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DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR may be a once in a lifetime experience for many floorcovering merchants, but I look forward to attending again and here’s why—to keep up with a changing world. 

Attending a trade show was a great excuse to dip my toe again in the large nation of People’s Republic of China. I first visited Hong Kong to see friends and to check out the antique textile market. Then I flew into Shanghai Hongqiao airport which was close to the exhibition hall of the new National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. Registration via ExpoPromoter seemed easy online but I never received a promised QR code for admission. However, I had also applied for a VIP Buyer program from HALI magazine, so I received arrival, hotel and other various exhibition-related information to support a successful visit.

From Saturday, September 9 through Monday, September 11, the New York/New Jersey area rug trade was abuzz with the arrival of the annual Autumn trade shows. Cover Connect New York took place in Manhattan, and The Rug Show was held in Secaucus, New Jersey. The two trade shows offered up a combined total of nearly 70 exhibitors, with area rug vendors from the United States and abroad convening on the shows, and displaying their freshest rug offerings.

Winter is here, and as we welcome 2024, we also say hello to all the “new” in the world of area rugs, as rug vendors are releasing numerous “new rug” designs to kick off the New Year. Flip through the pages of the winter issue of Rug Insider, and you will find hundreds of new rugs from different vendors, with a wide range of colors, styles, and designs. What you are less likely to see, but which is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the area rug industry, are details about the rug appraisal process, along with such related questions as what types of appraisals there are, what purposes they serve, who is asking for them, and what goes into preparing them.

RUG INSIDER touches in with Julie Smith Vincenti, Nine Muses Media, who curates the Fall 2023 edition of ANDMORE’s TrendWatch program at High Point Market. #HPMKT

Hand-knotted, low-pile area rugs dominate at the close of 2023. Most examples have a worn appearance—think stonewash or sun-washed—which makes them a shoo-in for heavily trafficked areas in the home. Yarn combinations combine Tibetan wool and silk at the higher price points; look for wool and cotton in the mid-range. Texture is as engaging as color. The knots vary in size, so colors appear in soft focus. Plus, look for hand-serging and fringe treatments.

Macro world events such as COVID cut across all industries, however the rug profession also presents unique challenges that a trusted colleague may help unravel. Candid conversations spark the mind, and sharing the journey with colleagues strengthens our profession. In the best of circumstances, positive industry relationships enrich our personal lives as well.

It’s in this spirit of sharing that Rug Insider launches a series of dealer interviews between Brian Robins, co-owner with Rebecca Lurie of Kush Rugs, Portland, Oregon and premier showrooms across the country.

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.

New leadership duo seizes the reins and steers the custom carpet company to new heights

Building on the legacy of its founder Carol Sebert, artfully established and proudly Canadian custom carpet house Creative Matters is kicking off the new year by rolling out a broader path grounded in the company’s roots but strategically positioned to command new opportunities that lie ahead—both in North America and across the pond.

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.

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