Simply the Best: the Trends of the Season

Fine, jumbled designs, almost as if copied from nature, in highest weaving quality not only come from Nepal like the carpets above, but are also woven in the Persian knot technique. Herewith, the 'Rugs by Robinson' carpets are amongst the most fascinating examples and are available at König Tapis in Cheseaux sur Lausanne, Bodenmann in Basel or at Pfister.

Carpets do not only imitate nature, above all they are also natural products. High-quality carpets can only be woven from the best raw materials. Particularly nice and consistent examples can be seen at Bodenmann who newly offer natural fiber carpets by Domanicki in hemp, nettle, sisal and silk. Or the Pandra by Mischioff, in ingenious high-level low-level structure and woven from uncolored, dark sheep wool.

Beside the orientation of high-end designs towards nature there is a wide trend towards “vintage” carpets. Carpets whose designs are made retro-style and weather-beaten, or really old carpets which are revived or recycled, are in great demand according to Niels Blättler, responsible for carpets at the furniture store Pfister. In the flirting with the used and degraded "vintage" is not too far away from the use of chaotic structures and "natural" patterns which are adapted to Emerald and the like.

Both trends can be broken down to one notion: As Marcel Müller, Marketing and Sales Manager with the Zurich supplier Mischioff, names it, products which ‘live’ are particularly demanded – be it by special laundry, coloring, materials or design. On the one hand this refers to the fact that age, signs of usage, wear-out and decay respectively its imitations are liked.

On the other hand, there is an interest in the opposite: in new freshness. This includes patchworks from old Kilims or carpet pieces as well as entire old carpets, newly dyed with strong, modern (neon) colors. The affinity with ‘life’ also goes along with the popularity of herbal colored products which Marcel Müller states. The market evaluation by Bodenmann in Basel goes into a similar direction. Here another focus is placed on natural materials. Natural fiber carpets by Domanicki in hemp, nettle, sisal and silk are newly on offer.

Combination, the mixture of styles, gives wide development possibilities to the different vintage trends. Blättler (Pfister) sees a strong trend with interior decoration all together in creative combining – traditional oriental with modern design carpets, strong colors with discreet natural colors or light tones, classical oriental carpets with modern design furniture etc..

Classical designs can also be well combined. Stronger colors are generally coming in. They sold better than the rather pale carpets from the last years, according to Karl-Heinz Ahmad Djoharian from Art Oriental. He also sees a trend in the classical area towards Persian patterned products from Pakistan with fine weaving and short pile.

In terms of color, this season moves away from the pale tones towards more vibrant colors. Red in particular is on its way up, a tendency which stretches through the modern and the classical segment. The fringes of classical carpets also have a playful comeback in many places.

The malleability of felt is especially well-suited for imitations; less in terms of pattern and figurativeness than by actual modeling, i.e. of stones or flowers, like the examples from the König Tapis show.

In felt there are, however, also classical variations like the Kirghiz Shyrdaks. The independent ornamental art and the history of the Kirghiz felt carpet fascinates, says Noemi Haag, Co-Manager of Karpet GmbH. Feelfelt also offers Kirghiz Shyrdaks. Their ancient culture and archaic forms could be perfectly joined with modern aesthetics and urbane life style to elegant and exclusive interiors.

At the Domotex Carpet Design Awards Jan Kath's collection Le Maroc Blanc won the first price in the sections Best Traditional Nomadic Design Deluxe and Best Collection Traditional. In Switzerland, Le Maroc Blanc is available at Bodenmann. At the Domotex, moreover, sensation has caused by the bazaar Souk Deluxe in the style of the bazaar in Marrakesh; a passable exhibition terrain prominently situated in hall 20 where a range of exclusive designs were at display. Generally speaking, Berber carpets were strongly represented in the fairs and are also on offer at numerous traders – a long overdue comeback of the great Moroccan Berber carpets.