Category: HOME TEXTILES
Country: United States
By Cecile Corral -Contributing Editor
Home Textiles Today
3rd October, 2023.
Once upon a time, not long ago, machine-washable rugs were akin to utility bath rugs. Solid colored, somewhat plush, non-skid backed. Simple.
Today’s new breed has severed ties with their Plain Jane ilk to make room in its family tree for a new generation of trend-savvy designs and current color palettes. This new lineage of machine-washable rugs are equal parts pragmatic and posh.
“At Nourison Home, we treat our washable rugs like we do any other rugs we create around fashion – we put a lot of design work into them,” said Giovanni Marra, vice president of marketing and creative. “The fact that they happen to be washable is just an added benefit.”
Nourison Home has expanded the category beyond accent sizes to include larger dimensions that fit into today’s large-scale washing machines for homes.
“Designers are also driving the trend,” Marra added.
Indeed. Included on that list are the likes of Jonathan Adler, Nina Takesh and Iris Apfel – all of whom have partnered with industry newcomer Ruggable to offer curated collections that speak to their respective aesthetics.
In fact, many traditional category players credit Ruggable with elevating the status and fueling the recent and rising sales momentum of the machine-washable area rug category.
The idea for the Ruggable product was born from founder and president Jeneva Bell’s realization of the need for fashionable area rugs that could be cleaned in the same way people “clean bedding and towels.” Every rug from the line is machine-wash[1]able, stain-resistant, non-slip and interchangeable due to the company’s proprietary “rug pad + rug cover” two-part system.
Oriental Weavers is riding the Ruggable wave but with its own twist that speaks to the company’s long-time expertise in area rug design and manufacturing.
As Jonathan Witt, president, explained: “The unique thing about our product that differs from Ruggable is that our construction – it’s a one-piece product with a non-skid back, so you don’t have to, for lack of a better term, fight to get the rug itself placed back on or to fit the non-skid back after it has been washed. We simplify the process for the customer.”
Kas Rugs’ London collection of machine-washable rugs “has been a big success for us,” said Wendy Reiss, vice president of sales and national accounts. A printed flatweave product made of a polyester and cotton blend, it comes in 13 patterns and seven sizes – from accent to 10-foot-by-14-foot.
No novice to the rug category is celebrity designer Genevieve Gorder. The television star also has a licensed line of home goods which previously included area rugs with Capel Rugs.
But this season marks her foray into washable rugs, which she is treading in partnership with fellow category newcomer My Magic Carpet – a machine-washable, one-piece rug solution featuring nine decorative patterns, “full of graphic forms and nature-inspired patterns along with a bouquet of neutrals,” Gorder said.
Designer rug house Chilewich offers made-in-the-USA wash[1]able, non-skid, flatwoven rugs, and its customization capability has proven to be “a huge growth driver for us” especially among designers and their clientele, CEO John McPhee said.
“Designers are getting creative with special shapes, larger scales, layering and using our rugs to strengthen the connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces—opting to use the same weave and color in both,” McPhee said.
Courtesy: hometextilestoday.com
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