A panorama of rug designs at High Point Summer Market, 5-9 June 2021

Visitors and exhibitors rejoiced to return to HPMKT and the showrooms did not disappoint. We review some of the highlights

Creative Touch’s stand was a joyful mix of new rugs including the hand-knotted Bosphorus Collection with its central theme of dimensional elements and alternating pile heights. New collaboration collections include Mannarino Designs and the Artxtiles Collection by Sarah Sczepanski featuring her signature monotype prints. Other designer rugs featured included Robin Gray Designs and the Benson Cobbs Collection. A curated selection from Creative Touch’s extensive collection of vintage kilims added a vintage vibe to the stand. 

Feizy’s collaboration with one of America’s top interior designers resulted in the Thom Filcia Home Collection presented at High Point Market (HPMKT). The capsule collection’s eleven rug designs share the quality of being ‘accessible’ to any style of interior design. Smart and sophisticated, the collection is hand-knotted in wool in graphic patterns from labyrinthe to animal print and are available in as hand-knotted, tufted or loomed. 

Rug & Kilim’s showroom at HPMKT’s International Home Furnishings Center allowed the company’s display to rival an art gallery with rugs stylishly showcased behind the panorama glass of the entrance to the stand. New collections include hemp weaves in the Scandinavian Collection and a collaboration with Jenn Ski who ‘playfully’ redefines the concept of mid-century design influence for contemporary rugs.

S&H Rugs continues to go from strength-to-strength which was reflected in the New Jersey headquartered brand doubling their showroom space at the Suites at Market Square. Taking note of the growing trend for natural, undyed fibres, S&H Rugs showcased elegant minimalistic designs woven in natural grey and ivory wool, while their ever-popular hand-knotted Ushaks featuring fanciful flower heads and sawtooth sickle leaves in contemporary colourways were figuratively flying off the stand.

‘Refresh and Restock’ was Nourison’s tagline for HPMKT, and it captured the upbeat mood in the literal sense of replenishing and refreshing stock, but also in the figurative sense of taking stock of how our idea of home has changed due to the pandemic. The new wool and rayon Luna Collection features geometric hatch line patterns that fit into any type of interior design, while their best-selling Prismatic Collection introduced new patterns to market. New rug designs from Calvin Klein, Kathy Ireland and Michael Amini were also introduced.

French Accents’ stand included a striking jewelbox-like ladder display of rug samples designed to pull in visitors mesmerised by the designs and colours. Once on the stand visitors could discover French Accents’ Retro Classic Collection and their always popular small-scale geometric rugs. New releases included bespoke Nepalese hand-knotted wool and silk rugs in bold contemporary patterns including one that featured a design of overlapping ‘sheets of paper’ bordered in bold black that make the pattern pop. 

Harounian Rugs (HRI) was ready for market with four new Sunbrella collaboration performance rug constructions and collections, and its new hand-knotted collections including Charlotte made with New Zealand wool and viscose featuring four modern geometric designs. The Vivian collection is hand-loomed in three abstract designs available in a palette of soft shades such as champagne. 

Known as the ‘most trusted name in Tibetan rugs’, New Moon Rugs wowed visitors with their new Flora Lark Meadows hand-knotted rug in wool and silk. Inspired by Eliabethan needlework, the rug’s naturalistic pattern with birds, bees and an abundance of flower ‘specimens’ reflects the soaring interest in botanical themes for the home. New Moon Rugs also entranced visitors to their stand with their new Falling Stars rug featuring waves of gentle circle shapes hand-knotted in Tibetan wool.