New rugs that are being introduced at the October textiles and home furnishings markets feature sun-lit shades of beige, wheat, mauve, and sage. In traditional styling, many designs feature larger figures and more open fields. The growing contemporary category is either wild and asymmetrical, or simple and elegantly tailored.
"Styling is changing rapidly," says retailer John Murse of Sarasota, Fla.-based Rugs as Art. "The dark tea-washed rugs are looking very old. I saw a lot of extremely interesting things at summer market and I'm glad I was there to get the first shot at them this fall. People who missed the market are going to be behind the curve."