Beauty Underfoot in Atlanta

There were plenty of handsome new rugs to see during The International Area Rug Market in Atlanta over the weekend and I tried my best to see them all. Although the Modern category shows no signs of letting up in popularity, I saw plenty of washed, antiqued looks with oxidized, high-low textures in updated palettes that made these more traditional styles feel fresh, edgy and new.

Pops of red seemed to be in every showroom and I can’t tell yet if it is something totally new or a continuation of color changes that will take hold for fall 2015. In the meantime, grays and blues are still everywhere; consumers can’t get enough of this palette and rug makers have plenty of fresh new designs to keep interests piqued throughout 2016.

Overall, the big story at Market seemed to be texture. At Jaipur for example, an ultra textured design perfectly resembled a close-up look at tree bark; the design, hand-knotted of hand-spun wool and silk in light and dark neutrals, made its Atlanta debut, part of Jaipur’s newly launched Project Error by Kavi line.

With innovative new weaving techniques, brilliant new designs and unexpected textures the likes of which we’ve not seen before, I’m excited to report that Oscar Isberian Rugs will have lots of surprises in store for customers throughout 2016.

~ Pictured: Oscar Isberian’s David Pease and Jaipur sales rep Mary Jane Cashman in front of the “tree bark” rug in Jaipur’s Atlanta showroom during the Intl. Area Rug Market. ~

*Originally posted July 2015.