Jelly Bean Rugs Homefires
Las Vegas Market

Exclusive Stories

Colors: Orange Color

When we talk about area rugs, whether new reproduction rugs or the antique originals on which they are based, one of the most common ways of categorizing them is by their level of fineness.

Specifically, the fineness we refer to is the fineness of weave density, with the finest rugs being those with the tightest weave density. In the West, we often express this level of weave density in terms of KPSI, or knots per square inch. In the East, the more traditional expression is in terms of RAJ, or knots per 7 centimeters. The higher the KPSI or RAJ, the finer the rug.

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.

One day, a New York creative director landed in the middle of Mexico, picked up a brush and a can of black house paint and, for the first time in her life, started to paint floor to ceiling. Hello, Black Line Crazy!

A lifelong doodler, Mary van de Wiel, aka Van discovered that those damned doodles refused to be doodles anymore. Twenty-one months and two successful exhibitions later in Australia and Mexico, van de Wiel reinterpreted her black- and-whiteabstract work across a limited edition collection of accessories, fashion, fabrics, furniture and more.

It’s hard to understand what being in business for ninety-five years actually means. Think of all of the major events that happened over that span of time—two world wars, a great depression (and great recession), 9/11, COVID-19, etc. For Couristan—celebrating 95 years of business this year—the anniversary is a testament to their resilience and innovation.

The family-owned company was founded in 1926 by brothers Basil J. Couri and George J. Couri—aptly referred to as the Couri Brothers—in New York City when they began importing fine handmade area rugs from Persia.

Our summer issue theme is All in the Details. It's a pleasure to get up close with these incredibly beautiful detail shots of some of our favorite textured rugs. 

“When we pay attention, we begin to notice details and textures that we never noticed before. Everyday life becomes clearer, sharper, and at the same time more spacious.“ ~ RICK FIELDS

As anchors or accents, these forward floor fashions make us feel dizzy with excitement. Rugs featuring bold pattern or color, or unexpected moments and imagery help create unique personality-filled spaces. Dare to inject some drama—or whimsy—while still maintaining a sense of sophistication.

There is an old saying which still rings true today—“the difference is in the detail.” As a businessperson, I subscribe fully to the notion of using this tactic to my advantage. We often tend to lose sight of the concept of placing our own business operations under the microscope, but there has never been a more opportune window to do so. It may seem a bit odd, but time will tell how fine the clarity was to your lens.

Various channels of business are slowly starting to ramp back, and with them, perhaps a golden chance exists for additional development. Time to grab hold of the figurative business mirror and place it in front of your current methods. Could it be after having been in forced hibernations for so long the perception you have of your organization is no longer reality, as viewed through the eyes of your customer base. Why not utilize this sudden awakening, to re-introduce or reposition your operation? It all starts from first possessing a willingness to do so.

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.

Page 8 of 19