Category: Karastan

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Karastan

Highpoint Market Recap: A Taste of What’s to Come

Fresh from what has largely become recognized as ‘fashion week’ for the luxury home furnishing industry, the Karastan design team is back at work after unveiling their latest Fall 2017 collections at North Carolina’s High Point Market. Hosted biannually in High Point, North Carolina, the High Point Market is regarded as the largest home furnishings show in the world and rouses interest from industry insiders across the globe! Open exclusively to trade professionals, the market routinely welcomes over 75,000 visitors, with representation from over 100 countries. Each spring and fall, an expected surplus of 2,000 exhibitors fill the 11.5 million square feet of show space for a first look at the freshest fashions in home furnishings for the season ahead.

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Karastan focused this spring’s High Point Market on its budding collaboration with inspiring lifestyle brand, Patina Vie. The relationship was revealed just weeks before last fall’s market season began and Karastan is excited to announce the collaboration continues. Founded by Sarah Willett, Patina Vie’s designs are renowned for their beautiful expressions of vintage and antique style, strikingly realized in contemporary scale and layout. For more information about Karastan’s partnership with Patina Vie, see our past blog post here.

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Last fall, Patina Vie partnered with Karastan to design three collections for spring, including our contemporary, viscose spiked Smartstrand Silk™ Cosmopolitan Collection. Next season, patrons can expect to see the addition of more original new styles like the Cosmopolitan Collection’s Netherland, shown in an intriguing indigo colorway. The Netherland features a French damask pattern and modern watercolor effect that pays homage to the European nation’s iconic blue and white Delft pottery.

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Mindful of those with a taste for traditional, Karastan also expanded the legendary Sovereign Collection, adding sophisticated styles like the Marquis. Inspired by the old world elegance of Persian-influenced design, the Marquis offers a subtly more modern take on classic motifs, incorporating fresh new color choices (debuted in both rich red and robin’s egg blue). A transitional companion piece to the Anastasia rug, which remains a celebrated Sovereign classic, the Marquis is luxuriously woven in the United States on Axminster looms with the thick softness of New Zealand wool. For more background on the 2014 introduction of our Sovereign Collection, see our past post here.

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Complimenting Karastan’s chic new collections were modern and transitional furnishings from Modus Furniture International. We hope you’ve enjoyed this market recap and taste of what’s to come. The next High Point Market is scheduled for October 14-18, 2017.

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Karastan

Wool Carpets: The Best Carpets for Allergies

If you’re one of the nearly 30% of adults or 40% of children in the U.S. who lives with allergies, you don’t need a doctor telling you how the war against allergens is an everyday, uphill battle. Allergens are everywhere around the house – embedded in fabric, airborne in dust and lying in wait on hard surfaces.

It’s impossible to rid your home entirely of these microscopic particles, but you can minimize dust, pet dander, mold, pollen and other annoying allergens in the air that trigger allergic reactions. Did you know that natural wool carpet is an effective tool in your anti-allergy arsenal?

A properly maintained wool carpet can improve indoor air quality and have a beneficial effect on your health.
A properly maintained wool carpet can improve indoor air quality and have a beneficial effect on your health.

 

 

There’s a common misperception that people with allergies should avoid carpet in the home. Actually, the opposite is true. Studies now suggest that a properly maintained wool carpet can have a beneficial effect on your health. Here’s how hypoallergenic carpeting works.

A wool carpet’s overlapping fibers form ridges that trap particles in the upper layer of the pile where they can be easily vacuumed away.
A wool carpet’s overlapping fibers form ridges that trap particles in the upper layer of the pile where they can be easily vacuumed away.

Hypoallergenic Wool Carpets

Indoor air purity – Acts as a passive air filter to trap dust, pollen and other particles. Wool carpets also absorb air pollutants and gases faster and better than other carpet fibers.

 

Non-irritating – Most wool fibers are too long and thick to be inhaled, so a wool carpet won’t irritate the respiratory system or cause allergic reactions.

 

Easy to keep clean – A wool carpet’s overlapping fibers form ridges that trap particles in the upper layer of the pile where they can be easily vacuumed away. In fact, regular vacuuming removes the food source of allergen-producing dust mites.

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Best Carpet for Allergies

Wool from sheep raised in New Zealand is recognized as the highest quality in the world. Sheep farmers there are passionate about their animals and their lands, using sustainable practices to raise free-range sheep bred for wool that’s ideally suited for carpets and upholstery. New Zealand wool is also naturally white so it readily accepts dyes for beautifully vibrant colors and patterns. And wool has built-in resistance to crushing, so carpet fibers bounce back even after repeated wear. Add to that its natural tendency to resist soil and stains and you can understand why wool makes the best carpet for allergy sufferers.

Naturally white, New Zealand wool readily accepts dyes for beautifully vibrant colors and patterns.
Naturally white, New Zealand wool readily accepts dyes for beautifully vibrant colors and patterns.

Karastan chooses to use New Zealand wool over any other types because of its superior beauty and strength as well as hypoallergenic properties. When shopping for wool carpeting, also look for the “Wool: Clean Air Certification” label that assures a carpet that removes contaminants from the air and contributes to a healthier indoor environment. Karastan was the first to carry the Wool: Clean Air Certified label on all of its wool carpets and rugs.

Wool: Clean Air Certified label assures a carpet that will remove contaminants from the air and improve the health of the indoor environment.
Wool: Clean Air Certified label assures a carpet that will remove contaminants from the air and improve the health of the indoor environment.

Despite the itching, sneezing and watery eyes, people with allergies and sensitivities to dust and other particles can still enjoy the warmth and comfort of carpeting in their home.

Do you suffer from allergies? Share your tips for allergy-proofing your home in the comments.

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Design Concepts Karastan

A Fashionable Future: Karastan Partners with Patina Vie in 2017

The City of Lights sparkled with style when Karastan opened showroom doors for the second time so far this year at the highly awaited Las Vegas Market. Held biannually in Las Vegas’s World Market Center, the Las Vegas Market is the West Coast’s only home furnishings market and attracts the attention of luxury buyers and interior designers from across the globe. Prior to the Las Vegas Market, Karastan unveiled 2017 designs to the East Coast at Atlanta’s International Area Rug Market. Never one to disappoint, Karastan revealed its latest collaboration with the inspiring lifestyle brand Patina Vie just weeks before this year’s market season began, undoubtedly adding to the anticipation in the air.

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“Patina Vie is a brand we feel strongly aligns with the devotion to quality design that is a trademark of Karastan,” said Tracy Pruitt, Karastan Vice President of Design. “The Patina Vie motto, ‘where history and style collide,’ is perfectly in step with Karastan’s approach for product introductions. Karastan and Patina Vie share a similar passion for historical patterning and ornament while making these styles modern and palatable for today’s market.”

 

“Patina Vie does integrate vintage looks into its lifestyle, but it is much more than just a design archetype. The founder, Sarah Willett, seeks design that blends history with current trends in a way that stands out from the rest of the market. Patina Vie balances cutting edge fashion with authentic livability in a way that is truly unique,” added Brandon Culpepper, Karastan Vice President of Specialty Sales.

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Renowned for their beautiful expressions of vintage and antique style, Patina Vie’s designs are strikingly realized in contemporary scale and layout. “Their layering of unexpected patterns, such as a traditionally French damask with a Japanese shabori pattern, creates a wholly contemporary product that is so appealing, fresh and ingenious that customers are clamoring for their work. Patina Vie is a brand with exploding momentum and we are excited and proud to be creating a beautiful line of rugs utilizing their innovative approach to design and lifestyle,” added Pruitt.

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Bart Hill, Senior Vice President at Home Home, Patina Vie’s Sarah Willett, and Rocky Casteel, Mohawk Home’s President

The antique inspired artisans of Patina Vie collaborated with Karastan to create couture worthy designs for three collections: the luxurious New Zealand Wool™ Titanium Collection, the contemporary viscose spiked Smartstrand Silk™ Cosmopolitan Collection and the transitional Smartstrand Silk™ Touchstone Collection. You may recognize Patina Vie from their renowned collections of glassware, marble, ceramic and bedding seen at Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus, Horchow, Bloomingdales and other specialty boutiques around the world. Prior to the Las Vegas Market, Karastan unveiled 2017 designs to the East Coast at Atlanta’s International Area Rug Market, held January 10-17 at AmericasMart.

 

 

 

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Karastan

Highlights from High Point Market

Known as “fashion week for the home furnishing industry,” the High Point Market is held biannually in High Point, North Carolina. It’s also recognized as the largest home furnishings show in the world! Each April and October, the market welcomes over 75,000 visitors, with representation from over 100 countries. Over 2,000 exhibitors flood the 11.5 million square feet of show space and unveil the freshest fashions in home furnishings for the season ahead, and Karastan had an amazing showroom at this year’s Market.

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The finale of our fall 2016 market tour, the Karastan showroom at High Point was full of energy and excitement as eager industry insiders previewed four rug designs from the highly anticipated Intrigue Collection, set to officially launch this upcoming January 2017. Aptly named Intrigue, the transitional styles of this captivating new collection held onlookers spellbound with vibrant expressions of exotic jewel tones and refreshingly modern motifs. Beautifully woven with Karastan’s exclusive Everstrand™ recycled premium polyester yarn, each debut of the Intrigue Collection features an irresistible softness, superior stain resistance and striking color clarity for the ultimate in luxury.

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Adding to the activity inside the Karastan showroom, was the big reveal of a comparative piece to the renowned Sovereign Collection’s bestselling Anastasia style. Currently, the Anastasia is Karastan’s highest selling Axminster woven rug. A modern embodiment of the Karastan legacy, the new Marquis area rug is only available through special order at this time. A design created for those with a timeless taste in mind, the transitional Marquis is certain to become a celebrated classic. Woven with the finest New Zealand worsted wool, the Marquis is luxuriously crafted with an heirloom quality that is unmistakably Karastan.

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As the doors of the High Point Market are sealed to the public and only open to trade professionals, enjoy this exclusive sneak peek behind the scenes at the Karastan showroom! The next High Point Market is scheduled for April 22-26, 2017, we’ll have so much more to feature and report this Spring.

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Karastan

Karastan Invites You to Step Outside with Portico

As Karastan nears a century since “The Wonder Rug of America” was first unveiled in the spring of 1928, history is being made again this fall with the launch of the Portico Collection! A luxuriously versatile collection of flat weave styles designed specifically for indoor and outdoor use, Portico offers a superior standard of durability that has yet to be seen in the market.

The introductory collection includes 29 timeless and treasured patterns, like central medallions, frets and ikat motifs, cast in an exciting range of colors, including coral, indigo and steel grey. Thoughtfully crafted from outdoor, weather-resistant polypropylene yarn, the styles of the Portico Collection are fade resistant and feature an attractive sisal inspired aesthetic.

We’re proud to say that the Portico Collection is the only flat-woven sisal look product made in America and has all of the benefits and advantages associated with that distinction! Anticipated to debut this fall, use our find a retailer tool to discover the Karastan Portico Collection at a luxury retailer near you.

 

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Inspired by luxurious jaunts to the French Riviera, the San Tropez, in coral and natural, showcases a stately central medallion framed by an ornately detailed border. A flat weave style crafted from outdoor, weather-resistant polypropylene yarn, the styles of the Portico Collection undergo extensive fade resistance testing and feature an attractive sisal inspired aesthetic.

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The Amalfi, in grey and silver, showcases a tile inspired motif, reminiscent of the ornately detailed mosaics seen in the ancient Italian architecture of the Amalfi Cathedral, located in the center of the coastal Mediterranean town. Equally well suited for both indoor and outdoor living, the Portico Collection delivers an advanced standard of durability to the high fashion of interior design today.

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Design Concepts Karastan

Karastan Premier Designer Project: Chicago Retreat

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We love it when Karastan Premier Designers share with us images from some of their gorgeous interiors. So when M. Grace Sielaff, Karastan Premier Designer and managing principal of M. Grace Designs, Inc. out of Chicago, sent us photos from one of her latest projects, we just knew we had to share it with our Live Beautifully readers!

Read on for our Q&A with Grace about this beautiful Chicago retreat, complete with Karastan’s luxury wool carpet.

Karastan: Where was this project?

Grace:  Chicago, IL

Karastan: What were you hired to do?

Grace: Our client is from Denver, Colorado. We were hired to design their two-bedroom unit condo in River North, Chicago. It is our client’s second home. They wanted a second home so they can visit their parents on the weekends.

Karastan: Sounds great! What was the look the client wanted? How were you able to translate their vision?

Grace: Our client wanted a transitional with a minimalist modern living space. From the client’s perspective, they wanted to leave it all to me to come up with ideas. So we created this space with touches of their favorite color and then translated their ideal look within the allocated budget.

Karastan: What was your approach to this project?

Grace: I listened to their needs, and then presented the ideas, color palette, and furnishings one room at a time. I’m passionate about the outcome because the client was so easy to work with.

Karastan: Why did you decide to use a Karastan carpet?

Grace: I’ve incorporated Karastan’s Woolston Plaid in Castle Wall because of its nice transitional modern look. It has a bold yet subtle pattern, and it’s the first thing you notice when you walk into the room.

Karastan: Why did you decide to cut and bind the rug as opposed to going wall to wall?

Grace: Our client wanted area rugs in all the room.

Karastan:  Tell us about this room – what’s the focal point? What look did you achieve?

Grace: We achieved a dramatic, minimal yet subtle living environment. The focal point is in the living room. Everything’s anchored with the space, including the art, the loveseat and the area rug.

Karastan: What was the client’s response to the bedroom?

Grace: The bedroom was a haven to them. They feel like it’s a home away from home. We ended up with a successful project because they were just a remarkable couple to work with.

Thanks, Grace for sharing your beautiful work with us, too!

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About M. Grace Sielaff:

Grace, a Karastan Premier Designer, is a recognized expert in color and is the recipient of the ASID Design Excellence Award from the American Society of Interior Designers, (ASID). Grace’s interiors have been published and featured in: Luxury Home Quarterly, Design Bureau Magazine, CS Interiors,The MTV Production, HGTV- Home & Garden Television, Chicago Luxury Home and Condo, StyleChicago, Garden Design magazine, Spectacular HOMES, Chicago Tribune, and DreamHome at Design Center Merchandise Mart. For additional information about Grace, visit her website here!

Follow Grace on social media using the links below, and visit her Premier Designer profile on the Designer Match section of Karastan’s website.

Follow Grace on Instagram

Follow Grace on Twitter

Follow Grace on Facebook

Follow Grace on Pinterest

 

 

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Karastan

Summer Rug Market Sneak Peek

Taprobana Sapphire, a new debut of the Spice Market Collection

It’s been an eventful season at Karastan, as our designers polish the finishing touches on three new rug collections and a flock of fresh Spice Market additions set to be unveiled inside the Karastan Showroom at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, held July 12-19, 2016 in Atlanta’s AmericasMart. The market routinely hosts over 1,400 unique showrooms and 4,000 temporary exhibits, and the Karastan showroom will undoubtedly be a prime destination for the East Coast’s premiere interior designers, upscale retailers and industry professionals. Later this summer, Karastan will take the show on the road to the West Coast at the biannual Las Vegas Market, held July 31- August 4 on the campus of the World Market Center in the heart of downtown Las Vegas.

Set to debut at this market includes our highly anticipated, contemporary Cosmopolitan and Enigma Collections, the luxuriously transitional Touchstone Collection, and a sensational spread of new styles designed for the highly sought after Spice Market Collection.

Influenced by the glamorous glistens of brushed gold seen heavily in high end jewelry, home accents, furniture and lighting, the Cosmopolitan Collection combines divine dustings of shimmering cream and gold viscose with the velvety texture of Smartstrand Silk. Polished patterns inspired a taste for timeless traditional designs are illuminated by a palette of mineral colors, like jadeite, heathered violet, and cornflower.

Enigma showcases a contemporary collection of abstract, texturally driven designs. Though avant-garde in every aspect, the styles of this collection lend an effortless harmony to other décor elements as a result of their monochromatic aesthetic. Subtly shimmering sprinkles of viscose add a glimpse of glamour to the smooth texture of Karastan’s exclusive triexta Smartstrand Silk yarn.

An eclectic mix of styles from abstract contemporary to re-imagined Persians, Touchstone is a curated collection of new age classics. Shown in sought after shades of indigo, bronze, black and a soft gold, the designs of this collection are transitional and textural. Fused with our exclusive Smartstrand Silk yarn, the styles of the Touchstone Collection offer the same sumptuous softness of silk, coupled with the renowned strain resistance of our Smartstrand fiber.

To date, Spice Market has been one of Karastan’s most successful collection launches, with a wait list long of bestselling styles. With influences from across the globe, each design of the Spice Market collection features original cultural inspired artistry, one-of-a-kind details and a rich palette of sultry hues and deep jewel tones derived from the exotic Mediterranean. Consciously crafted of Karastan’s exclusive Everstrand fiber, a premium polyester produced from up to 100% post-consumer content from plastic bottles, the rugs of the Spice Market Collection offer an irresistible soft touch, inherent stain resistance and vivid color clarity.

All market debuts are expected to be in stock this upcoming fall.

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This is Karastan’s Suir Camel rug, a debut from the Touchstone Collection

 

 

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Karastan

Karastan’s Newest Rug Collections: Manifesto and Titanium

Earlier this year, Karastan unveiled two of our most luxurious rug collections yet, Manifesto and Titanium. While both collections are a product of our designers’ taste for timeless elegance and distinguished craftsmanship, they delightfully differ in many ways as well. View the styles of each collection on our website and be sure to take advantage of our Find a Retailer tool to find a store in your area. While these styles are expected to be in stock later this spring, they won’t last for long!

The Manifesto Collection

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Manifesto Soprano Rug in Charcoal

This collection blends relaxed elegance and exquisite quality with a touch of modern sophistication. Featuring a soft color palette of creams, grays, and neutrals, mixed with accents of seaglass, tobacco and rosewood, this collection will flatter almost any space for generations to come.  The Manifesto Collection exudes a global design flair, gathering its influence from legendary pattern styles like the sultabad, khotan and agra.

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Manifesto Contralto Rug in Ivory

As practical as they are beautiful, these rugs provide decorating solutions that are also comfortable and durable. Crafted with 100% of the finest worsted New Zealand wool, handsomely woven with Karastan’s renowned Van De Wiele looms, the Manifesto Collection offers heirloom quality pieces that will effortlessly complement today’s home fashions.

Titanium Collection

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Titanium Andeols Rug in Seaglass

The Titanium Collection is glamourous but still grounded by a carefully curated combination of both traditional and transitional patterns. Rising to the occasion, the Titanium Collection satisfies a craving for contrast, with a fashion forward fusion of matte and sheen finishes.

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Titanium Sans Pareil Rug in Ivory

Wonderfully woven with Karastan’s renowned Van De Wiele looms, the styles of this collection feature a matchless texture with the innovative fiber blend of matte wool and subtly shimmering viscose. Strands of viscose yarn strategically interwoven into the wool construction capture light and elegantly glisten, giving the rugs of the Titanium Collection a rich dimension and soft metallic luster.

What do you think of our two newest collections? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

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Karastan

Premier Designers at the Design Bloggers Conference

This week, at the 2016 Design Bloggers Conference in Atlanta, we launched our Premier Designers program to hundreds of interior designers, members of the American Society of Interior Designers, and design bloggers. It was an absolute #woollove fest at the Karastan booth, where our Lady Baa Baa sheep greeted conference participants on our 100% New Zealand Wool Woolston Plaid carpet in Worldly Gray.

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Interior Design bloggers were also invited to join Premier Designers, Karastan’s exclusive group of interior designers who earn rewards for their design services. Interior Designers who join Premier Designers while at the booth were automatically entered into a contest where they could win their choice of Karastan carpet or rug up to 8’x10’.

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Premier Designers are featured on the Karastan website, and can earn rewards including features on Karastan’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and profiles on Live Beautifully, Karastan’s interior design blog. The highest earning Premier Designer will get national recognition in Elle Décor magazine.

There were plenty of Instagrammable moments at our booth, as conference attendees took selfies with our Karastan sheep to enter our Instagram contest. To enter the contest, all Karastan sheep selfies on Instagram must include the hashtags: #Karastan #livebeautifully and #woollove. The contest winner will be chosen on Thursday, March 10, 2016 and will receive a $250 Visa gift card.

Here are some fun photos from the Karastan booth!

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Karastan

A Relic Reimagined

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Earlier this month, Karastan boldly unveiled its limited edition Panel Kirman Granite rug design inside the Karastan showroom of Atlanta’s AmericasMart during the opening day of January’s International Area Rug Market. A reimagined creation of our most popular rug ever made, the illustrious Multi Panel Kirman, the limited edition rug has been recolored with the millennial buyer in mind.

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While the original Multi Panel Kirman that debuted in 1937 featured 53 mesmerizing bold colors, the refreshed masterpiece offers a more muted palette of greys, creams, tans and bronze, accented by citron and French blue. With only 250 of these limited edition works of art in existence, each is sure to become a treasured collection piece.

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Here’s a more in-depth look at the inspiration and creative process behind the recreation of the legendary Multi Panel Kirman, as told by Tracy Pruitt, Karastan’s Vice President of Design.