And the Winners Are: Atlanta was all about fashion for the floor recently, as rug manufacturers brought out their latest designs at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. Some trends continued to garner attention, and for some of those areas, HFN has selected a few standout designs, each worthy of receiving an Award of Excellence. In addition, HFN has awarded a rug design each in the modern and
traditional styles, as these areas always evolve in design. 

MODERN DESIGN

Sphinx by Oriental Weavers
Going on animal instincts, the new patterns added to Sphinx by Oriental Weavers’ Utopia collection give consumers the animal skin look that is so popular now but with an abstract twist. “Customers were asking for them,” said Aaron Gray, marketing director. “It’s one of those categories that never goes away,” due to its popularity. The style #84133 here is one of six new designs in the collection, and which are handcrafted of a polyester construction. It will retail for $249 for a 5-by-8. owrugs.com

TRADITIONAL DESIGN

Shaw Living
Available in a new color palette of mineral-inspired hues, Basilica brings a traditional look, as well as a sense of tranquility, to any space. It’s one of the 31 new designs in Shaw’s new Woven Expressions Platinum line, which has 1.5 million points of density per square meter. “For the interiors filled with cherished heirlooms, Woven Expressions has the perfect companions in traditional Persian designs,” said Emily Morrow, Shaw’s director of color, style and design, as well as geometrics for more modernists. The collection is offered in broadloom and six popular rug sizes, as well as select styles offered in rounds, squares, and custom length and width runners. shawfloors.com

NATURAL FIBER

Jaipur
For consumers who want the hues of the Caribbean in their homes—coupled with the natural material of hemp—Jaipur’s new Caribbean fits the bill, or, floor space. A hand-knotted design shown here in the lime green colorway, it’s one line that really brings texture into a room, and that’s what consumers want. “The texture is what really sells it,” said Josh Roberts, vice president, sales and marketing. “Maybe even more so than color.” Part of the company’s casual rug offering, Caribbean is just more proof that rugs made of natural materials are a growing category. “It’s still a smaller business,” Roberts said, “but it has Jaipur’s touch in color and style.” A 5-by-8 will retail for $449. jaipurrugs.com

JUVENILE

Kas Rugs
Using the skateboarding craze as its inspiration, the new Skateboardin design from Kas joined the Kolorful Kids collection, which focuses on children from infant/toddler to teen with upscale patterns. Handtufted in China of polyacrylic, this design is available in scatter to room size rugs. “Polyacrylic has been an important category for us and the industry overall in the past 18 months—the texture in the rug has gotten great attention,” said Wendy Reiss, key account manager of sales and marketing. “The designs are bright and cheerful, and the prices are extremely attractive in this category.” kasrugs.com

OUTDOOR

Mohawk Select
Outdoor rugs have come a long way, and Mohawk Select’s new Terrace collection is part of the newest generation of these types of rugs, as they use high/low design to create additional surface interest. Among the variety of transitional, botanical and casual designs offered, the style Estancia is the collection “shining star,” said Jeff Seagle, director of marketing and product merchandising, while the line overall got a great reaction. “This is the first time Mohawk Select has done this type of indoor/outdoor line,” he said. “The line was developed as a result of a void in the marketplace and further fueled by consumer demand.” A 5-by-8 will retail for $149. mohawkind.com

SHAG

Surya
Shags continue to evolve as consumers continue to buy them, and Surya’s Flagstone is one example of shags going to another level. Handknotted from felted wool to create long tufts for softness and in a dramatic color palette of chocolate, gray and white, Flagstone brings a sophisticated look to any space. “Our cutting edge rug and accessory collections are  growing daily and our clients can always be certain that they’re going to find exactly what their customers demand at a style and price point unmatched,” Satya Tiwari, president. surya.com