Market

edited by Alexa Yablonski -- Interior Design, 2/1/2003 12:00:00 AM

Market Tile Sources

ABK–Campeginese Industrie Ceramiche, 24A Via San Lorenzo, 41034 Finale Emilia, Italy; 39-0535-761311; abk.it. circle 334

Brix, 116 Via Circonvallazione Northeast, 41049 Sassuolo, Italy; 39-0536-812426; brixweb.com. circle 335

Ceramgres, through Stone Source, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003; 212-979-6400; stonesource.com. circle 336

Ceramica Valverde, 42-46 Via Monchio, 41042 Fiorano Modenese, Italy; 39-0536-838-811; valverde.it. circle 337

Ceramiche Lea, through Ideal Tile of Manhattan East, 405 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022; 212-759-2339; idealtileimporting.com. circle 338

Cerdomus Ceramiche, 1000 Via Emilia Ponente North, 48014 Castelbolognese, Italy; 39-0546-652111; cerdomus.com. circle 339

Cogir Glass, through Floor-n-Decor, Route 20, Box 495A, Lake City, FL 32055; 386-755-5862; glass-block-decorative.com. circle 340

Cotto Veneto, through Boston Tile, 911 Belmont Avenue, Springfield, MA 01108; 413-732-4191; ectile.com. circle 341

Dom Ceramiche, 569 Strada Statale, 167A, 41050 Solignano, Italy; 39-059-757-7911. circle 342

Maestri Maiolicari, through Hastings Tile, 32 Commercial Street, Freeport, NY 11520; 516-379-3500; hastingstilebath.com. circle 343

Naxos, 569 Strada Statale, 169, 41050 Solignano, Italy; 39-059-748811; monocibec.it. circle 344

Go, team!

Made with enough pom-poms to fuel a pep rally, Nanimarquina's Topissimo offers plenty of cheer. The hand-tufted wool rug comes in mixed shades of red or blue as well as in solid fuchsia, purple, brown, and blue. Design Link, 79 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-226-2268; deslink.com. circle 317

The way of silk

When New York's art scene imploded in the late '80s, painters Brad Davis and Janis Provisor sublet their apartment and set off for Asia. "Instead of moaning and groaning about what's next, we thought, Let's have an adventure, and things will clear up before we get back," says Provisor. The optimistic couple intended to travel for a year. Instead, they stayed in Hong Kong to develop rug-design techniques blending a Western aesthetic and Asian handicraft. After much experimentation, Davis and Provisor found a way to translate their watercolors into wild-silk rugs. And so Fort Street Studio was founded in 1996.

Last fall, the couple returned to New York to open a showroom. "It's a space with lightness and a little humor," says Davis. In came a warm pistachio color for the walls, dark mahogany-stained floors, and furnishings from Finn Juhl and Thonet. The rugs, of course, remain the stars. Some of the newest clearly attest to the fine-arts background of their creators. Charcoal and pen-and-ink effects appear, respectively, in Vine Charcoal (above left) and Border (below center), the latter of which explores the idea of a simple brush stroke writ large. 578 Broadway, Suite 506, New York, NY 10012; 212-925-5383. circle 318

Bev Hisey

Available as retro-stripe runners and color-block carpets, these wild-and-woolen rugs are made of layered melton wool. Their remarkable softness is second only to sand as the ultimate treat for bare feet. 96 Spadina Avenue, Suite 504, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2J6, Canada; bevhisey.com. circle 319

Interface Flooring Systems

Get sporty with Gist, a collection of rugby-stripe modular carpet tiles. While the bright colors are definitely eye-catching, it's the tiles' velourlike texture that makes them stand out underfoot. P.O. Box 1503, Orchard Hill Road, LaGrange, GA 30241; 800-336-0225; interfaceflooring.com. circle 320

Ceracasa

Lead the gilded life with Mosaico porcelain tiles, embossed with a metallic grid. These 12-inch-square tiles debut in March at Coverings in Orlando, Florida. Tile of Spain, 2655 Le Jeune Road, Suite 1114, Coral Gables, FL 33134; 305-446-4387; tilespain.com; ceracasa.com. circle 322

Karastan Contract

The Fashion Venue collection pays homage to the roadway and the runway, with Boulevard Haussmann in Paris as a reference point. Note Haussmann Boulevard's linear ribbed look, Studio L's subtle grid, and Kenzo's bamboo allusions. These completely recyclable products have a bouclé texture and are available in 14 colorways. 500 Town Park Lane, Suite 400, Kennesaw, GA 30144; 800-554-6637; karastancontract.com. circle 321

Rick Lee Design

A tribute to '60s pop art, Dot has visual punch. Customers can choose the color, pattern, and size of the rug, which is constructed from interconnected woven wool circles in shades of almond brown and off-white. 142 Russ Street, Suite 5, San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-551-0013; rickleedesign.com. circle 323

Atlas Carpet Mills

Architects are likely to fall for the no-frills, totally textural aesthetic of the Studio line. The dynamically linear Composite is one of four patterns. 2200 Saybrook Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90040; 800-372-6274; atlascarpetmills.com. circle 326

F.J. Hakimian

Since 1970, the celebrated Joseph Hakimian has been dealing in outstanding antique rugs, from 17th-century Persians to 18th-century Aubussons. Hakimian recently unveiled Custom, a collection of meticulously handmade rugs based on historical documents but cognizant of contemporary living. Ingrid, a woven wool-cotton carpet, is based on a Swedish design. 136 East 57th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022; 212-371-6900; fjhakimian.com. circle 325

Elson & Company

For his latest rug, Rex Ray exchanged his trademark gleeful graphics for a more graceful geometry. Clear's calming concentric circles come in soothing tones of 100-knot Himalayan wool. 67 Murray Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10007; 800-944-2858; elsoncompany.com. circle 324

Odegard

Prim florals have their place—think Devonshire—but we metropolitans crave bolder bouquets. Enter Stephanie Odegard's Botanica collection of daring designs in hand-spun Himalayan wool. We especially like the graphic leaves of Youngtse Campu Oval. 200 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016; 212-545-0069; odegardcarpets.com. circle 327

Coverings, Etc.

One needn't canvass the earth for fabulous flooring. Fiber Cement is an eco-friendly solution with plenty of flair. Made from cement and wood pulp, the material resists fire, rot, fungus, and vermin. The 4-by-8-foot or 4-by-10-foot sheets range from 3/8 inch to 1 5/8 inches in thickness. 89 NE 40th Street, Miami, FL 33137; 305-572-1080; coveringsetc.com. circle 328

Joan Weissman

The hand-knotted Tibetan rugs in the Beyond Borders collection owe a debt to such textile discoveries as a cotton shirt from Cameroon and a 19th-century Senegalese cloth appliqué. Their abstracted imagery crosses boundaries of time, place, and culture, reflecting the commonality between peoples of the world. Shown here: Manteau. 3710 Silver South East, Albuquerque, NM 87108; 505-265-0144; weissmanj@att.net. circle 329

Orbo Design

Our cup continueth to run over with praise for the Spills collection of durable and easy-to-clean canvas rugs hand-coated with paint, acrylic polymers, and polyurethane sealant. Made to order by Kristin Ordahl and Kelly Bortoluzzi, the carpets have been commissioned by the likes of Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Martha Stewart. 302 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211; 718-384-7404; orbodesign.com. circle 330

Bentley Prince Street

This company's new House & Home division is devoted to residential floor coverings—both functional and fashionable. Among them is Velvet, a collection of area rugs by esteemed textile designer Suzanne Tick. Her creations combine blocks of two, four, five, and six colors, delineated by a carved shadow line. Distinguishing characteristics include a medium-profile pile. 4641 East Don Julian Road, City of Industry, CA 91746; 800-423-4709. circle 331

Rug Company

Now that Christopher and Suzanne Sharp have brought the Rug Company from London to New York, we're pleased to have easy access to the smart—and sometimes sassy—handmade designs by Suzanne Sharp and her fellow Brits: Nicky Haslam, Lulu Guinness, Emily Todhunter, et al. Paul Smith's latest offerings are Home, a high-end welcome mat, and Star Pink, a real dazzler. 88 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012; 212-274-0444; therugcompany.info. circle 332

Endless Knot Rug Company

The meandering Pathways pattern, from Lori Weitzner's new collection of hand-knotted wool and wool-silk rugs, is meant to represent life's twists and turns, celebrating the beauty at each juncture. Shown in bordeaux; also available in cream, ruby, and truffle. 364 Blodgett Street, Cotati, CA 942931; 800-910-3000; endlessknotrugs.com. circle 333

Cersaie's Finest

In case anyone needs an excuse to travel to Italy, the erudite and architecturally significant city of Bologna hosts Cersaie each autumn. The world's largest tile exhibition, it marries centuries-old artistic tradition with state-of-the-art technology. Every conceivable kind of tile has been imagined, researched, reworked, and executed to perfection, from hand-cut mosaic tile to the pristinely sharp edges of high-tech porcelain.

According to the director of Hastings's tile division, Kevin Mashia, Cersaie 2002 mirrored trends he'd been tracking in fashion and home furnishings. "I was especially impressed by the role texture played," he says. "Rather than the deep, heavy reliefs of the past, the new look is underplayed and softer."

Many of the tiles begged to be touched, evoking the textures of linen, moss, leather, gravel, bark, wood, sisal, hemp, even bamboo. Cotto Veneto added to its extensive collection of textural finishes with Stuoie, a line of terra-cotta that looks like nubbly burlap. Cogir Glass's Antro d'Oro, not glass at all, is mosaic tile by artisan Italico Clemente; it could be mistaken for woven fabric but is actually hand-cut from natural stone. ABK–Campeginese Industrie Ceramiche's Coco wall tile mimics shiny alligator skin.

Responding to the patinated-stone look's recent popularity, the industry has produced an array of cost-effective and low-maintenance porcelains that resemble natural stone. Ceramica Valverde's tile Loft might appear to be tumbled concrete but is in fact porcelain. Tiny metal inserts punctuate its surface like so many jewels.

Some companies paid playful homage to 1970s, reviving pebbles, dots, and circular motifs. Naxos presented Trend; Cerdomus Ceramiche updated op art with Optical. Meanwhile, other manufacturers told their tile stories with Zen simplicity.

Rug Art

The evolving and expanding collection of handmade wool and wool-silk rugs by Vidal Sasson confirms this company's dedication to fine design and ability to customize. 2600 Netherland Avenue, Suite 1822, Riverdale, NY 10463; 718-432-8100; rug-art.net. circle 346

Martha Stewart Signature

Martha doesn't exactly think small. For her first endeavor in flooring, she partnered with Shaw Contract to produce a collection of breathtaking breadth. Comprising carpet, area rugs, hardwood, linoleum, laminate, ceramic and porcelain tile, and natural stone, the line coordinates with her existing paints and fabrics. 800-950-7130; marthastewart.com. circle 347

Carlisle Restoration Lumber

Wide-plank flooring is ideally suited to the traditionally comfy hearth and home. This company's best-seller is old-growth white pine, which impresses with even grain structure, unique knots, and warm color. 1676 Route 9, Stoddard, NH 03464; 800-595-9663; wideplankflooring.com. circle 345

Milliken Carpet

For its first health-care collection, this company teamed up with HDR, a leader in hospital design, to produce the beautiful Soul line of 6-foot loop-pile carpets. The 25 patterns promote well-being while addressing institutional performance needs. Zen philosophy and flora with healing properties, such as eucalyptus, give rise to the soothing color palette. Thanks to lifetime warranties on antimicrobial protection, resiliency, wear, and colorfastness, the carpets will provide comfort that lasts. 201 Lukken Industrial Drive West, LaGrange, GA 30240; 800-241-4826; millikencarpet.com. circle 349

Rosemary Hallgarten

This textile designer's latest series, Still Life, abstracts imagery from nature. The elegant, sinuous strokes of Driftwood are rendered in hand-hooked, hand-spun New Zealand wool. 805 Fourth Street, Suite 9, San Rafael, CA 94901; 415-924-1009. circle 351

Cambridge Commercial Carpets

The textured-loop pattern of Inventor offers a tweedy tailored look and high performance. Available in 13 colors. 201 Princeton Boulevard, Adairsville, GA 30103; 800-451-1250; cambridgecarpet.com. circle 352

Totem Design

With hypnotically sinuous lines and arresting color combinations, Verner Panton's Onion III couldn't escape notice at this year's Mobelmesse Imm Cologne furniture fair in Germany. 71 Franklin Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-925-5506; totemdesign.com. circle 350