COVER Connect New York 2026 hits the spot

COVER Connect New York 2026 brought 45 international rug brands together across The Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion, with buyers seeking variety, colour and rich, warm palette

The three day event—which finished yesterday—was hailed as a success by exhibitors and visitors who shared their positive reports with the COVER team.

A storm and three days of rain were not able to dampen spirits at the event, which showcased 45 rug international rug brands in The Altman and Metropolitan Pavilion buildings.

Buyers to the show are looking not just for great quality but also for great variety under one roof and this year, there was plenty to get excited about.

The 2026 selection included Via Star’s outdoor rugs, soft alpaca rugs by Sumaq Alpaca, hides from Pampas Leather, artist statements by Knots Rugs, Ushaks from Anadol, quality machine-made from Couristan, authentic Moroccan flatweaves by Izza Berber and hooked rugs by The New England Collection to name but a few.

Highlights at the show included Lapchi’s divine Leh design in a subtle mustard and green colourway and Wendy Morrison’s silk Nomad’s Garden design, made in collaboration with new exhibitors Turquoise Mountain. Art de Vivre’s astounding Floralis Caladium rug by Campana Studio was a magical addition to the show while Olker’s fun rug on a frame, depicting a rug within a rug, got a lot of attention. 

While Anadol Rugs reported buyers looking for more pops of colour in their Ushak rugs, many other rug orders reflected the current interior trend of ‘warm’ colour palettes.

When asked about best sellers for CCNY 2026, companies pointed traditional/transitional patterns made up of rich brown and cream shades.

The OU500A Oushak weave rug by French Accents was a top seller while Jaipur Rugs‘ most selected designs were the contemporary all-wool Sthir rug in creams and browns and another traditional design rug combining brown and grey. 

This year we started the Designer Rugs Edit, a collection of ‘favourite rugs’ at the show chosen by a range of designers and visitors.

New York-based Interior Designer Tara McCauley selected 6 pieces, from Kirkit Rugs, Turquoise Mountain, Rebel Carpets, The New England Rug Collection, Izza Berber and the Magnolia rug from Samad’s Botanical Garden.

See COVER’s Instagram feed to see the six rugs and the other selected designs.

More in-depth reviews of COVER Connect New York 2026 are coming soon!

Words by Lucy Upward

Photos by Annie Forrest