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Arthur Douglas Thayer, Editorial Correspondent for The Trend Curve, is in Atlanta for the twice-yearly rug market. His top trends are below. Look for more in the August issue of The Trend Curve.
Notable for rugs in Atlanta:
COLOR
- Tonality reigned in neutrals and, increasingly, in colors
- Blue’s popularity advanced, especially mid tones with neutral grounds
- Teal and indigo worked on neutral backgrounds
- Coral and pink floated over ecru
- Bright orange worked as accents and toned-down solids
- Sari silk colors got softer, less dramatic and more sophisticated
- Soft violet, modulated pinks teamed with light gray
MATERIALS AND TEXTURES
- Texture remained key, especially when finer and more nuanced
- At the same time, everything seemed to be getting softer surface treatments
- Tricolor space dyed yarns, barber pole ones, more exotic yarns added to structure and visual appeal
- Embroidery details popped up to embellish surfaces
- Bamboo silk, banana silk, Luxcelle rayon amped up luster levels
- Metallic continued, especially applied over salvaged semi-antique Turkish rugs
- Jute was made more touchable again by mixing with wool and cotton
MOTIFS AND THEMES
- Deconstructed traditional patterns came with and without borders
- Traditional looks, like Persian, got modernized with cheerful hues on neutral grounds
- Graphic motifs persisted
- Over-scaled patterns were brought down to size with myriad detailed motifs
- Organic, overall looks were used as contemporaries
- Watercolor effects softened patterns
- No in-your-face roosters; cottage design accepted more subtlety
- Juvenile designs became less cartoony and more sophisticated