Rugs I saw at Atlanta Market

I have returned from the America's Mart in Atlanta, GA. I saw rugs of all sorts of different colors, fibers, styles, and constructions. Aside from rugs, I must also say that the city of Atlanta has really undergone a renaissance of late. The mass transit system known as MARTA is really clean, safe, easy to use and arrives quickly. There are different pockets of the city depending on the sort of area you like. For the hip upwardly mobile visitor I would suggest checking out Buckhead. If the sort of area being sought is an up and coming type place with a really trendy vibe then the Midtown MARTA stop is the right place to go. For the more urban minded city cat, I would suggest the Peachtree Center station which also happens to be the station that is where I got off to attend the America's Mart.

The first series of rugs I would like to share is from Sphinx by Oriental Weavers. Their Amherst Collection is hand tufted of blended New Zealand Wool and features traditional motifs that can be used in more casual setting thanks to the way they have been offset and stylized. Sphinx by Oriental Weavers has long been known for it's incredible use of machines to create high style products that are also very affordable. With their Amherst Collection, they have taken this prowess and translated it into a hand tufted product that has the heft and appearance of a much more costly series of rugs. We are pleased to offer you the Amherst Collection for only $599 for the 5x8 size. Since Sphinx stocks all the sizes in their Dalton, GA warehouse you will receive your rug very quickly.

Our partners at 828 International introduced a really exciting new line of rugs that 828 President National Sales Manager Tom Morris described to me as a hooked rug on steroids. These rugs are not the type of hooked rugs you may be used to seeing. When I hear of a hooked rug, I think of something that is very thin and low profile. While those sort of hooked rugs are quite nice, they are not what 828 is offering with it's exciting new Aurora Collection. This series of area rugs ranges from lodge to soft florals. With a 5x8 retail of only $362, the value of these pieces is immediately apparent. 828 International chose to use 100% Wool and dial up the weight to dramatically increase the look and feel of these fashionably stylized patterns.

America's Mart Atlanta was so much fun during this visit, because it seemed that with each manufacturer I visited, I saw exciting new products that allowed me to realize where the industry was headed in months and even years to come. For instance, Kas Rugs has been looking into the future and they feel it is very bright. With year over year sales growth according to sales agent Ron Sorkin, it is thanks to the exciting and fresh new series of rugs that Kas has seen a steady trend in their business. I can attest to this fact myself, since Kas is one of our largest suppliers and provides us with a consistent quality, great price and energizing range of patterns to offer our customers. One such example is the Veranda Collection. This grouping of rugs is made of 100% Polypropylene and is so durable that you can actually use them outside. They were so soft when I felt them that I personally thought they would look great in a kitchen or busy family room. The incredible thing is that if they become soiled you can actually take them outdoors and simply hose off the soil and stains and allow them to thoroughly dry before taking them back indoors.

I am going to share more of what I saw and learned from Atlanta market in my future entry.

Wes.