated rug salesman who knew not of the idiosyncratic nature of hand-knotted rugs nor their charms, entering the trade at the same time as this publication meant only one thing.

In the summer 2018 issue of RUG INSIDER Magazine we featured “The Rugs and Carpets of Fallingwater"—an exploration of the carpets which grace the floors of the renowned architectural masterpiece. Throughout that issue we also chronicled carpets in tune with David Bowie’s classic “Modern Love,” and offered a furtive look at the oft-copied Scandinavian aesthetic of Märta Måås-Fjetterström. Likewise, friend of RUG INSIDER Alicia Keshishian shared her opinions in “(Re)defining a Style” as we discussed the perennial “mid-century modern” aesthetic enjoying a resurgent popularity. 

Area rug companies struggle to produce + deliver product amid pandemic’s impacts

Manufacturers and suppliers of area rugs find themselves in a dilemma with no definitive solution in sight.

Consumer demand for area rugs is at an all-time high, prompted by the pandemic’s push to home-bound people and equip them with government-issued stimulus checks they’ve largely opted to spend on their home decor.

Sellers of all manner of wares, particularly those crafted by hand, have long sought to offer the most authentic version of its class, including rugs and carpets. However, problems arise when the description doesn’t match the reality of the rug at hand. What is the modern consumer to do?­­­­­

International Market Centers puts COVID-19 safety protocols in place that leave manufacturers optimistic about the future of markets.

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since COVID-19 shut down the United States. Remember how businesses everywhere started panicking about how it would play out?

Many in the industry expected sales to be down 30-40 percent in 2020, but that was not the case. Retailers and manufacturers across the country benefited from the number of people forced to stay home and furnish their homes.

Tamarian is a well-known name among those who frequent markets in Atlanta and High Point, and has likewise been a fixture at events such as The Rug Show for decades. For those who purchase rugs and carpets at retail however, the name may be unknown. Rug Insider takes a look at the firm and its staff as they embark on a new journey of creativity (and branding) under the guidance of firm Principal, and now sole owner, Ryan Higgins.

Amidst unprecedented global change and disruption one firm caught the attention of RUG INSIDER Magazine due to its ability to seemingly have been prepared for the eventualities of 2020 and beyond.

The history of the trade of rugs and carpets is a long and storied affair. One steeped in both tradition as well as innovation. Be it design, materials, construction technique, manner of distribution, or the like, traders have embraced tradition—along with novelty, expedience, and the technology of the era—to advance the fortunes (and perhaps misfortunes) of the craft and trade.

Diverse influences define  “Luxury Lodge”

Conceived at the forefront of the Luxury Lodge aesthetic, the Mesa Collection from New Moon Rugs serves as a quintessential example of adapting native forms to suit to the needs of contemporary interiors. As the collection enters its third decade, Rug Insider talks with firm founder John Kurtz and current firm principal Erika Kurtz to find out what has kept the collection at the ever-shifting vanguard.