Rug Insider Magazine
News for the Rug and Carpet Professional 
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Our family has a tradition of touring the rugged Oregon coast in winter. We love exploring the small, charming towns when tourism is low and the Pacific Ocean frothy and wild. During our last adventure, we fortuitously stumbled into Wanda’s Cafe + Bakery in Nehalem. It was the perfect spot to escape the blustery rain and omnipresent chill.
For five decades, Momeni Inc. has been a cornerstone of the area rug industry, known for its expertise, resilience, and steadfast dedication to excellence.
In the area rug industry, it is not uncommon to have siblings or an extended family working together to carry forward the family business of selling rugs. What is less common, however, is for that family unit to function together with great harmony and success for more than a quarter of a century.
Rug people are a passionate lot. We care deeply about clients, co-workers, producers, our communities, and the rugs we create and hopefully sell one day. Passion is the fuel that propels us forward, but like the hours in a day, it is not endless. There’s a tipping point when working harder and longer becomes less effective. When working transforms into an endless loop, toxicity sets in. In addition to negatively impacting our quality of life, the caliber of work degrades. Mistakes are made, resulting in, you guessed it, more work!
Complementing RI’s spring trend focus on Wild & Wooly rugs, there are many variations of animal and nature themes to be found in antique Persian rugs and period European tapestries.
GARDENS, TREES & FLOWERS
In antique rugs, one of the main differences between rug categories is city rugs versus village rugs, with city rugs typically being more finely woven and having more complex curvilinear designs, and village rugs typically being more coarse in their weave, and having more rudimentary geometric designs.
Whether the designs are more curvilinear or more geometric, though, in the majority of rugs, the designs depict various types of trees or flowers, in some way, shape, or form.
While there are many popular and recognizable Persian rug styles, perhaps the most classic of all classic vintage and antique rug styles is the Antique Persian Kashan carpet.
The rug industry has long been built on tradition—handcrafted designs, deep-rooted relationships, and word-of-mouth referrals. But as consumer expectations evolve, so too must the businesses that serve them. A recent industry survey found that 70% of rug businesses still rely on manual tracking for orders or outdated legacy software, yet those that have adopted modern tools report efficiency gains of up to 40%.
The boutique trade show for high-end rug brands returns to its premium position at the International Surface Event (TISE), Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, January 28–30, 2025. Here’s what you need to know …