Exclusive Stories

Amidst unprecedented global change and disruption one firm caught the attention of RUG INSIDER Magazine due to its ability to seemingly have been prepared for the eventualities of 2020 and beyond.

The history of the trade of rugs and carpets is a long and storied affair. One steeped in both tradition as well as innovation. Be it design, materials, construction technique, manner of distribution, or the like, traders have embraced tradition—along with novelty, expedience, and the technology of the era—to advance the fortunes (and perhaps misfortunes) of the craft and trade.

Diverse influences define  “Luxury Lodge”

Conceived at the forefront of the Luxury Lodge aesthetic, the Mesa Collection from New Moon Rugs serves as a quintessential example of adapting native forms to suit to the needs of contemporary interiors. As the collection enters its third decade, Rug Insider talks with firm founder John Kurtz and current firm principal Erika Kurtz to find out what has kept the collection at the ever-shifting vanguard.

In the summer 2018 issue of RUG INSIDER Magazine we featured “The Rugs and Carpets of Fallingwater"—an exploration of the carpets which grace the floors of the renowned architectural masterpiece. Throughout that issue we also chronicled carpets in tune with David Bowie’s classic “Modern Love,” and offered a furtive look at the oft-copied Scandinavian aesthetic of Märta Måås-Fjetterström. Likewise, friend of RUG INSIDER Alicia Keshishian shared her opinions in “(Re)defining a Style” as we discussed the perennial “mid-century modern” aesthetic enjoying a resurgent popularity. 

Treading softly between the ‘80s and the ‘20s

The hand-knotted rug and carpet trade is no stranger to the phrase “One of a Kind,” nor is it an industry short on personalities aptly described by the term. A new house collection debuting at Oscar Isberian Rugs in Chicago, Illinois, merges discrete and distinct personalities and a design aesthetic spanning literal decades; Rug Insider has the first look at this era-spanning one-of-a-kind collection.

Sellers of all manner of wares, particularly those crafted by hand, have long sought to offer the most authentic version of its class, including rugs and carpets. However, problems arise when the description doesn’t match the reality of the rug at hand. What is the modern consumer to do?­­­­­

To attempt to describe the softness of alpaca is to nearly exhaust the dictionary of adjectives amounting to soft, luxurious, and the like. We first met Sumaq Alpaca in 2016 and for this “Made in the Amercas” issue of Rug Insider we venture both north to Canada where the firm is based, and south to Peru where its rugs are made, as we explore the remarkable fiber.

Tamarian is a well-known name among those who frequent markets in Atlanta and High Point, and has likewise been a fixture at events such as The Rug Show for decades. For those who purchase rugs and carpets at retail however, the name may be unknown. Rug Insider takes a look at the firm and its staff as they embark on a new journey of creativity (and branding) under the guidance of firm Principal, and now sole owner, Ryan Higgins.

A Look at an Iconic American Style: Distinctively American in its aesthetic, the classic braided rug endures at the hands of Capel Rugs.

In French the phrase ’s’il vous plaît’ translates literally as ‘if it pleases you;’ you are undoubtably quite familiar with its abbreviated English use on invitations—it is the S.V.P. in R.S.V.P. As a pun, plait as a noun is also a braid, or as a verb to braid, and from the perspective of ‘Made in the Americas’ nothing could be more pleasing to those with an eye for the traditional vernacular than a classic braided rug.