Colors: Orange Color

When researching ‘The Rugs and Carpets of Fallingwater,’ for our Summer 2018 issue, it immediately became apparent that given the current popularity of Moroccan carpets, an article about mimicking the look of Fallingwater would have to be written. A survey of the pages of ‘Fallingwater’ by Lynda Waggoner reveals photographs of room after room of either white, fluffy, and inviting Beni Ourain rugs or more lively and red colored embroidered flatweaves; both of these readily available in today’s marketplace. But is it right, (or Wright) simply to duplicate the aesthetic?

When RUG INSIDER first started publication in 1996 the rug market was nearing the end run of a great class of traditionally styled rugs that replicated the look of those familiar Persian designs of Kashan, Isfahan, Kerman, and especially Tabriz to name but a few. Handmade in the Peoples Republic of China the so-called Sino-Persian rugs rose to prominence in the late 1980s as an alternative to their Persian cousins, which were banned by a United States embargo from 1987 to 2000. 

Though Alicia Keshishian comes from an Armenian rug family well steeped in the trade of quintessentially ‘oriental’ carpets, her aesthetic is decidedly modern. RUG INSIDER talks with the rug designer and color expert to gauge what defines—or often redefines—an aesthetic.

The European Art Form of the 16th - 19th Centuries Is the Hot New Wall Decor Choice of the 21st Century

There is a saying, “what’s old is new again.” Fashion works in cycles, and what is popular at a certain time might fall out of favor for a while, only to be rediscovered some time later, and celebrated once again as the trendy “new” item of the moment.

The mere utterance of its name alone is enough to elicit controversy. On one hand there are those who love to hate upon it, on the other are those who embrace its use. Viscose, in its various forms, is increasingly used in rugs and carpets of multiple qualities. RUG INSIDER presents a daring look at both sides discussing its relative performance characteristics, situations unsuited for viscose, some key legal notes, and finally what makes a viscose carpet great. 

What’s Hot this Summer in the New York City Area Rug Sector? Summer brings with it many things.  For most people, it’s the time when kids are off from school, and it’s time to head off to the beach, to the park, to vacation, or to otherwise rest, relax, and soak up the summertime sun.  New York City, however, being the ‘city that never sleeps,’ is also the city that keeps busy during the summer months, with plenty of red-hot activities taking place in the area rug sector, including trendy items, care and cleaning, exciting trade shows, and more.

Designed by Garth Roberts, cc-tapis’ After Party carpet recently won a coveted German Design Award. The design— inspired in part by post fete confetti on the floor—reminds of the Memphis Design Movement of the 1980s, terrazzo flooring, vinyl composite tile (VCT), and one might argue, an updated and revisited Desert from Odegard Carpets.

In the Summer 2024 issue of RUG INSIDER, we discussed the sustainability in the world of area rugs, and the idea of “Going Green.” For the portion of the rug industry that is focused on modern and contemporary rugs, being green and sustainable generally means being eco-friendly, and transitioning from the usage of synthetic materials, such as viscose and polypropylene, to more natural materials, including wool, cotton, and silk. Similarly, it marks a process of “going green,” and a transition from synthetic dyes to natural dyes, decreasing environmental impact.