Farmville, VA - "You'll see Thirties glamour, sumptuous jewel tones, surprising new twists on traditional materials, and a whole new take on stripes on floors this year", says Sandy Henderson, owner of Rug Rats, an upscale carpet store and design studio in Farmville, Virginia. Just back from visiting Surfaces 2003, the floor covering industry's huge annual trade show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Sandy is eager to share the new international design trends with her clientele. Spread over 500,000 square feet, Surfaces 2003 boasted nearly 3,500 exhibitors from all over the world.
Several British designers really wowed her at the show. Roger Oates, a British designer, showcased woven wilton carpets (in very fine wool) in Thirties-style stripes with sophisticated and unexpected colorways. Another fabulous British designer, Nina Campbell, forecast jewel colors and rich textures and materials for your home - again with a Thirties design sensibility with an emphasis on luxury. Nina Campbell's complete line of carpets can be found at Rug Rats, one of the few retail carpet stores to carry her line in the States.
What's interesting this year is the new twist on bamboo.
Says Henderson: "Bamboo is going to be the new sisal." Bamboo
carpets were exhibited in unusual woven patterns, making it a more tailored
and versatile material for floor covering than ever before. When Sandy
Henderson visits Surfaces each year, her mission
remains constant: avoid the run of the mill, and seek out the new, the
unique and the unexpected. "That's what gets me excited and my customers
excited. I love the new looks this year. They have re-ignited my passion
for the best in carpet design."