Market Flooring

Staff -- Interior Design, 2/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

Truck: Woven leather rugs were all the rage a few years ago, but we've found a sleek replacement in Tread, made of bonded leather fiber. ABC Carpet & Home, 881 Broadway, New York, NY 10003; www.abc-carpet.com. Truck, 145 Hudson Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10013; www.the-truck.com. circle 327

Constantine: We liked the kaleidoscopic effect of Cross Currents, Constantine's dynamic new carpet pattern available in 12-foot broadloom and 18 by 18–inch vinyl-backed tile. P.O. Box 2399, Dalton, GA 30722. circle 328

Elson & Company: As the name Patches suggests, Chris Baisa's playful rug is made of hand-knotted Himalayan wool pieces stitched together in a loose framework offering glimpses of the floor below. 3723 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94118; www.elsoncompany.com. circle 329

G.T. Design: Like hemp and jute, coconut fibers have an appealing texture that lends itself to casual flooring. Deanna Comellini's limited-edition coconut rugs feature single colored lines, prominent stitching, and relief patterns, among other gestures. Handcrafted in southern India, the carpets are available in both vibrant and muted hues. Via del Barroccio 14/A, 40138 Bologna, Italy; www.gtdesign.it. circle 330

Cavendish Grey: New patterns utilizing reclaimed and recut antique terra-cotta include Basketweave. 150 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10155. circle 331

Artistic Tile: Casa Domani's handsome faux-whipstitched leather tiles put fashion at your feet. But no need to tread lightly: The tiles just get better with age, acquiring a rich patina. 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003. circle 332

Walker Zanger: A shining example of chic, Metallismo stainless-steel mosaic tiles are available in squares, mini bricks, ovals, dots, rhomboids, and herringbone and basket-weave patterns. 13190 Telfair Avenue, Sylmar, CA 91342. circle 333

Ann Sacks: Don't be fooled by Perlot's pretty pastel palette—this hard maple plank is built to last. Its multilayered construction dramatically reduces expansion and contraction. Plus, Perlot can be installed above, at, or below grade as well as over any subfloor, including concrete. 8120 NE 33rd Drive, Portland, OR 97211; www.annsacks.com. circle 334

Play On

Sure, rugby shirts are in vogue, thanks to Marc Jacobs, et al.—but closets aren't the only places in the hippest homes to boast not-so-subtle stripes. We were floored by the sassy new striped flat-weave rugs from Michaelian & Kohlberg. Despite the current fad, M&K principal and designer Teddy Sumner has confidence in the staying power of the line. "There will always be a demand for stripes. They consistently add an interesting element to the total composition," he says. "We really needed to include them in our mix because it's our goal to offer designers a full and broad collection of patterns in different scales and character, so they have more to choose from when they create a room." The casually cool hand-spun wool rugs are available in 10 patterns and a range of runner and room sizes, with no premium for custom dimensions. 578 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10012; www.michaelian.com. circle 324

NU and Improved

Tired of less-than-scintillating rugs, SCI-Arc alums Hassan Majd and Emir Uras decided to create their own collection. "It was always frustrating to find good, solid floor covering with contemporary design, but crafted with traditional methodologies," says Majd. And so NU was born. The partners' innovative designs—Fix features a decorative central tassel and Kyoto includes a removable wooden strip for dining Zen-style—nevertheless preserve the quality of the venerable kilim by tapping artisans from Majd's and Uras's respective homelands, Turkey and Iran. NU also offers its kilim patterns as single-knotted and hand-tufted rugs and carries kilim-upholstered cubes and other furniture. The company's next collection will debut in May 2002 at ICFF in New York. 165 South Crescent Heights Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048; www.nucollection.com. circle 325

Bigger Is Better

Envious are we of those whose empire is so vast that they could never think small. Take Calvin Klein, whose first rug collection is sizable to say the least. There are five categories—including painterly handmade wools and silks and graphic loom-engineered wool rugs featuring hand-hooking or hand-carving—with a number of patterns in each group. All the designs are informed by a smart, modern look but range from Barnett Newman–like stripes to fine florals. 654 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021. circle 326

For the Fifth Wall

"To give us an alternative standpoint, we wanted our latest design partnership to be with a professional who was not strongly associated with the carpeting industry," says Alex Jauregui, Lees Carpets executive vice president and general manager of modular carpet. Consequently, the company enlisted San Antonio–based artist Louis Vega Trevino to help create the company's Art for the 5th Wall collection. The two Trevino designs, Vitral and Cantera, are fresh and informed by the artist's dynamic, intricate sense of pattern. Vitral is a light mosaic; Cantera, inspired by a stone pathway, is an elegant three-dimensional design. Both are offered in 24 inch–square modular carpet tiles suitable for corporate, retail, education, and hospitality applications. 3330 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27420; www.leescarpets.com. circle 335