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Rug Insider Magazine
News for the Rug and Carpet Professional 
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.
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.
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.
To say Zollanvari has a long and rich history would be an understatement. The 75-year-old company is known for designer and tribal Gabbehs, flatweaves, and decorative objects, such as mafrash coffers that come in all shapes and sizes.
Its mission today, as it was when it started way back when, is to produce carpets that embody the spirit of Persian carpet design and weaving, an extraordinary art form that has been treasured across the world for more than 2,000 years.
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.”
The women in top executive posts within the area rug industry make up a small but mighty group. A historically male-dominated field across domestic manufacturing to importing firms alike, our industry has been slow to promote female leadership into the C-suite.
Sadly, we’re not alone.
Female participation in the workforce hit its lowest rate this year since 1988 due in part to the pandemic. In the U.S., COVID-19’s impacts translated to five million-plus women pushed from their jobs.
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.
Area rug suppliers forge ahead to the summer markets with new efficiencies + products, despite supply chain woes. After more than a year absence, trade shows and markets are re-emerging on the home furnishings industry’s scene starting this summer. And that spells optimism for the balance of 2021’s business outlook… For the most part.
Spread out across the season’s three months, first came High Point and Dallas Total Home & Gift markets in June, followed by this month’s Atlanta Market, July 13-19 and finally Las Vegas Market, August 22-26. This ambitious schedule signals the industry’s determination to return to some semblance of normalcy as the pandemic continues its exit—at least in the U.S.