The Rug Gallery: Trending Designs Sophisticated Customization

THE RUG GALLERY

Trending Designs, Sophisticated Customization

Photography by Andrew Kung Photography

Since 1972 The Rug Gallery has been supplying some of the finest area rugs in the tri-state area. Now under second-generation leadership, we sat down with the team and had an intimate conversation on current design trends, style changes, and the customization process and options.

SL: What are some of the trends in style and color you are seeing

in decorative area rugs, runners, and outdoor options? It’s an exciting time for design! We are seeing people embracing color, which is a welcome change. The rugs that are really drawing customers’ attention are weaves with traditional design elements, such as Oushaks and Mamluks, but with an updated/brighter color palette. Our younger clients have shifted from more modern/abstract looks to the classic Persian designs with bright/pastel pops for a ‘boho chic’ aesthetic. Also, mid-century looks, especially our exclusive Scandinavian collection, have been trendy. With the amount of time people spent at home last year, they are looking to expand their living spaces. We are finding that outdoor area rugs are very popular. We have a curated collection of products that we can custom fit to anyone’s outdoor space. Stair runners have been absolutely crazy; our clients are having fun and putting bold designs up their steps. Staircases are often one of the first areas visible when walking into a home so that they can make a big impression with a relatively small investment. Style, comfort, safety, and noise reduction are just a few reasons many people gravitate towards stair runners.

Carpet is trending towards more fabrication into area rugs, as it provides tremendous value and a quick custom option. Plaids, animal prints and textural weaves are all very hot right now.

SL: What do you see is the driving force behind current trends?

Interestingly, one of the significant drivers of these trends is that the furniture market is embracing new colors and styles. People are incredibly inspired by the designs they are engaging with on social media. The mid-century growth is definitely the re-emergence of that school of design for some major furniture makers. A big part of the shift towards color comes from clients seeing these bold colors and patterns incorporated in room scenes on Instagram and other platforms. Our clients are coming in with a real vision for their rooms. Once our clients can visualize their designs on social media, it seems to embolden them to take a chance. We are also fortunate to work with most of the top designers in the area. By listening to them, we can focus on products that reflect the pulse of current interior design. Designers are invaluable partners to us, and their input helps steer our product selection, which is a benefit to everyone.

Custom area rug was cut around the fireplace hearth

SL: What new products do you see holding their value long term? We advise our clients to purchase a rug, not as an investment but because it’s what sparks their joy. The truth is that in today’s market, very few products have tremendous resale value. I have seen clients turned off by the term “heirloom’ or something that’s a “pass down.”

Instead, we tell them that this rug will retain its quality as long as you need it with just a little bit of maintenance and care, whether that’s in 25 years or a few years if they decide to change their design.

SL: Touch on the importance and difference of direct-import

access to products. We directly import roughly 60% of our handknotted products from our weavers overseas. Importing allows us to bring in unique products at an incredible value to our clients. In addition, we have developed strong relationships over a long period of time with the weavers and their families. These long-term relationships allow us to select and develop products that directly speak to the clients’ taste in our market. It also allows us to take chances on pieces that might not make it in a stocking program for most import/wholesalers. It is really enjoyable to bring an idea to life with people who are passionate about their craft. Finally seeing that rug eventually tying a client’s design together in their home is the best feeling in the world.

SL: Describe the customization process that The Rug Gallery team takes? Also, what is customizable? When they hear the term “custom,” many people immediately think it’s expensive, time-consuming, and difficult. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of our custom clients choose that route because

they have trouble finding a rug off the rack that’s the right size or fit for their room. Almost all of our products can be fabricated in-house or custom-ordered in a size or shape that perfectly fits the dimensions of their space. The most common custom project is when clients love a rug or carpet but struggle to find a color that ties in their art or furniture. We can go through our color poms and pull out that color they are looking for and create a rug or carpet with that new palette. We also have worked with clients that prefer to do something completely unique and create their own design. We can create a rendering of their design, change colors or material used for a truly one-of-a-kind rug. That can be intimidating for some people, but we can achieve that in several qualities and make it a simple process with the guidance of our design professionals.

SL: What is the typical timeline and pricing for custom products?

For custom pieces where we are simply re-sizing, the whole process only takes 2-4 weeks from the time of the order being placed. Our goal for most custom woven rugs is 8-12 weeks; however, more intricate designs can take up to 20-24 weeks. However, with the current state of the furniture market and the backlog they are facing, we are very fortunate that we are continuing to have quick turnaround times where we can typically have that custom piece before their special-order couch arrives. People are always surprised by how reasonable it is to create a custom area rug or carpet. We can control our costs and timeline by having an in-house custom fabrication and installation department. Custom can be as expensive as you desire, but the majority of the time, it’s about the same price as a stock piece or for just a small investment.

SL: Touch on the pros and cons of various types of rugs, such

as wool vs. synthetic? I feel all types of rugs have their place, but it’s crucial to select the correct construction for the needs of your space. We are a prominent purveyor of wool rugs and carpets because it is such a remarkable fiber. Resiliency is the reason it’s been used in textiles for 1000’s of years. Wool is a natural/ renewable fiber that is cleanable and, even after heavy use, will retain or can be restored to its original condition. However, it is more labor-intensive to harvest and then spin the wool, so it is more expensive than synthetic pieces. Synthetic pieces provide value and are good choices in areas that take heavy traffic. There are several types (polypropylene/ nylon/polyester) and they all have some benefits such as stain resistance/UV protection/pet-friendly/wear resistance. Also, many synthetic products are sourced from recycled materials to have less of an environmental impact. I highly recommend you speak with a professional to guide you to the best choice for your space.

Wool is typically going to have a softer hand-feel and has a more natural scope of colors. It also can blend differently dyed fibers to achieve a more complex and nuanced look. However, synthetic manufacturers can now produce extremely intricate designs with a large number of colors in each piece.

SL: Describe any differences you offer regarding your competitors with installations, fabrications, cleaning, and repairing of rugs.

What separates us from other rug purveyors is our expertise and dedication to detail. We are a small business, and the employees of the Rug Gallery are family. Members of our sales staff have been with us for between 8-35 years. We invest heavily in our staff’s continuing education. We have our own master installers with 40+ years of experience in high-end products.

Our master installers and our talented operations staff attend annual conventions/seminars to grow their knowledge base. We built our own fabrication department for custom area rugs to control quality and improve the turnaround times for clients. Our cleaning and repair processes are all hand-done with the utmost care. It’s a little more work, but the end product speaks for itself. We have been proud to be part of the Greater Cincinnati business community for 50 years. Our history has given us a great base, but we are just as excited to grow alongside our clients over the next 50 years.