LAS VEGAS–The Las Vegas Winter Market opened yesterday with a bang, continuing the good vibes of the January trade shows.
 
Showgoers packed the showrooms and hallways, and educational and socializing events were well attended.
 

LAS VEGAS–Momeni has doubled the size of its showroom here at Las Vegas Market. Now spanning 7,000 square feet, the showroom will allow the rug company to show more promotional products as well as its broadloom, area rugs — including one-of-a-kind rugs — concept program and roll runner displays, as well as its current program collections, said Reza Momeni, a principal at Momeni.

Momeni’s showroom is in Bldg. B, #425 and has corner-to-corner window displays.

LAS VEGAS–Chayse Dacoda is the latest designer to team up with Jaipur, and her new line of contemporary area rug designs, called Foundations by Chayse Dacoda, will be unveiled during Las Vegas Market. Dacoda will attend Jaipur’s launch event on Monday, from 4-6 p.m., in its showroom, Bldg. B, #502.

The new rug line from Dacoda, known for her work on TLC’s While You Were Out and HGTV’s Get It Together, includes a broad range of fresh styles and constructions combining details of cut-loop construction and art silk accents.

LAS VEGAS–Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Kas will have a Las Vegas Market party in its showroom, Bldg. B 570, on Monday, Jan. 30, from 5-7 p.m.

Besides offering cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music, the company will also giveaway a Kindle Fire tablet and an Amazon.com gift card.

ATLANTA–Rosanne Kozerski Brown has been appointed to the AmericasMart Gift & Home Furnishings Advisory Board.

Brown is the co-owner of Venice Stationers in Venice, Fla. and comes highly endorsed and credentialed as a most innovative and successful independent retailer, according to a statement from AmericasMart. She is also a member of the Gift Home Trade Association and has presented at multiple gift shows as well as the annual GHTA conference.

By Andrea Lillo

Inspired by belly buttons and baby bottoms, Eva Zeisel, who passed away in December at the age of 105, left her iconic mark on the home furnishings industry.

DALLAS–Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team (ART) held their 23rd annual ARTS Awards gala event on Saturday evening, which was attended by approximately 650 people. Held for the first time at the Hilton Anatole hotel, the ceremony recognized ARTS Awards recipients in 26 different categories, as well as honored Allan Palecek, founder, CEO and lead designer of Palecek, who received the Academy of Achievement Award for his significant impact on the home décor and decorative accessories industry.

LAS VEGAS–World Market Center Las Vegas will present a large lineup of complimentary educational seminars during the upcoming Winter Market, Jan. 30-Feb. 3.

ATLANTA–The annual America’s Magnificent Carpet Awards took place at the Georgia Aquarium Friday night, during the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. Manufacturers previously submitted rug designs in several existing categories — handmade, handknotted and power loomed — as well as two new ones, indoor/outdoor and licensee, and the results were announced at the ceremony. Chas Sydney, who retired last summer after 31 years with AmericasMart, came back to help host the event with television journalist Lynne Russell.

ATLANTA – A new vibe infused AmericasMart yesterday, as a more optimistic rug industry gathered to see the latest designs at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, which runs through Sunday. Companies also debuted new showrooms, and a slew of parties took place last night to celebrate the start of another year.

DALTON, Ga.–Karastan has introduced an iPad application enabling consumers to take the company’s full catalog with them to match styles, colors, textures and patterns as they shop.

Called Karastan on the Go, the app gives shoppers access to both of Karastan’s carpet and rug catalogs, and allows them to zoom in on images to discern colors and patterns, and save their favorites for easy referral. It also has a dealer locator that uses the iPad’s location and matches it to a local Karastan dealer.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Fourteen vendors will participate in Accessories Resource Team’s ART card program during the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, which starts today. In addition, ART will also host an event during the Market, on Saturday, Jan. 14.

DALTON, Ga.–Shaw Living will host a party on the opening day of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, which runs Jan. 12-15. On Thursday, Jan. 12, Shaw will offer cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres from 5 to 7 p.m. in its Merchandise Mart showroom, 6-A-2.

In addition, it will give away cupcakes on Friday, Jan. 13, and Saturday, Jan. 14, in its showroom, beginning at 2 p.m.

ATLANTA, Ga.–At the Atlanta International Area Rug Market later this week, Jaipur will give away one of its Raymond Waites rugs — Animal Instinct — to an attendee. The winner will be announced at the company’s Global Inspirations luncheon and cocktail event on Friday, Jan. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. in its showroom, 3-C-15. To enter, market visitors should RSVP to rsvp@jaipurrugs.com and be present at the event.

ATLANTA–In an effort to help boost the U.S. economy and introduce retailers to companies whose products are American-made, AmericasMart will unveil a Made In America category during The Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market and the Atlanta International Rug Market this week.

LAS VEGAS–World Market Center Las Vegas has named Jamie Drake its 2012 Design Icon.

The award, which recognizes an interior or furniture designer who has made a significant contribution to the industry, will be presented at the upcoming Winter 2012 Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30-Feb. 3.

MINEOLA, N.Y.–Linon Home Decor Products’ rug division will debut three collections at next week’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market. In addition, it will focus on its new quick ship program and its new paperless catalog for 2012.

By Andrea Lillo
Rug manufacturers and importers bring their latest and greatest to AmericasMart this month at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, debuting numerous new collections, colors and price points, as well as a few new showrooms.

But for 2012, the focus for the rug industry—as with other home furnishings categories—will be to continue to adjust to consumers’ new way of thinking—spending less money.

In honor of its 85th anniversary, Couristan will be giving away two trips this month—one at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market and the other at Surfaces. Each winner will receive a four-day/three-night trip for two to his or her choice of the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Orian Rugs will more than double its space at AmericasMart this month, debuting a 6,500-square-foot showroom in 6-F-1 in Building 1, for the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. Its former showroom was 3,000 square feet.

ATLANTA—AmericasMart will present numerous seminars and celebrity design demonstrations during the International Gift and Home Furnishings Market Jan. 11-18 and the International Area Rug Market Jan. 12-15.

DALLAS–Swarovski Elements will sponsor the 23rd annual ARTS Awards gala, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market at the Dallas Market Center.
 
“Swarovski Elements is the ideal partner for the ARTS Awards gala and we are honored to work with them on this special evening,” said Cindy Morris, chief operating officer, Dallas Market Center. “Their beautiful crystal work will add a new level of elegance to the event. We thank them for their collaboration and commitment to the industry.”
 

ATLANTA–AmericasMart is preparing for the International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and the International Area Rug Market next month with more than 25,000 square feet of new exhibitors and more than 100,000 square feet of expanded and relocated showrooms, the company said.

LAS VEGAS–Pantone has teamed up with the Las Vegas Design Center at the World Market Center (LVDC) on a display marking Pantone’s color of the year for 2012, tangerine tango.

The display was unveiled at the LVDC’s annual holiday gala celebration on Dec. 19. It marked the first time any design center has partnered with Pantone on a color-of-the-year display at such a large-scale event, according to an LVDC statement.

LAS VEGAS–Rug and home accessory designer Liora Manné will open a year-round showroom in conjunction with Trans-Ocean next month in the Las Vegas Design Center. The new 1,814 square-foot-showroom in the center’s Building A, Suite A-214 will showcase the Liora Manné lifestyle brand, including Lamontage rugs, fabrics and home accessories.

ATLANTA–Orian Rugs will more than double its space at AmericasMart next month, debuting a 6,500-square-foot showroom in 6-F-1 in Building 1 for the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, Jan. 12-15. Its former showroom was 3,000 square feet.

It will celebrate the new space with a ribbon-cutting party on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 5-6 p.m.

DALTON, Ga.–Millennium Weavers, a new rug company that will debut at next month’s Atlanta International Rug Market, has partnered up with LR Resources for area rug distribution. Showing in LR Resources’ showroom, in AmericasMart’s Building 1, space 4F3, Millennium Weavers will debut six collections at the show, as well as a new manufacturing technology.

“We’re excited about this alliance and look forward to great things in 2012 with one of our industry’s leading companies,” said Jeff Knott, president and CEO, Millennium Weavers.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.–The Accessories Resource Team (ART), the decorative accessory industry association, has elected a new board of directors and approved a by-law change that created an expanded executive committee last month.

DALTON, Ga.–Mohawk’s retailer convention ended on a high note Saturday with a surprise appearance from war hero and recently crowned Dancing with the Stars champion J.R. Martinez, who unveiled a partnership between the company and Operation Finally Home, a non-profit organization providing custom-made, mortgage-free homes for America’s war wounded.

Mohawk will donate flooring for all 16 of the houses Operation Finally Home will build in 2012.

ATLANTA–Long-time AmericasMart resident Oriental Weavers will debut a remodeled showroom next month, in time for the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market, which includes the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, featuring the National Oriental Rug Show.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its coverage of the shows in January including the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, the Atlanta International Area Rug Market and the Dallas International Lighting Market.

LAS VEGAS–Gift+Home is planning a full line-up of events, entertainment and hospitality for the Winter 2012 Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30 – Feb. 3, 2012.

Among the amenities will be a Food Truck Festival on Jan. 30, featuring everything from meatballs and sliders to vegetarian fare; a Boogie Nights celebration of disco in the courtyard on Jan. 31; and food and wine tasting, high tea and other eating opportunities throughout the show.

As usual, next year’s six-month trade show calendar starts with a bang with a plethora of January events. Trade shows from Hong Kong to High Point, N.C., beckon members of the home furnishings industry through June. Here’s a partial list of trade show happenings. See the full calendar of events at hfnmag.com.

Greatly enlarged and completely renovated, the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia reopened last month at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art after eight and a half years. In 19,000 square feet of space, the galleries — organized by history and geography — showcase pieces from the museum’s collection of 12,000 works of art, such as carpets and textiles, pottery, calligraphy, painting and architectural elements.

By Andrea Lillo

While many companies have been pulling back this year, keeping expenses down and weathering the economic storm, Millennium Weavers LLC is a startup that has been quickly ramping up for more than a year now, and will officially launch to the industry next month at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market.

Speaking about the economy, “it’s not all gloom and doom,” said Jeff Knott, president and CEO, and there are opportunities out there. “We’re excited at the reception we’ve received so far.”

LAS VEGAS–At the upcoming Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30-Feb. 3, 2012, Gift+Home will offer attendees complimentary educational seminars, which include such topics as home furnishings trends, social media, implementing customer loyalty programs and more.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Nourison has named Denise Waters account executive for its East Texas and Louisiana territory, responsible for managing and developing business within the area, which includes a product line of more than 60 active area rug collections, broadloom and runner lines — including the newer Nourtex brand — and the Mina Victory line of decorative accessories.

A sales professional with a design background and industry experience in outside sales, Waters was most recently an independent agent and previously held sales positions at Masland Carpet.

LAS VEGAS–Las Vegas Market has launched a new series of webinars designed to assist tenants and exhibitors in planning for the upcoming Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30-Feb. 3, 2012, as well as educational sessions for growing their business. They will take place through November and December, with the first one taking place this coming Monday.

FORT LEE, N.J.–Couristan has debuted a new sales and marketing tool for its dealers to communicate the breath of its rug collections in several lifestyle trends. Called Pulse, the area rug program includes a library of glossy four-color brochures that focus on popular lifestyle trends and is housed in a sturdy three-ring binder.

There was a renewed spirit at the recent High Point Market, as rug manufacturers felt attendees had a more positive outlook. And there were plenty of introductions from which to choose, as vendors continued with such themes as eco-friendly materials, American-made products and bold color. Designer licenses also remain important, as do added details such as hand carving. Here are only a few examples of what was seen.—Andrea Lillo

Rizzy Home

Jaunty will relocate its showroom to the fifth floor of AmericasMart’s Building 1 come January for the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. While its former showroom in the lobby was open daily, the new showroom will only be open during the markets, said Kami Navid, executive vice president of sales, Jaunty. “It’s in a good spot,” he added, in spaces 5F1 and 5F3. “It’s larger than what we had before.”

The move was spurred by the fact that the lobby of AmericasMart’s Building 1 is under renovation, which will be completed by the January market.

Working with the Fashion Institute of Technology, high-end rug gallery and manufacturer Warp & Weft  sponsored Contemporary Creations: A Rug Design Competition for the 24 students in the college’s Custom Rug and Carpet Design course, for upper-division Textile/Surface Design Program students. The students were tasked with creating a contemporary design with complete freedom in expressing their ideas on color and pattern.

Loloi Rugs has appointed Austin Craley to the new position of vice president of sales, where he will manage the company’s sales team. Reporting directly to Amir and Steven Loloi, founder/president and principal, respectively, Craley will be based in New Jersey.

With more than 26 years of experience in the rug industry, Craley was most recently vice president of sales at Momeni Rugs, where he was for 10 years. Prior to that, he held the same position at Kas Rugs, and has also been a buyer for handmade and machine-made rugs at Macy’s.

NEW YORK–The winners of Warp & Weft’s first rug design competition for Fashion Institute of Technology students were announced at a morning ceremony this past Friday, at Warp & Weft’s Madison Avenue location here.

DALTON, Ga.–For the third straight year, Newsweek magazine has placed Mohawk Industries in its annual ranking of the 500 “greenest” U.S. companies.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–The fall High Point Market opens today with a plethora of events and trend-setting introductions.

Notable debuts include the Martha Stewart Fine Furniture collection from ML Brands International, formed by upholstery maker Miles Talbot and case goods supplier Lefa. The Libby Langdon Upholstery Collection for Braxton Culler makes its world premier at the Market. Lexington Home Brands will feature Sligh furniture after acquiring the 131-year-old company earlier this month.

DALLAS-Hors d’oeuvres, belly dancers and complimentary palm readings will be on the agenda at Feizy this Sunday, Oct. 23, as the company will host its High Point Market party. It will be held from 4 - 6 p.m. in the company’s showroom, located at 145 Market Square.

In addition, the company will hold a daily drawing for a free 5-by-8 rug of one’s choice from the company’s running Saphir collections. Attendees are invited to enter.

DALLAS–Loloi Rugs has appointed Austin Craley to the new position of vice president of sales, where he will manage the company’s sales team. Reporting directly to Amir and Steven Loloi, founder/president and principal, respectively, Craley will be based in New Jersey.

With more than 26 years of experience in the rug industry, Craley was most recently vice president of sales at Momeni Rugs, where he was for 10 years. Prior to that, he held the same position at Kas Rugs, and has also been a buyer for handmade and machine-made rugs at Macy’s.

DALLAS–John Whorton has joined Feizy Rugs as regional sales manager for Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico. Reporting to Dale Sweary, Feizy’s vice president of sales, Whorton succeeds Bethanye Nicholson, who is taking a different position within the company.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh has named Jenn Notaro to the new position of executive account manager, reporting to Arash Yaraghi, principal, Safavieh. She will focus on sales to national catalog accounts, as well as liaise between key retail customers and Safavieh’s licensing partners.

SUGAR VALLEY, Ga.–Mohawk Home has added YouTube.com to its online outreach program to consumers with “Our Home: Unscripted,” a group of videos focusing on three families and how Mohawk rugs fit into their homes and lifestyles. The company will add more videos in the future, focusing on such subjects as why to buy a rug pad, what’s the right-sized rug to buy and more.

SADDLEBROOK, N.J.–Nourison Industries will celebrate its new showroom at High Point Market with a grand opening event this Sunday, Oct. 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Located in the International Home Furnishings Center, InterHall IH101, the showroom is 5,000 square feet. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served.
 
The company also has permanent showrooms in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Zurich, along with its world headquarters here.

NATICK, Mass.–Dover Rug & Home has been selected to supply rugs and carpets to the Frederick Law Olmsted Museum, a National Historic site in Brookline, Mass.

CALHOUN, Ga.–Surya wraps up its 35th anniversary year celebration with a party in its Showplace showroom at the upcoming High Point Market. Located in Showplace #3233, Surya’s “Southern Hospitality” inspired gala will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, and will feature a live DJ, open bar and catered food from Southern Roots restaurant.

ANDERSON, S.C.–Orian Rugs has appointed Brandon Culpepper vice president of sales and business development, a new position. Reporting to Wim De Pape, chief operating officer, Culpepper will be responsible for building Orian’s account base and growing its existing business.

“Brandon will thrive in this new position,” said De Pape. “His industry knowledge, relationships and expertise will play a vital role in the future growth and development of our company.”

CALHOUN, GA.–Surya hit a milestone yesterday on Facebook, as it reached 25,000 fans. Located at facebook.com/suryasocial, the page allows the company to showcase new designs, share information and more, while people can post compliments and ask questions about the product. 

ATLANTA-Business to Business magazine has named Surya President Satya Tiwari a 2011 Top 25 Entrepreneur.

The publication recognizes top entrepreneurs in Atlanta annually, and Tiwari will be honored along with the other 2011 award recipients at a ceremony on Nov. 3 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Tiwari will also be profiled in a special section of the magazine’s November/December issue.

This year’s edition of Maison & Objet, held in Paris last month, was bursting with color—single colors especially. As reported by WGSN-HomeBuildlife, the online trend forecasting and product design resource.

Lime

• Zesty lime, apple and chartreuse tones were seen across each product category.
• The color is used as a solid section on product design, upholstered furniture, ceramics and decorative accessories.

Yellow

Oriental Weavers will unveil its new showroom at High Point Market, located in the International Home Furnishings Center in space G361. The new space is 3,700 square feet, bigger than its former space in Showplace, which was about 2,700 square feet.

The company wanted to move to the IHFC because “most of our customers shop in that building, and this makes it easier for them,” said Aaron Gray, director of marketing.

At the recently completed New York Home Fashions Market, Dynamic Rugs showed its new viscose Treasure collection, which features double point and drop stitch, said Matthew Rohanian, president. “It focuses on today’s colors and contemporary/transitional looks.” It was based on the heat set polypropylene construction of Eclipse and Mystero—two of Dynamic’s best selling lines—but uses viscose instead. The line currently has 14 designs. The collection is made in Turkey; a 5-by-8 will retail for $349. 

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Now in its eighth year, the Carpet One Welcomes Your Support campaign launches a new group of 12 new welcome mat designs, with 25 percent of sales to be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in U.S. and  the Canadian Cancer Society in Canada. Each design incorporates a pink ribbon motif.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–The High Point Market has recruited home fashion trendsetters to showcase their favorite products and top trends at the October show. Bloggers and/or interior designers called Style Spotters will post and curate their favorite looks on Pinterest, a website that lets users organize and share photos on virtual pinboards.

NEW YORK-Nourison unveiled its new Joseph Abboud collection to the New York market this week, with a party in its new showroom at 295 Fifth Avenue. Executives from both companies — including Joseph Abboud’s Creative Director Bernardo Rojo and Nourison Principal Alex Peykar — were on hand to celebrate the launch.

CULVER, CITY, Calif.–In time for the upcoming High Point Market, The Rug Market America has launched its latest full product catalog. With more than 150 pages, the catalog includes images of more than 500 patterns from eight collection types, and is in association with The Rug Market America’s 26th anniversary year.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–The High Point Market is sponsoring Six Causes That Matter, a complement to the Market’s tagline, “The Next Six Days That Matter.” Each day of Market, which runs Oct. 22-27, a charity will be spotlighted at the show, offering an opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to make a donation to that day’s charity. Promotion of the charities will include signage, lapel pins, social media, press alerts and more. Exhibitors who participate will receive showroom signs to highlight their participation in that day’s cause during Market.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Nourison has appointed David John Appelt to the new position of regional sales manager for the Southeast territory, covering North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas. He is based in Mobile, Ala.

This week’s New York Home Fashions Market saw the unveiling of many new collections from rug exhibitors as well as showrooms. Here is a sampling of what was seen this week:

DALTON, Ga.-Oriental Weavers will unveil its new showroom at High Point Market next month. Located in the International Home Furnishings Center, the showroom is located in space G361, straddling the Green and Wrenn wings. The new space is 3,700 square feet, bigger than its former space in Showplace, which was about 2,700 square feet.

The company wanted to move to the IHFC because “most of our customers shop in that building, and this makes it easier for them,” said Aaron Gray, director of marketing.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.–The Accessories Resource Team, the decorative accessory industry trade association, will hold its 20th annual conference in New Orleans next year, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Scheduled for May 17 to 20, 2012, the conference will be co-chaired by Susan Andrulis, IMAX Corp., and Cody Hutcheson, CODARUS.

ATLANTA–Kevin Malkiewicz has been named vice president of AmericasMart area rug leasing and sales, responsible for all area rug category management, according to Jeffrey Portman, Sr., president and COO of AmericasMart Atlanta and its AMC parent entity. Malkiewicz has been with the company for 12 years, most recently serving as executive director of area rug leasing, trade shows and buyer relations.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–Beginning next month, The New York International Gift Fair will offer series of “market readiness” webinars to exhibitors participating in the winter 2012 edition of the New York International Gift Fair.

Produced jointly by NYIGF and Right Angle Strategies, a business strategy and coaching consultancy, the series includes four pre-show webinars, one post-show webinar, and free, 15-minute business consultations during NYIGF.

HIGH POINT, N.C.—The Accessories Resource Team will host its High Point bowling event next month during market, and which is sponsored by the International Home Furnishings Center.

To be held on Monday, Oct. 24, at the High Point Bowling Center, the event begins at 7 p.m. with dinner followed by bowling at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $40 per person in advance and $50 at the door. Visit accessoriesresourceteam.org for the reservation form or call 704-376-4278.

The address for the High Point Bowling Center is 309 West Fairfield Road, off South Main Street.

NEW YORK–Kaleen will open a permanent, 1,800-square-foot showroom at 7 W New York, in suite #820. To celebrate the event, the company will have a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, Sept. 19, at 4:30 p.m., during the New York Home Fashions Market. 

NEW YORK–The third annual Fashion’s Night Out takes place tonight to celebrate and support the fashion and retail industries.

While New York City is the center of the action, the event is spread across the globe in a number of cites, including Atlanta, Milan and Hollywood, Calif. Participating retailers will host parties and performances tonight for the event, which runs from 6-11 p.m. Event and retailer listings can be found at http://fashionsnightout.com.

NEW YORK–ABC Carpet & Home has launched Reveal, a website dedicated to ABC’s “online voice, celebrating our vision, mission and community,” the company said. The new site can be found at http://reveal.abchome.com/.
 

NEW YORK–HFN is collecting new product information and high-resolution images for its editorial show coverage of both the High Point and New York tabletop markets in October.

Please send materials by Friday, Sept. 9, for possible inclusion. For furniture, email Duke Ratliff, dratliff@hfnmag.com; for lighting, area rugs and home decor, email Andrea Lillo, alillo@hfnmag.com; for mattresses, contact Dave Gill, dgill@hfnmag.com; and for tabletop, email Allison Zisko, azisko@hfnmag.com.

NEW YORK—Homes will be smaller and furniture will have multiple purposes in the year 2020, according to a report issued by the International Furnishings and Design Association.

Titled “20/20: IFDA’s Vision for the Future,” the report is the result of a survey of nearly 2,000 IFDA members across the nation and abroad. Among the predictions for 2020 are:

•Americans will be living in smaller spaces and fewer rooms.
 
•Modular, moveable and smaller-scaled furniture will take the place of built-ins and larger pieces.

 Jovi Home will base its introductions at the New York Home Fashions Market on themes, setting the scene with five stories: Timeless Spirit, Seascape, Cinematic, Urban Romance and Soul.

“Our new line is a fresh update to our collection of classic and contemporary designs for the home,” said Asmita Paliwal, director of Jovi Home, which has a showroom at 7 West 34th Street, in suite #707. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we are excited to continue to expand our Comfort, Luxury and Prestige collections for our customers.”

Regence Home, the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Riviera Home, comes to the New York Home Fashions Market this month with expanded offerings in its area rug category as well as new accent and bath rug lines. Its showroom is at 7 West 34 Street, in suite 615.

Feizy continues its summer market momentum this month as it adds more constructions and designs to its line at the New York Home Fashions Market.

“At New York, we focus on design-driven products that are very value-oriented,” said Leah Feizy, assistant to the chief executive officer, Feizy. “The products we offer to our New York customers are not a part of our running line programs, so the design work and product development are really tailored to the specific clients we see there.”

Besides the New York Home Fashions Market, two other rug markets take place this month in New York: Metro Market Week and the New York International Carpet Show.

By Andrea Lillo

Regardless of how the weather is doing, the color forecast in the rug category remains bright, as manufacturers brought a rainbow of hues to the Atlanta International Area Rug Market in July and the Las Vegas Market in August.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh has promoted Yervant Varjabedian to director of international sales, a new position. 

A fourth-generation rug industry veteran, Varjabedian has been with Safavieh for 12 years, serving in various sales management capacities. He will continue to oversee key, long-standing national accounts.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–Increases in both attendance and exhibitors made last week’s New York International Gift Fair the largest since summer 2008, according to GLM, the show’s owner and manager.

Attendance rose 5 percent over the numbers who visited the 2010 summer Gift Fair, to almost 35,000. More than 2,800 companies exhibited at NYIGF, up 110 over this year’s winter Gift Fair. The show ran from Aug. 13-18 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and at Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 and 94 in New York City.

DALTON, Ga.–Sphinx by Oriental Weavers will exhibit for the first time at next month’s Chicago International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market, Sept. 12-15, in suite # 8-2034 at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. Sphinx will be feature such indoor/outdoor collections as Montego and Caspian, as well as the U.S.-made, space-dyed nylon collections Milano, Palermo and Salerno.

ATLANTA–Surya, a leading manufacturer of area rugs and home accessories, has been named to Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500/5,000 list, one of the few firms in its industry to make the list of America’s fastest-growing, privately held companies. The company came in at #3,446, and the magazine reported Surya as having 52 percent growth for the past three years and 2010 revenue of $35.6 million.

Even with the recession, Surya has experienced double-digit expansion annually from 2004 through 2011, said Satya Tiwari, Surya’s CEO, and he expects that trend to continue.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.-Joseph Abboud has become Nourison’s newest licensed collection.

The rug company has signed an exclusive brand licensing agreement with the menswear design house, a division of JA Apparel Corp. Nourison will unveil the initial group of five collections at October’s High Point Market. The program will include powerloom woven and handmade rugs in a full range of sizes and styles.

NEW YORK-Color and trend connoisseur Doty Horn has launched a new color marketing firm called ColorVoyant.

Horn, who most recently served as the director of color and design for Benjamin Moore, has developed a 2013 color forecast titled Fusion, which she previewed this month at PrintSource.

Fusion fuses together emerging trends and common threads from the worlds of art, fashion and pop culture. ColorVoyant offers four supporting themes for 2013, including what she terms “cooperative,” “modern primitive,” “mutant” and “eruption.”

LAS VEGAS–The recent Las Vegas Market saw a surge in buyer attendance — both domestic and international — as well as almost 200 new companies exhibiting there for the first time, joining 1,300-plus exhibitors, according to International Market Center, which organizes the show. 

In addition, the market’s Gift+Home show continued its trend of success with a 35 percent increase in attending gift buyers, 27 new and expanded permanent showrooms, and 75 new-to-market exhibitors for Gift+Home temporaries.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Next month Nourison will open a new permanent showroom in High Point on the first level of InterHall, in the International Home Furnishings Center building. Located at space IH 101, the 5,000-square-foot showroom will open in the last week of September to coincide with pre-market at High Point Market.

The company last had a permanent showroom at High Point about five years ago, and then showed in the InterHall temporaries during this past April market.

CALHOUN, Ga.–Income-tax expenses and an increase in cost of goods sold spoiled what otherwise was a decent quarter for Mohawk Industries.
 
The floor-covering manufacturer posted a 10.5 percent decline in net income for its second quarter, which ended on July 2 and which brought the bottom line to $60.9 million. The company reported income-tax expense of $13.5 million, compared to a non-recurring income-tax benefit of $18.8 million in last year’s second quarter. In addition, gross margin fell 90 basis points to 25.9 percent.

HIGH POINT, N.C.-The High Point Market Authority board of directors has appointed trade show executive Tom Conley president and CEO, effective Aug. 15.

Conley replaces Brian Casey, who left the Market Authority in the spring.

CARLSTADT, N.J.–Momeni has promoted three executives to its sales management team. 

Stephen Hoberman has been promoted from national accounts manager to national sales manager, where his key responsibilities will be to manage and expand Momeni’s national sales organization into new and existing avenues of business. Hoberman has been with Momeni for two years, prior to which he held executive positions at both Kane Carpet and Trans-Ocean Imports. He will report to Ali Momeni, senior vice president.

By Andrea Lillo

Value, color and texture will be key concepts at this month’s Las Vegas Market, as manufacturers look to give both retailers and, ultimately, consumers, the right look at the right price.

At the same time, products ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ seem to be on the rise. Meanwhile, several rug exhibitors will debut new showrooms at market.

DALLAS–Dale Sweary has joined Feizy Rugs as vice president of sales, responsible for coordinating the efforts of and overseeing the growth of Feizy’s national account base.

 Sweary succeeds Cameron Feizy, who was named senior vice president. Sweary reports to Cameron Feizy.

Sweary began his career in the industry with Shaw in 1989 and has a strong retail background as well, according to the company. He later served as regional manager and group director for Shaw

ATLANTA–AmericasMart said a large and growing national and international buyer base, new and newly expanded product collections and consistent order writing marked the July 2011 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, which closed its eight-day run July 20.

CALHOUN, Ga.–Mohawk Industries has released its second annual sustainability report, detailing the company’s efforts to promote sustainable business practices throughout the world.

ATLANTA–After more than three decades leading the AmericasMart Atlanta area rug franchise and its predecessors, Chas Sydney has retired as senior vice president of AMC, AmericasMart Atlanta’s parent entity. This coincides with the conclusion of the most recent Atlanta International Area Rug Market and Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.

Kevin Malkiewicz, AMC’s newest vice president, assumes all area rug center leasing and management responsibilities with Sydney’s departure.

LAS VEGAS–World Market Center Las Vegas has agreed to continue its program to provide complimentary retailer memberships to the Gift & Home Trade Association for new gift buyers who attend the upcoming summer Gift+Home at Las Vegas Market.

DALTON, Ga.–Shaw Living will debut its new showroom at World Market Center during Las Vegas Market next month. The showroom is located in Building B, suite 559.

In addition, on Monday, Aug. 1, and Tuesday, Aug. 2, Shaw will have a Cupcake Delight in the new showroom starting at 2 p.m. The company will showcase its top brands at market, including HGTV Home, Kathy Ireland Home, Tommy Bahama Home, Angela Adams and Bob Timberlake.

ATLANTA–The Atlanta International Area Rug Market finished up yesterday at AmericasMart, where exhibitors debuted collections as well as product categories. Among the themes were color and texture, which continue to perform well with consumers.

TROY, N.C.–Capel Rugs has named Cara Hancox account executive for Quebec, Ottowa and Eastern Ontario. She also represents Barrymore Furniture in these markets. As the company’s Canadian sales representative, Hancox will head sales to dealers and designers in these territories.

Hancox will be based in Ottawa and report directly to Allen Robertson, Capel’s vice president of sales.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh has named industry veteran John Vlahopoulos to the position of senior sales executive. This comes as part of the company’s restructuring and planned expansion of its sales force to target independent rug retailers and trade showrooms in major markets nationwide.

Target generally devotes an aisle and a half to area and accent rugs and door mats.

While Nourison has offered custom rug sizes as well as a custom Axminster woven program before, Color Couture is the company’s first custom design program for area rugs only, and will be shown at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market.

By Andrea Lillo

Known for offering high-end collections with such renowned designers as Alexander McQueen, David Rockwell and Diane von Furstenberg, The Rug Company looks to become accessible to more consumers, with plans for a new e-commerce site and a lower-priced line later this year. In addition, it continues to open showrooms, with a location on New York City’s Upper East Side next on its list, which will be its 18th worldwide. 

LAS VEGAS–President Bill Clinton’s keynote speech for the Las Vegas Market has been rescheduled to Aug. 2 at 6:45 p.m.

The address, which will include a question-and-answer session, was originally scheduled for Aug. 1. The former president will speak on the challenges of globalization and the nation’s growing economic interdependence, along with looking ahead to a future of shared goals and values.

A reception will follow Clinton’s address and question-and-answer session.

CULVER CITY, Calif.–Now celebrating its 26th year in business, The Rug Market America recently opened its expanded corporate headquarters and showroom here, which tripled in size and totals 11,000 square feet. More than 200 buyers and representatives of The Rug Market gathered at the new facility recently to celebrate the opening and its anniversary.

DALLAS–Loloi Rugs’ customers can now take advantage of financial rebates when they place orders on the company’s relaunched website as part of its new B2B rebate program. With no minimum orders, the new program is accessible on the site’s new home page, which includes lifestyle rug images and easy-to-click boxes to explore the company’s traditional, transitional, contemporary and indoor/outdoor rug offerings.

ATLANTA–Living. Outdoor/Indoor.The Gardens continues to refine and broaden the spectrum of casual living product innovations and resources this month when AmericasMart Atlanta hosts the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market July 13 – 20 (with Temporaries taking place Friday, July 15 - Tuesday, July 19) and The Atlanta International Area Rug Market July 14 -17, 2011.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.–The Accessories Resource Team (ART) will soft launch a new market-driven discount program at the upcoming Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, July 13 to 20. Retailers who are members of ART will be given an identification card that can be used at participating vendors during market to receive special, exclusive discounts. Each participating vendor decides what specials will be offered and ART retailers will be provided with a detailed list for each market.

NORCROSS, Ga.–Bob Lakenan has been named to the dual positions of vice president of sales and national accounts manager for Amer Rugs and its parent company, Saraswati of India. He will oversee the development and supervision of Amer’s regional sales managers and the expansion of Amer’s national account customer base, the expansion of the direct-from-India segment of the business and development of popular-priced products from around the world. Reporting to Monika Gupta, chief operating officer, Lakenan succeeds Galen Levesque.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–With more than 20 years of marketing and advertising experience, Thomas Itty has been named marketing director at Nourison Industries. He will be responsible for all marketing and promotional efforts at the company, including consumer and trade events, public relations, advertising, web and social media, and will oversee the in-house marketing department. Itty reports to Alex Peykar, principal at Nourison.
 

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its coverage of the Las Vegas Market in August. Exhibitors at the show are invited to submit information and high-resolution images of debuting products for possible inclusion. Submissions for furniture should be sent to Duke Ratliff (dratliff@hfnmag.com); for lighting, floor covering and home decor products, Andrea Lillo (alillo@hfnmag.com); and for mattresses, Dave Gill (dgill@hfnmag.com).

NEW YORK–An exclusive line of GoodWeave rugs has launched at 10 Macy’s stores in New York and New Jersey, all with the GoodWeave label, which certifies that the rugs were not made with child labor. In addition, Macy’s Herald Square location will host a photo exhibit on the eighth floor entitled Faces of Freedom from June 28 through July 22 to celebrate the new line as well as give consumers a closer look at GoodWeave’s meaningful work and the craft of rug making.

NEW YORK–Liora Manné has relaunched her website at lioramanne.com to make it easier for visitors to view her collection of Lamontage rugs, pillows and other products, as well explore her custom capabilities and other areas. There is also a Design with Liora monthly contest, where consumers are invited to submit pictures of how they used their Liora Manné products in their homes for a chance to win a Liora Manné gift card.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its editorial coverage of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, July 14 to 17.
Area rug exhibitors are invited to submit information and high-resolution images of debuting products for possible inclusion. Submissions can be sent to Andrea Lillo (alillo@hfnmag.com).  The deadline for materials is Monday, June 13.

NATICK, MA.–James Swan, the interior designer and author of the book “101 Things I Hate About Your House,” will have a book signing at the Natick location of Dover Rug & Home on Wednesday, June 22. It will be the first book signing of Swan’s book in New England, and will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Swan will give a short presentation, followed by the signing. Refreshments will be served.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its editorial coverage of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, July 14 to 17.

Area rug exhibitors are invited to submit information and high-resolution images of debuting products for possible inclusion. Submissions can be sent to Andrea Lillo (alillo@hfnmag.com). 

The deadline for materials is Monday, June 13.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Kevin Yaraghi has been named credit manager for wholesale operations at Safavieh, responsible for all credit department functions and staff. He first joined the company after he graduated from college a year ago, and had been assigned to several retail division positions as well as focused on developing the company’s recently launched retail website.

DALLAS-Mitzi Thomasson has joined Feizy as vice president of design and product development, reporting to John Feizy, owner and CEO. Succeeding Steve Sorrow, Thomasson is responsible for all design direction, trend forecasting, product design, communication with manufacturers, and complete development of product from inception to delivered stock. She has moved to Dallas for the position.

Before joining Feizy, she was the director of design and product development for Savoy House Lighting.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.–Aid to Artisans, an international non-profit organization, has appointed Alfredo Espinosa as president. Beginning his position today, he succeeds David O’Connor, who was president from 2005 to 2010.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–The At Home section of the New York International Gift Fair will feature new suppliers along with returning exhibitors at this summer’s show.

More is in store for FLOR. The modular floorcovering company just opened its two newest locations — in New York and Atlanta — and plans to open more by year’s end. The New York store is located in the SoHo neighborhood, while the Atlanta store is in its Westside area.

Color

CALHOUN, Ga.–Surya has appointed Kurt Von De Bur vice president of national accounts.

Von De Bur has assumed responsibility for the development and growth of existing national accounts, and with formulating new business relationships. He is part of Surya’s newly formed national accounts division, which is headed by Paul Sullivan, senior vice president of national accounts.

Before joining Surya, Von De Bur was vice president of sales for Orian Rugs, and before that was Eastern regional manager for United Weavers.

CALHOUN, Ga.—Strong cost controls elevated Mohawk Industries to a 14 percent gain in net income in its first quarter, to $23.4 million.

The floor-covering manufacturer accomplished this in spite of a flat performance in net sales, which totaled $1.3 billion in the quarter, which ended on April 2. Jeffrey Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s chairman and CEO, credited the company for “continuing to drive cost reductions, manufacturing improvements and efficiency gains throughout the enterprise.”

BASSETT, Va.-­Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., announced today the completion of the sale of its interest in the International Home Furnishing Center in High Point, N.C.

Bassett sold the market showroom building for $275 million, plus the assumption of debt of $100 million to the acquirer, a newly formed company International Market Centers, which was identified in a press release as the owners of the World Market Center buildings in Las Vegas, plus the recently purchased Market Square Complex in High Point.

DALTON, Ga.–Valerie Hegwood has been appointed to the newly created position of national furniture chain manager at Shaw Living. Based in Ringgold, Ga., she will be responsible for developing rug programs for major furniture chains throughout the United States.

With extensive experience in rug sales as well as commercial design development, Hegwood began her career at Shaw as a territory manager in the Shaw Contract division in Atlanta in 2003. She has been a Shaw Living rug specialist for Georgia and Tennessee since 2006.

STEVENS, Pa.–While a key indicator of luxury spending has gained ground in the second quarter, spending on luxury products has continued to lag since the beginning of this year, according to the latest luxury consumption index survey from Unity Marketing.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–Capel Rugs awarded giveaway prizes to four customers during the recent High Point Market, including an Amazon Kindle e-reader, an Apple iPad and two Capel Rugs braided baskets.

The Amazon Kindle e-reader was awarded to Katie Grubbs of Classiques in Winston-Salem, N.C.. Michelle Mosley of Pine Tree Barn in Wooster, Ohio, received the Apple iPad. The Capel Rugs braided baskets were given to Mercedes Lopez of One Of A Kind Design in Dania, Fla., and Dawn Heinen of Thoroughbred’s in Somerset, Ky.

CALHOUN, Ga.–In June, Kas Rugs will open a 110,000-square-foot facility here, which will become the company’s main operations and warehousing space. The company currently ships out of its facility in Somerset, N.J., which will remain the company’s headquarters.

NEW YORK–Hearst Magazines and HGTV are partnering to test a new magazine this fall, called HGTV Magazine. Sara Peterson, the former editor of Coastal Living, is the editor-in-chief of the new publication, which will cover the themes covered on the home and gardening cable channel, as well as go beyond what is featured on the network.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–The High Point Market opens today, with the newest wave of furniture, lighting, rugs and home decor products unveiled to the industry.

New collections include Lexington Home Brands’ Henry Link Trading Co., a brand that has global influences and uses such materials as specialty veneers, marble, penn shell, embossed leather, aged metal, bamboo, rattan, and exotic skins.

NEW YORK-With plans to open a handful of stores by year’s end, modular floor covering company FLOR officially opens its third U.S. store today, in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan.

By Allison Zisko

Ralph Lauren is on a roll.

As the spring show season begins, Ralph Lauren Home executives are confident they now have all the components needed for an integrated lifestyle presentation, with two distinct brands that do not overlap in price point or design yet share a common viewpoint.

By Andrea Lillo
Back-to-school themes, shaped rugs and memory foam mats for the kitchen and bathroom were some of the hot categories last month at the New York Home Fashions Market. And the Internet—whether the company’s involvement in social media or designs focusing on Internet slang—also had a bigger presence this market.

SPARTANBURG, S.C.-Radici USA has become the newest member of the Oriental Rug Importers Association, ORIA announced. Now that it is under new leadership, ORIA wants to become a more inclusive organization and expand the membership to include all U.S.-based rug flooring companies and wholesalers, it said in a release.

NEW YORK-Gilt Groupe, an online shopping destination, has acquired home decor site Decorati, expanding its footprint in home to include offerings for designers and trade-only manufacturers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Decorati is a destination site for upscale interior design products and services as well as a community for the display of designer portfolios. For consumers, Decorati offers an inspirational library of product images, along with the ability to connect with design professionals and research products from over 650 trade-only manufacturers.

TROY, N.C.–Capel Rugs has named Tami Watras vice president-product and creative director, a new position. Reporting to John Magee, president and chief executive officer, Watras will oversee media messaging and advertising for Capel, as well as the overall creative direction for the company. She will continue to oversee product development and Capel’s import division, which she manages in conjunction with import division general manager John Harrison.

DALLAS–During High Point Market next month, Loloi Rugs will host a party in its International Home Furnishings Center showroom, #D-320, on Sunday, April 3, starting at 4 p.m. The eight-piece band Glow, which has headlined many of Loloi’s trade events throughout the South, will be providing the music for this event.

MINEOLA, N.Y.–At next month’s High Point Market, Linon Home Decor Products will welcome six new collections to its line, which will be shown both in its showroom at 220 S. Elm Street in space 202 and in the Powell Furniture showroom, 200 South Main Street, in space 100. 

NEW YORK–With the New York Home Fashions Market underway, rug manufacturers are debuting new categories and programs for retailers.

NEW YORK–With the start of New York Home Fashions Market, International Textile Manufacturing will host an open house tonight in its new showroom at 230 Fifth Avenue. Beginning at 7 p.m. in suite 511, the party will include cocktails and munchies.

Rizzy Home has started 2011 with the addition of its first rug license—with Waverly—as well as a new showroom in 7 West 34 Street, in suite #733.

The Waverly line initially consists of about 15 to 20 wool-tufted rug designs, another 15 to 20 hooked patterns made of polypropylene and wool and then about a dozen printed nylon rugs, said Mark Ferullo, vice president. The rugs will be produced in India, China and the U.S. The collection targets department and specialty stores, and will be in stock in July.

By Janet Herlihy

Corpus Christi, Texas, is basically a big, small town on the Gulf Coast. Retail-wise, shoppers here are grateful for what they’ve got, and when it comes to mid-tier department stores that consists of a single Kohl’s, J.C. Penney and Sears.

HFN went looking to see how these three national retailers were selling kitchen mats, a category that combines practical comfort with an opportunity for fashion and even a little fun.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh has purchased its first warehouse on the West Coast, a 150,000-square-foot facility in Fontana, Calif., which will provide one million square feet of warehousing space as well as significantly increase the speed of drop shipments to consumers on the West Coast, the company said. 

In January, Safavieh added a distribution center in LaSalle, Ontario, to serve the company’s growing base of retailers in Canada. It also has facilities here as well as in Easton, Penn.

NEW YORK—The 7 W New York showroom building will highlight new tenants and other events during the upcoming New York Home Fashions Market March 14-18.

Manual Woodworkers & Weavers, Blonder Home, Nishat Chunian, Rizzy Home and Kaleen Rugs have all opened new showrooms. Manual Woodworkers is in room 525, Blonder is in room 635, Nishat Chunian is in room 639, Rizzy is in room 733 and Kaleen is in room 820.

TROY, N.C.– Mark Jerdon has been appointed regional sales manager of the mid-Atlantic territory for Capel Rugs. This is a newly created position for a new sales region for the company, comprised of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, the Washington, D.C. metro area and New York City’s five boroughs. Jerdon has more than 25 years of experience selling to dealers in this region. 

NORCROSS, Ga.- NK Chaudhary, the founder of Jaipur rugs, was honored with a 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at an event earlier this month in New Delhi, India. Honorees were recognized in nine categories, and Chaudhary won the award in the Start Up category.

The annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program recognizes entrepreneurial success and is presented in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries worldwide.

CARLSTADT, N.J. — Color authority Pantone has unveiled its Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2011, which includes the upcoming top 10 colors for women’s fashion. Released to coincide with this week’s Fashion Week in New York, the report is available for free download at pantone.com/fall2011, and includes designer sketches, quotes and head shots.

NEW YORK–The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has honored seven exhibitors at the New York International Gift Fair with its “Top Picks” for 2011.

According to a joint statement from ASID and the Gift Fair, the winner for imaginative product presentation is Luna Bella. For innovative product design, The Groundwork Group was given the nod. Tritter Feefer Home Collection was cited for social responsibility, ecological sensitivity and universal design awareness.

DALTON, GA.–The U.S. division of Egyptian-based Oriental Weavers has issued a statement to assure its U.S. customers that despite the crisis in Egypt they “will feel no disruption in business today or at any time in the near future,” according to Michael Riley, president, Oriental Weavers USA. Parent company Oriental Weavers Group has corporate offices in Cairo and several factories in Egypt.
 

Now in its 22nd year, the annual ARTS Awards gala brought together the decorative accessory and lighting industries last month to recognize excellence in 28 categories. Given by the Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team (ART), the awards were presented on Jan. 22 during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market and attended by approximately 600 people.

By Andrea Lillo

The commissioned public artwork that has graced the transit system here for years will now be celebrated as the subject of a new rug collection, due to a new partnership between the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Concord Global Trading.

FROM THE MARKET—Among the news at the first day of the Las Vegas show, World Market Center execs said rug showrooms currently on the eighth floor of Building C will relocate to the heart of the home decor section in Building B. The WMC said the move is being made to accommodate the growing gift sector in Building C.

The new rug showrooms in Building B, opening in August 2011, will span three floors and will be synergistic with WMC’s accessory resources.

Also heard and seen at the show:

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh, which launched its newly redesigned website earlier this month, is reviewing the site’s new features with retailers during the Las Vegas Market this week.

The new website’s most important improvements are in the display of products: Safavieh uses high resolution photos of 19,600 rug SKUs and a high resolution zoom feature which shows close-ups of the product.

DALTON, Ga.—Sphinx by Oriental Weavers will host its second annual “Vegas Night with Sphinx” party during the upcoming Las Vegas Market.

The party is scheduled for Jan. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the company’s showroom, room 580 in building B. It will include complimentary food, drinks and entertainment, and Sphinx will also be giving casino chips or discounts for qualifying orders placed during the party.

CALHOUN, Ga.- Rizzy Home has named Tim Donahue director of business development and Scott Evans creative director for textiles.

Reporting to Mark Ferullo, vice president of sales, Donahue brings more than two decades of experience to his new position. He previously spent 21 years at Milliken Residential Flooring, where his posts included national sales director, Northeast regional manager and national accounts manager.

DALTON, Ga. - For its Home for the Holidays promotion, Karastan invited its hundreds of Facebook fans to click or comment on their favorite Iconoclast rug during the month of December, and then randomly awarded one participant with the rug she commented on. The Facebook promotion was part of Karastan’s expanding efforts to use online technology to promote visibility and generate sales.

ATLANTA–Shaw Industries and HGTV have expanded their partnership with the debut of the HGTV Home-Flooring by Shaw collection here at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. The licensing program includes area rugs, carpet, hardwood and laminate. Each category will include eco-friendly options as well.
 
Shaw has been the exclusive flooring provider for the HGTV Green Home for the past three years, and will sponsor the home again this year.
 

ATLANTA–GoodWeave USA continues its fight to end child labor in the handmade rug industry with the launch of its One in a Million campaign, which looks to capture a six percent market share for certified rugs (those not made by children) this year and reach its tipping point in 2018. Currently, the organization certifies four percent of handmade rugs imported to the U.S. 

The campaign debuts in its exhibit space, #620, at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, which starts today. Its ad will appear in the February issue of dwell as well.

DALLAS – Retail veteran Keith Arlinghaus has been named Northeastern regional sales manager for Loloi, responsible for the Northeast territory from Maine to Washington, D.C., as well as Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. He reports to Amir Loloi, owner, as well as principal Steven Loloi.
 
He previously spent 35 years in retail, including positions at Federated, Lazarus Department Stores/Federated, and Rich’s/Lazarus/Goldsmith’s/Federated. Most recently, he served for six years as the senior buyer for area rugs at Macy’s until he retired a year ago.

CALHOUN, Ga. — Surya celebrates 35 years in business in 2011, and will host parties at all eight of the markets it exhibits at during the year, starting with the Atlanta International Area Rug Market and the Las Vegas Market this month. The kick-off party will be this Friday, Jan. 14, at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom during the Atlanta market, and will include a catered dinner, cocktails and live music.

ATLANTA — Momeni will kick of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market with a party on the first day of the show, Thursday, Jan. 13, starting at 6 p.m. Held in the company’s AmericasMart showroom, #4-B-4, the event will include butlered hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, as well as a chance for attendees to see the company’s area rug introductions and the launch of its broadloom collection.

ATLANTA-Every customer who writes a qualifying order with Loloi Rugs during the Atlanta International Area Rug Market or Las Vegas Market will receive an iPad or MacBook Air, depending on the size of the order.

“Our aim with this ‘iPromotion’ is to put the fun back into the entire rug buying experience, while at the same time saying a big thank you to our customers, both new and old,” said Amir Loloi, Loloi Rugs’ owner and founder.

ATLANTA—Capel Rugs will give away Amazon Kindle e-readers to customers who visit the company’s showroom, located on the sixth floor in #F2 of the Merchandise Mart, during the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. One winner will be drawn daily at 4 p.m. during the first three days of market.

The e-readers are Wi-Fi accessible and have a six-inch screen featuring E Ink technology.

ATLANTA–After a five-year absence, The Rug Market America will return to AmericasMart for the upcoming Atlanta International Area Rug Market with a showroom in the HOME section on the 12th floor. AmericasMart and The Rug Market will have a ribbon cutting for the new showroom at Thursday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m., and the company will serve refreshments all day as well as hold a $500 drawing toward an at-show order to celebrate the event.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–At this month’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market, Safavieh will launch its second-largest release of rugs in its Martha Stewart collection since it began working with the design doyenne.

CALHOUN, Ga.—Surya has donated 300 operations for children with unrepaired clefts to Smile Train, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children throughout the world who suffer from cleft lips and palates.

The donation was made in the name of the company’s top customers in 2010. “With our customers’ continued support, I am very confident that we can do more to contribute to children’s future next year,” said Satya Tiwari, Surya’s president.

ATLANTA — LR Resources will unveil its new 9,300 square-foot showroom at AmericasMart next month during the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. About 80 percent larger than its original showroom, the expanded space will be located in #4F11 in Building 1.

Besides being able to show more of its rugs and other categories, LR Resources will also showcase the line of Trade Am Designs, which it recently acquired.

DALLAS — A 35-year veteran of the flooring industry, Doug Robetor has joined Feizy Rugs as vice president of sales. He has previously worked for Oriental Weavers/Sphinx as southern regional manager and most recently as national sales manager for Loloi Rugs.

“Doug’s knowledge of the industry and his sales and business acumen are well-known and respected,” said John Feizy, president and chief executive officer. “We are excited that he will be leading our sales team and helping to grow our business.”\

WESTBURY, N.Y.—G. Fried has won Oriental Weavers’ Options Rug Gallery Contest with its displays highlighting Oriental Weavers’ Options reversible area-rug line.

Yesterday, Mike Riley, Oriental Weavers’ president, presented owner Wendy Fried with an iPad for winning the contest. Oriental Weavers conceived the contest idea as a way to encourage its exclusive dealers of the line to promote this new rug concept to consumers. The handtufted rugs are offered in wool and wool/viscose options.

By Andrea Lillo

With consumers’ continued love of nature—and fresh air—their attention to the backyards has resulted in a shift in the indoor/outdoor rug category to better designed product.

With the category’s more sophisticated styling, manufacturers find that these rugs are going inside the home as well, as they are perfect for kitchens or dens, or where the kids and pets play, due to the rugs’ durability.

But there’s no denying that people are treating their outdoor area like an extension of their living space.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its coverage of the shows in January — the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, the Dallas International Lighting Market, the Gift & Home Textiles Market Week, the Las Vegas Market, and the New York International Gift Fair.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its coverage of the shows in January — the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, the Dallas International Lighting Market, the Gift & Home Textiles Market Week, the Las Vegas Market, and the New York International Gift Fair.

NEW YORK–The Rug Company has launched its blog, called Collect, to provide updates on openings and events as well as new projects and collections. Found on its website, therugcompany.info/collect, the blog comes after the company’s new catalog release, also called Collect.

ATLANTA–AmericasMart has announced that three of its long-time area rug tenants have renewed their leases in Building 1 at the market: Obeetee, Amici Imports and Colonial Mills (CMI).

Showing at AmericasMart since 1993, Obeetee is in 5-D-8, a 5,400 square foot space. It offers buyers handknotted, handtufted and flatwoven rugs.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.–A survey of 351 women homeowners across the United States found that they have “significant interest” in purchasing eco-friendly home furnishings.

ATLANTA—America’s Magnificent Carpets Awards—the headlining event at the January International Area Rug Market—honoring the area rug industry’s finest introductions, is calling for manufacturers and importers to enter their products.

AmericasMart Area Rug exhibitors may present up to two rug introductions. The categories are: handmade, power-loomed, antique and contemporary.

Exhibitors can submit entries online at americasmart.com/jancarpetawards.com. The deadline for entries is Dec. 20. Winners will be announced at the AMCA ceremony on Jan. 15.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Nourison Industries has signed a lease at 295 Fifth Avenue, New York, for its newest showroom scheduled to open in March 2011.

Creative Home Ideas, a 30-year-old family-owned business, began a new chapter in its company’s history with a new showroom at the recent textiles market here.

Besides more room for its wide variety of accent, scatter, kitchen and bath rugs, the new showroom/design studio also provides additional space for its sales, product development and design teams as they work with customers to develop new product programs.

Capel welcomed its newest designer, Kevin O’Brien, into the Capel family with a launch party at last month’s High Point Market. The initial group includes six tufted designs and two braids.

The collection marks O’Brien’s first area rug collection, though he has been in the design industry for more than 20 years, beginning his career as an architect and painter. O’Brien broke into the home category with hand-painted fabrics and branched out into top-of-bed products, pillows, furniture, wall art and accessories.

By Andrea Lillo

A rainbow of colors are on tap at this month’s High Point Market, as oranges, blues, and other hues find themselves center stage at the show, the last of the year for many manufacturers. And designs will be hard to miss as well, with some being based in tradition, but colored in trendy tones for a statement piece for the floor. Other looks hit a range of transitional and modern styles, using overscaled patterns, nature, and geometrics.

HIGH POINT, N.C.—The High Point Market began here on Saturday, Oct. 16, and runs through Thursday, Oct. 21.

In addition to the thousands of home furnishings introductions in categories including furniture, lighting and floor covering, and events galore, for this year’s event the Market Authority has unveiled MyMarket, a Web site to allow attendees to find exhibitors, presenters and events. MyMarket, which is mobile-browser compatible, can be accessed at highpointmarket.org.

Concord, NH–Rug maker Company C has promoted Marybeth Ferrer to national sales director. Ferrer will lead the independent sales force, working closely alongside the internal sales leader and customer service department, as well as oversee communication and transactions with Company C’s national dealers and sales representatives.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va.–Williamsburg’s various licensees will debut products at the New York Tabletop Show and the High Point International Home Furnishings Market this week.

DALLAS–Buyers who place a qualifying order at Loloi during the High Point Market, Oct. 16-22, may receive a free Apple iPod Touch or iPad.

“Business has been so tough for so many of our friends and colleagues for so long now,” said Amir Loloi, owner and founder, Loloi. “We want to put the fun back into High Point Market and the entire fall buying experience, while at the same time saying a big ‘thank you’ to our customers, both new and old.”

CONCORD, N.H.–Company C has been named a national partner of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and is committed to donating a minimum of $25,000 for breast cancer awareness, research and education.

ATLANTA–Jaipur recently received two American Graphic Design awards from the publication Graphic Design USA’s annual design competition for the design of Jaipur’s 2010 product catalog and press kit. This is the second year in a row that Jaipur has won this award for its catalog in this competition, which is open to creative professionals nationwide.

By Andrea Lillo

David Rockwell’s designs have touched everything from the Oscars to the JetBlue terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport to numerous restaurants and hotels. Now, the architect and designer has gone to the floor with his newest collection: a hand-knotted rug line with The Rug Company.

NEW YORK–Rug manufacturers are using the New York Home Fashions Market this week as a launching pad for adding new rug collections and product categories, as well as to debut showrooms.

WEST WARWICK, R.I.–Natco Home Products has named Travis Spencer as senior designer, reporting to Dan Driscoll, vice president and creative director.

Spencer previously spent seven years as design director for Windham Weavers before the company was purchased by Natco Home Products in 2008. Most recently, he was design director at International Merchandising Sources.

NEW YORK—The 7 W New York showroom building said a number of textiles vendors will have new or expanded showrooms for this month’s New York Home Fashions Market Week.

CARLSTADT, N.J.–Partnering with the Oriental Rug Importers Association, Momeni has pledged to donate a portion of sales of its Pakistani rugs during September to weavers in Pakistan who have been affected by the floods. Momeni has purchased rugs from Pakistan for more than 30 years.
 
“In addition to the personal tragedy affecting so many in this region, the rug industry has been touched on countless levels as several of our manufacturers and weavers have lost their homes and sources of income, with little help in sight,” Momeni said in a statement.

SANFORD, Me.–Natco Home Fashions, parent company of Central Oriental, is installing its seventh loom in its factory here, which will produce 30 to 40 percent more than the previous generation of weaving machines, according to the company.

From Belgium-based manufacturer Van De Wiele, the loom is a high-speed, face-to-face loom, Natco said, and only one of three that was delivered to the U.S. this year. The loom also offers increased flexibility due to its ability for complex weave structures and wide range of yarn qualities.

NEW YORK—HFN is preparing its coverage of the New York Home Fashions Market in September.

Vendors are invited to submit information and high-resolution images of products that they plan to highlight in their showrooms. Manufacturers of bedding, bath products and window treatments should submit their information to David Gill, senior editor, at dgill@hfnmag.com. Vendors of area rugs should submit their information to Andrea Lillo, senior editor, at alillo@hfnmag.com.

NEW YORK–Feizy Rugs will celebrate the grand opening of its permanent New York showroom at the upcoming New York Home Fashions Market with the debut of “Escape,” the fourth lifestyle trend being added to the company’s Mystique theme. 

Characterized as bold transitional and contemporary patterns with fresh, vibrant colors and a relaxed styling, pieces from Escape animate the settings into which they are placed.  A large collection of area rugs, accent rugs, pillows, throws, quilts and bath rugs coordinate across a variety of constructions and styles.

NEW YORK–Ebisons Harounian Imports has relocated its headquarters to the entire seventh floor of its location at 44 E. 32nd St., here.

“In order to continue providing our retailers with great variety of our exclusive program and one-of-a-kind goods at affordable prices we have decided to combine our showrooms and warehouses at our original location” Harounian stated,” said Michael Harounian, principal at the rug importing firm. “[We’re at] The same address, six stories higher, with greater accessibility and same day shipping service.”

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Nourison has appointed Robert Long account executive for the territory of Northwestern United States and Western Canada. He has a background in real estate and hard-surface flooring, and will be responsible for servicing and developing business with the company’s dealer base in the region.

By Nina Smith

The world has improved since GoodWeave (formerly RugMark) launched in 1994, inspecting rug looms, rescuing child workers and supporting their schooling. Since then the number of child laborers in South Asia’s rug industry has declined from approximately one million to less than 250,000.

NEW YORK—Tufenkian Artisan Carpets will open its flagship showroom for Europe this September, in London’s Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour.

Scheduled to open on Sept.  25, one day before Decorex International begins, the showroom will be run by John Erkelens, the company’s European sales director. Located in Unit 315 in the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour, the showroom will be the company’s second one in Europe. It also has one in Hamburg, Germany.

CALHOUN, Ga.–Stephanie Tyus has joined Surya as director of marketing, a new position.

Reporting to Seth King, vice president, sales and marketing, Tyus will focus on building and extending the Surya brand, as well as creating and executing a marketing plan, which includes print, media, web, collateral and catalog development.

Tyus has more than 18 years of experience in the textiles and carpet industries, having held positions with Milliken, Interface, Mohawk Industries and Tencate Mills.

DALLAS—Feizy Rugs has appointed Ed Mitre as director of advertising and marketing, reporting to Leah Feizy, assistant to the chief executive officer.

With more than 13 years of experience in design and advertising, Mitre will be responsible for the company’s sales tools development, including catalog and brochure design, production and pre-press, point-of-sale materials, media buys and press and vendor relations.

NEW YORK–The Calvin Klein Home Rugs collection, designed exclusively by Nourison, will expand with the new Loom Select Neutrals designs, along with a new compact fixture.

CALHOUN, Ga.–Surya has appointed Pat Douglass as vice president of its printed rug division, a category the company has been growing.

Douglass will work with Surya’s printed rug factories on development, production and distribution, as well as develop relationships with retailers and wholesalers.

“Pat brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our company,” said Satya Tiwari, president. “With Pat’s help we are now ready to grow this category even further by appealing to more and more customers with fashionable colors and designs.”

NEW YORK–Ebisons has revamped its Web site to keep its customers up to date on new designs.

“Our intentions have been to have a comprehensive representation of our program and one-of-a-kind products on the Internet all along under ebisons.com,” said Michael Harounian, principal. “But, since we have dynamic inventory and things are in a constant state of change, we have decided to add an information technology department in order to post our new creations on the net on a regular basis.”

NEW YORK—The deadline for sending in new product information and high-resolution images for possible inclusion in HFN’s coverage of the Las Vegas Market in August is Monday, July 12.

To submit information on rugs, lighting, or accessories, contact Andrea Lillo, alillo@hfnmag.com; for mattresses, David Gill, dgill@hfnmag.com; and for furniture, Warren Shoulberg, wshoulberg@hfnmag.com.

MARIETTA, Ga.–Wools of New Zealand and Miele have teamed up to promote wool-safe vacuums to maintain the beauty of wool carpets and rugs.

By Andrea Lillo

Eco-friendly fibers are not new to the rug category, but now that eco-savvy consumers shop more frequently online across all home furnishings categories, calling out products’ green features can only be a good thing.  

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–Custom handmade rug designer malene b has signed her first international designer showroom: Canada’s Colin Campbell. With showrooms in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, Colin Campbell will introduce the malene b collection this fall.

Malene b is currently represented by Sacco Carpets in New York, B. Moore Home in Brooklyn, N.Y., Carpet Creations in Miami and Michaelian & Kohlberg in Boston.

NEW YORK-The deadline for sending in new product information and high-resolution images for possible inclusion in HFN’s coverage of the Las Vegas Market in August is Monday, July 12.

To submit information on rugs, lighting, or accessories, contact Andrea Lillo, alillo@hfnmag.com; for mattresses, David Gill, dgill@hfnmag.com; and for furniture, Warren Shoulberg, wshoulberg@hfnmag.com.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Imran Dhedhi has been named account representative, covering the Northern California territory for Nourison. He will be responsible for servicing and developing business in the region and for handling the more than 60 active collections in Nourison’s line, as well as the company’s growing Nourtex brand.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh has launched a series of product and lifestyle catalogs as part of its strategy to redesign its print and marketing efforts.

SADDLEBROOK, N.J.-A Nourison area rug was part of a winning interior design project that snagged first place in the Decorating Den Interior’s design conference.

Interior designer Julie Carrol used a rug from Nourison’s Expressions collection in her design, which was entered into the competition’s commercial category for a community clubhouse she decorated near Baltimore.

The competition had more than 300 entries, and was judged by New York designers, as well as editors from such magazines as Traditional Home, House Beautiful, and Better Homes and Gardens.

By Andrea Lillo

While most of the American rug market has traditionally been product with a pile, the flatweave category has proven a steady or even growing area for the industry.

Available in casual or traditional looks, flatweaves fit numerous design styles and price points—consumers can get a flatweave at around $300 for a 5-by-8.

NEW YORK–Designer Liora Manné will appear on HSN on Monday, May 17, to demonstrate her newest indoor/outdoor mats, which includes flip flops, stripes, and fish designs.

Manné will also explain the LaMontage process that is used to create these mats and make them antimicrobial and machine washable. Her show times will be 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

NEW YORK–A memorial service for Elizabeth Miller, senior vice president of style and design for Karastan Rugs who died on May 3, has been scheduled for this Thursday, May 13, at the headquarters of CHF Industries, 1 Park Ave. here.

Miller died last week after a five-year-long battle with breast cancer.
The memorial is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, contributions in Miller’s memory may be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the organization dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.

NEW YORK–Longtime industry veteran Elizabeth Miller passed away yesterday after a five-year battle with cancer.

Besides serving as senior vice president of design at Karastan Rugs, a division of Mohawk Home, she was also the force behind Home for the Cure, the industry-wide fundraiser for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This past October a fundraiser held at CHF Industries honored Miller for her work on behalf of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–Feizy Rugs is hosting a cocktail party tonight at its showroom at 145 Market Square from 5-7 p.m.

“The Mystique,” evoking the mystique and beauty of Oriental rugs, is the theme of the party. On hand will be fortune tellers and belly dancers, along with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

NEW YORK–Tufenkian has partnered with designer Laura Kirar to create The New Moderns line, created out of Kirar’s appreciation and fascination with contemporary art.

Made of a wool and hemp construction, the line features geometric shapes, textures and colorations. Among the artists that inspired Kirar included Sol LeWitt, Gerhardt Richter, Richard Serra and John Cage.
Kirar’s other licensed collections include the new accent and lighting line from Arteriors Home, which will launch at this upcoming High Point Market.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Joseph Moshy has joined Safavieh as territory manager for the Middle Atlantic region as well as California, and is responsible for sales of all of Safavieh’s rug lines in those regions. He reports to Arash Yaraghi, company principal.

Moshy was most recently sales manager at Veratex, a tricot knitter in North Carolina. Previous posts include sales manager for Pande Cameron, national sales manager at Shalom Carpets and territory manager, New England, for Tufenkian Carpets.

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–Designer Malene b has teamed with arts organization Aid to Artisans for a limited edition rug to debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, May 15 to 18, to benefit Haitian recovery.

Called Tap Tap, the design is inspired by the bright colors and bold designs of the Tap Tap public buses used in Haiti.

NEW YORK–Designer Liora Manné will show in a new location at High Point Market.

The new showroom, located in the International Home Furnishings Center in space #G367, will display new designs using Manné’s patented Lamontage process, which combines handmade artistry with high-tech processing for rugs that are antimicrobial and can be used indoors or out.

In addition, Manné’s designs will also be shown in the Trans-Ocean showroom, which is in the IHFC, space #G365. 

NEW YORK–JLA Home has signed an agreement with Natori Co. to extend its license into accent and occasional furniture, room accessories, table and floor lighting, and area rugs.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Safavieh will celebrate the release of interior designer Thomas O’Brien’s first book, American Modern, with a book signing and reception on Monday, April 19, during High Point Market next month. The event will take place in the Courtyard at Market Square from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

By Andrea Lillo

Rug manufacturers at last month’s Las Vegas Market kept the newness coming in 2010 with both product and category introductions.

Trends such as shags, customization and color continued, and so did the topic of price points, as both consumers and buyers remain cautious about spending.   

“Everything is focused on price now,” said Seth King, vice president, sales and marketing, Surya. “Before, that wasn’t even a discussion. No one talked about price points at all, just about what they needed in the stores.”

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Keith Levine has been named account executive at Nourison, where he will be responsible for the region encompassing Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. He will handle Nourison’s area rug line, which includes more than 60 active collections, as well as its broadloom and runner lines.
Previously, Levine was principal of Levine and Assoc., a home furnishings sales agency in the Colorado area specializing in rugs and furniture.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.–Nourison has named Stewart Hay as vice president, tufted production and product development. A native of New Zealand, Hay has more than 30 years experience in wool production, and more than 20 in wool carpet manufacturing, particularly in tufting. Until he sold the business last year, he was owner and president of Glen Eden Wool Carpets, which offered specialized wool carpets, woven imports and custom hand-tufted product.

LITCHFIELD, Conn.–Adding distribution in the Denver region, contemporary rug maker emma gardner design has partnered with floor covering showroom Shaver-Ramsey, which has a 5,000-square-foot space in Denver’s Cherry Creek North outdoor shopping center.
A launch event is planned for late spring or summer and will feature the rug company’s introductions from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.
“Emma’s work has excited us for some time and to present her award-winning work in Denver and the Rocky Mountain West is an exciting opportunity for

ATLANTA–Wools of New Zealand held its annual Fashion Dynamics competition at the recently completed Surfaces, where retailers were able to see and vote on 36 Wools of New Zealand and Laneve-branded products.
Judging took place over a two-day period at the show, and awards were presented to the first- and second-place winners.

MINEOLA, N.Y.–At this week’s Las Vegas Market, Linon Home Decor Products will showcase several new collections, including a licensed line with Southern Living magazine in its showrooms, C-1284 and C-1296.
The new Southern Living Home collection features both traditional and transitional themes with the relaxed and casual feel of the South, as well as indoor/outdoor rugs.

CALHOUN, Ga.-- Surya will hold a number of events during the Las Vegas Market next week, including hosting a cocktail party on Monday, Feb. 1, beginning at 5 p.m., in its showroom, #B350. In addition to hors d’oeuvres and drinks, guests can get henna tattoos and enter a drawing to win free airfare for an  upcoming Las Vegas Market. In addition, buyers will be able to take advantage of several specials during market: ten percent off of an entire order, free shipping, or buy one get one free. “Each season we offer our customers a variety of new products,” said Satya Tiwari, president.

NEW YORK-- The HFN Web site, Hfnmag.com, now features video reports from two of the recent big shows for the home market: Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Dallas Gift and Lighting Market. Click on the link below to take you to the home page. The videos alternate, so you can hit your refresh button after you've viewed the first one to see the next video.

By Andrea Lillo
Optimism replaced pessimism for rug exhibitors at last month’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market as many said that business seemed to pick up over the last few months.
“People have a better attitude and they are not moaning and groaning like previous markets,” said Roy Evans, vice president, sales and marketing, CMI. He characterized business as going “from bad to fair; it’s moving in the right direction.”

NEW YORK— HFN is preparing its coverage of the New York Home Fashions Market in March.
Vendors are invited to submit information and high-resolution images of new products. Manufacturers of bedding, bath products and window treatments should submit their information to David Gill, senior editor, at dgill@hfnmag.com. Vendors of area rugs should submit their information to Andrea Lillo, senior editor, at alillo@hfnmag.com.
The deadline for New York Home Fashions Market materials is Tuesday, Feb. 9.

DALTON, Ga.–Sphinx by Oriental Weavers will host a Vegas Night with Sphinx in its World Market showroom during Las Vegas Market, Feb. 1-5. Held in suite 580 in Building B, the party will take place from 4-7 p.m. In addition to enjoying gourmet specialties, cocktails and entertainment, buyers placing qualifying orders during the party will receive casino chips.
The company will also be showcasing all seven of its new handmade and machine-made collections, as well as a sneak preview of its new Kensington 100 percent New Zealand wool Axminster broadloom collection.

DALLAS–Jaipur Rugs has partnered with regional sales team Elle Home & Lifestyle to develop the rug manufacturer’s presence in the rep’s Dallas Market Center showroom. Located in space 523-WTC, Jaipur joins several other high-end brands of furnishings and accessories in the showroom.

LAS VEGAS–The Las Vegas Market and Surfaces, which will both take place during the first week of February, have formed an alliance that will allow attendees to go to both shows.
The shows have agreed to accept each event’s registration credentials, transportation vouchers and discounts on education.
Las Vegas Market, the home-furnishings show, is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 1 through Friday, Feb. 5 at the World Market Center here. Surfaces, the floor-covering show, is scheduled for Feb. 1 through Thursday, Feb. 4 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center here.

CALHOUN, Ga.–Due to “tremendous growth,” Riztex USA has named Stacey Vega to the new position of director of sales for its Home Texco division and JC Lehnen as creative director of the Rizzy Rugs division.
Reporting to Mark Ferullo, vice president, Riztex, Vega has many years of experience in bedding and textiles and will be directing those sales of the company as well as overseeing its expansion.

ATLANTA–The unusual cold weather did not hinder the turnout for the 2010 America’s Magnificent Carpets Awards, which were held on Saturday night during the Atlanta International Area Rug Market at AmericasMart.
The winners in handmade rugs were: in the $0 to $12 per-square-foot category, Loloi Rugs; $12.01 to $23, Neman Intl.; $23.01 to $35, Authentic Looms; $35.01 to $46, Amici Imports; $46.01 to $56, Kalaty Rug Corp.; $56.01 to $65, Shalom Brothers; and $65 and up, Ariana Rugs.

With thousands of products premiering at this month’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market, every design style and room of the home is covered—literally. For the contemporary home, there are numerous bold colors and patterns to make an unforgettable statement. But as some consumers feel comforted by more traditional looks, manufacturers have those styles as well. The transitional patterns work for those in-between interiors.

CALHOUN, Ga.–At this week’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market, Surya will host a party on opening day, as well as offer market promotions for buyers.
On Thursday, Jan. 7, attendees are invited to Surya’s showroom, #6-A-7 in Building 1, to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks, as well as a henna tattoo artist, for its party, which begins at 5 p.m.

ATLANTA-Nourison, one of the longest-running exhibitors in AmericasMart’s Area Rug product center, has renewed its lease for its 18,500-square-foot space on floor 3 in Building 1. The new year will mark Nourison’s 27th year exhibiting in Atlanta, as well as its 30th year in business.
“The home of the area rug industry has always been in Atlanta--the only market dedicated to area rugs only,” said Alex Peykar, principal, Nourison. “Dealers that are serious about their business have and need to stay with AmericasMart.”

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–Now double its prior size at 13,000 square feet, Safavieh will debut its new showroom during the Atlanta International Area Rug Market with a grand-opening celebration, at which designer Thom Filicia will appear. Co-sponsored by Safavieh and AmericasMart, the event will run from 5 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 8. From 5:30 to 6:15, Filicia will sign his book, Thom Filicia Style.
Thom Filicia Home’s first collection for Safavieh debuted last spring.

MARIETTA, Ga.–International custom rug company Tai Ping has entered into a partnership with Wools of New Zealand for use of its Laneve fiber integrity brand. Laneve was recently launched by Wools of New Zealand’s parent company, Wool Partners International, as a fiber that attests to the integrity of the wool, and manufacturing processes meet specific standards. Tai Ping will now use this wool in select rugs sold throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

ATLANTA–Attendees to the International Area Rug Market, Jan. 7 to 10, will be able to see new products and new showrooms and expansions, as well as several exclusive events. On Thursday, Jan. 7, the Museum of Introductions, which showcases new products, opens at 9 a.m. and later that day, beginning at 4 p.m., the market will have an exhibitor open house reception.

SADDLEBROOK, N.J.–The new year marks Nourison’s 30th year in business, and it will kick off its year-long celebration with a party at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. in its showroom, space 3F2. It will also host a party at the Las Vegas Market the following month.
“We’re looking forward to seeing old and new friends at these events, sharing the stories and nostalgia of three decades of progress, and looking ahead with excitement for what the future holds for the industry,” said Alex Peykar, president.

BOSTON–Floor covering company Merida Meridian has announced the three student winners of its rug design contest, which it kicked off in October with Artists for Humanity, the organization that works with under-served youth. The winners—Kelsey Arbona, Massiel Grullon and Alland Torchon, who are also all youth apprentices in AFH’s graphic design program—will receive a 5-by-8 tufted area rug of their design.

TROY, N.C.–Capel Rugs plans to debut more introductions than ever for the upcoming 2010 Winter Markets. The new collections include licensed groups such as the bordered Capel Anywhere collection Pacific View from Jane Seymour, Orchard House from Biltmore For Your Home and indoor/outdoor collections from Williamsburg. In addition, other lines will be of soft contemporary and transitional styles.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-As part of the designext section, its venue for emerging designers, Surtex has issued a call for entries to the International Student Design Competition for its May 2010 show.
Entrants must include designs in the fabric, wallcovering and floorcovering categories, and must create six to nine surface designs that can be used in a residence in the year 2015. The deadline for entries is Jan. 30, 2010. A jury of professionals from the design industry—including artists, designers and representatives from consumer and trade media—will judge the entries.

ALPHARETTA, Ga.— Come 2010, Jellybean will expand into decorative pillows, taking 32 of its top-selling accent rug designs to create the new, coordinating line. The pillows will be indoor/outdoor, and are washable.
The company’s rug patterns Jacobean Floral in Spa Blue, Summer Buds, and Fiesta Stripes will be among the designs in the new pillow collection.

TROY, N.C.–Capel Rugs has announced the three winners of its Triple Play resort weekend and rug giveaway sweepstakes, which were based on three of its licensed partners’ lines and were held during High Point Market.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–In conjunction with this week’s market, the High Point Market Authority has released its Fall Fashion Report for 2009.
Available for download at highpointmarket.org, the report presents insights from interior and product designers, color specialists and trend forecasters. Among the trends detailed in the report are subtle and soothing colors in a time of economic uncertainty, the search for value as people become more deliberate in their spending habits, a focus on comfort and recognizable design, and neutral colors.

DALLAS–Loloi Rugs’ new Zeina collection of indoor/outdoor rugs has a layered, multi-textured looped surface that looks hand hooked, and will debut at the upcoming High Point market this weekend.
“Zeina is the closest thing to a hand-hooked indoor/outdoor product we’ve seen in the market today, but it is machine made,” said Amir Loloi, owner.
Made of polypropylene, the collection will initially launch with 14 transitional designs, such as oversized florals, animal prints and other patterns.

TROY, N.C.–Capel Rugs is celebrating its licensing program at High Point with a Triple Play resort weekend and rug giveaway.
Buyers who register during market will have the chance to win a weekend at the Bob Timberlake Inn at Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock, N.C.; the historic Williamsburg Lodge, in Colonial Williamsburg, Va.; or the Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C. Along with the weekend trips, winners will also receive a commemorative rug from Capel’s licensed rug programs Bob Timberlake, Williamsburg or Biltmore for Your Home.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–Candice Olson licensees Surya Rugs, Norwalk Furniture and Revco International will offer a joint market discount to all buyers who purchase Candice Olson branded product from at least two of them during the High Point Market, which runs Oct. 17 to 22.
Surya Rugs makes the brand’s rugs, while Norwalk Furniture manufactures the upholstery and Revco the case goods.

NEW YORK–Rugs of India has debuted a consumer shopping guide on the new Web site RugsofIndia.com.
Called A Shopper’s Guide to Hand-Woven Rugs from India, the info explains the difference between hand-knotted, hand-tufted and flat-woven rugs as well as other topics. Both the guide and the new Web site are part of the new educational and marketing campaign sponsored by India’s Carpet Export Promotion Council, in cooperation with the U.S.-based Oriental Rug Importers Association.

By Andrea Lillo
Whether it’s the henna designs of a Hindu bride in India, the ancient mud architecture of Mali or the floating markets of Bangkok, the new custom area rug and carpet collection of designer Malene Barnett—called malene b—reflects her worldwide travels, translated for the home.
“I see pattern and design in everything,” she said. And whether she’s in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia or Europe, “I immerse myself in culture,” she said. “I always go where the locals go.”

BOSTON–Artists for Humanity and floor covering company Merida Meridian has kicked off a rug design contest that looks to inspire young students to design sustainable textiles.
High school student artists, who work with Artists for Humanity, will create rug prototypes, with Merida creative director Meagan Fee critiquing the students’ output throughout the process.

NEW YORK–The fifth annual New York International Carpet Show wrapped up last week, with attendees visiting dozens of rug vendors.
“We were very pleased with the market as were the vendors and attendees,” said Chris Collins, vice president and general manager, 7 W New York, where the trade show for high-end decorative and Oriental rugs was held. “I believe our partnership with the NYICS will help strengthen the market and have a positive effect on the industry as a whole.”

WHITEFISH, Mont.–Outdoorsman and artist Dick Idol has teamed up with Surya to launch a new collection of area rugs at next month’s High Point Market, scheduled for Oct. 17-22. The collection will reflect the heritage of the Northwest where Idol is from, and will complement his new Montana Reflections furniture line from Shadow Mountain and long-standing lighting program with Pacific Coast Lighting.

NEW YORK–The entire Calvin Klein Home collection, including tabletop, bedding, rugs and its newly introduced furniture, will be all-together at the brand’s first shop at ABC Carpet & Home here, starting this week.
The shop will officially open onThursday with an invitation-only cocktail party hosted by Elle Décor editor Margaret Russell.

HIGH POINT, N.C.–The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution honoring the High Point Market on its 100th anniversary.

AT THE LAS VEGAS MARKET–Attendees to the Las Vegas Market this week saw companies expanding their product categories to offer a more coordinated look, as well as launching new designer licensed collections.

AT THE LAS VEGAS MARKET–Las Vegas Market organizers said attendance and optimism were “off the charts” for the opening day of September Market.
They added that registration numbers are higher than they’ve been during the last five consecutive markets, and international manufacturers have nearly doubled since the previous market.

LAS VEGAS–In addition to rugs and coordinated accessories, Surya is offering a plethora of promotions at its showroom during this week’s Las Vegas Market.
Each day during the market, Surya will offer complimentary lunches and cocktails at its showroom, located at B350.
Surya visitors can enter for a chance to win one of two custom display rack systems. The Design Center Rack holds up to 50 individual 18-inch corner sample rugs; the 2-by-3-foot Display Rack holds up to 32 rugs that can be sold as is, or used to demonstrate the color, pattern and texture of Surya’s rugs.

NEW YORK–HFN is collecting new product information and high-resolution images for its editorial show coverage of High Point Market next month. Please send materials by Monday, Sept. 21, for possible inclusion. Contact Andrea Lillo, alillo@hfnmag.com, for area rugs, and Warren Shoulberg, wshoulberg@hfnmag.com, for furniture.

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–Brooklyn designer Malene Barnett will launch her new line of custom handmade area rugs and carpets at the Hospitality Design Boutique Show in Miami, Sept. 14 and 15. Called malene b, the company will reflect Barnett’s international travels, interpreting cultural icons, landscapes and rituals. She specializes in Tibetan hand-knotted wool, New Zealand hand-tufted wool and wool/silk options, and targets residential, commercial and hospitality markets.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va.–Williamsburg, the home brand of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is scheduled to return to QVC Friday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. for the Williamsburg: Home for All Seasons broadcast. During the one-hour show, Williamsburg home stylist Cindy Cragg will share her tips for decorating the home for the holidays as well as offer shoppers signature new pieces from the Williamsburg Home for All Seasons collection.

CONCORD, N.H.–To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Company C will host a Colorful Living event on Tuesday, Sept. 15, in its showroom at the World Market Center in Building B, showroom 348, from 3-6 p.m. In addition to hors d’oeurves and wine, guests can have caricature drawings made of themselves.
“We are thrilled to mark 15 years of colorful living with our valued customers, friends and employees,” said Christine Chapin, design and product development director. “This season’s colorful designs truly showcase our colorful point of view.”

HIGH POINT, N.C.–More than 40 new exhibitors will join the Suites at Market Square for the upcoming High Point Market, Oct. 17-22.
In the High Point Pavilion, the new exhibitors include furniture companies Belka Furniture and Shimna, rug company Creative Accents, accessories company Sea Stones, and steel company The Steel Appeal.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–GLM, owner and manager of the New York International Gift Fair, has scheduled the dates for next year’s Gift Fairs.
The winter Gift Fair is slated for Saturday, Jan. 30, to Thursday, Feb. 4, while the summer show is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 14, to Thursday, Aug. 19. Both shows will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Pier 94 in New York City, as they have for several years.

LAS VEGAS–The third Industry Wide Web Summit will be held on opening day of the Las Vegas Market, Monday, Sept. 14.
The event, which gives hands-on information on how the home industry can do business online, is co-sponsored by the Home Furnishings Independents Association and the World Market Center Las Vegas, as well as The Lively Merchant.
David Lively of The Lively Merchant will be one of the key speakers at the event, which runs from 1-4 p.m. on the ninth floor of Building C at the market center.

ORLANDO, Fla.—Focusing on increasing store traffic, the average ticket and close rates, Carpet One Floor & Home’s semi-annual convention wrapped up last week here. More than 1,300 attendees, consisting of retailers, employees and vendors, attended.
“This summer’s convention is all about lowering costs, getting more sales, and helping our members understand how to market to the new customer that has evolved out of today’s economic reality,” said Eric Demaree, president.

NEW YORK–Al Meyers, senior vice president of research firm Retail Forward, will be the featured speaker at the annual meeting of the Home Fashion Products Association.

NEW YORK–Nourison will launch four new groups in its Calvin Klein rug collection next month at the Las Vegas Market. The new rugs will also be included in lifestyle shops that will open nationally in conjunction with the designer’s release of a new furniture line, called the curator collection by Calvin Klein Home. The Fall 2009 program will include the Urban, Lunar, Cumulous and Masai groups, each of which will feature different designs and textures. Urban will layer graphic abstracts in complementary tones in fine wool.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its coverage of September’s Las Vegas Market.

NEW YORK–7 W New York will host the fifth annual New York International Carpet Show, a leading trade show of high-end decorative and Oriental carpets. Scheduled for September 20 to 22, the NYICS will run in tandem with the annual New York Market Week, September 21 to 25.

NEW YORK–HFN is preparing its coverage of September’s Las Vegas Market.

DALLAS–Exhibitors at this week’s Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, June 24 to 30, will host a wide range of floor events for attendees, the Dallas Market Center said. Thursday, June 25, through Saturday, June 27, at 6 p.m. on the first and second floors of the Trade Mart, buyers can draw for cash prizes up to $1,000 at the second floor atrium in what the DMC is calling Trade Mart Treasures. Also on the same days, at 5 p.m. on the fifth floor of the World Trade Center, attendees can stop by and participate in Live on 5 to win prizes.

ATLANTA–Six permanent exhibitors have expanded their showrooms on Floors 11, 12 and 13 in AmericasMart’s Building 1, as the market’s home category continues to grow. In addition, two area rug companies, which show exclusively at AmericasMart, have renewed their leases.

ATLANTA–Manufacturers took advantage of this week’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market to enter new categories and debut product lines—many with lower price points.
Oriental Weavers, for example, expanded into the polyacrylic fiber to offer a lower price point, said Aaron Gray, marketing director. Utopia is a hand-tufted viscose line that will retail for about $199 for a 5-by-8-foot, he said. Designs included floral looks, as well as a solid color line that had a corduroy look.

ST. LOUIS–CCA Global Partners has sold its Rug Decor division to a group led by three of its current Rug Decor franchisees: Rick Ruby, Keith Rhodes and Bob Ellis, who own a total of six Rug Decor stores, and have been members of the Rug Decor Advisory Council since its inception in 2003.
The Rug Decor division was not central to CCA Global’s core flooring business or strategy, CCA Global said in a release, though it is “a unique retail format for selling area rugs with significant potential for success.”