Colonial Mills 'Greens Up' Rug Showrooms

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 6/25/2007 12:00:00 AM

Pawtucket, R.I. —

Braided-texture area rug manufacturer cmi (Colonial Mills, Inc.) has taken its inspiration from nature and the "greening" of America with the redesign of its showrooms.

And the cmi displays at the International Area Rug Market in Atlanta (AmericasMart 5A6), the High Point Market (Suites at Market Square G-1332), and at its headquarters here will be joined in 2008 by a permanent showroom with a similar design footprint at the Las Vegas Market in 2008.

The floors of the redesigned showrooms feature several of cmi's indoor/outdoor braided-texture rugs that promote an earthy look and feel, most notably the trademarked "bamboozle" bamboo collection.

The company also chose furniture and accessories made from sustainable materials and evocative of nature themes. Asian fruits and vegetables in weathered water cups play off a centerpiece of tropical flowers growing out of a bed of moss and tree roots. Walls of mocha, tan, and beige also feature stalks of bamboo and vines climbing up and out of rolled-up rug samples doubling as planters.

"It's rare to find someone like cmi's Don Scarlata, who is a trained businessperson yet is also a real savant when it comes to knowing what the next design trend is going to be," said Steve Hedrick, President of Hedrick Gathright Designs in Richmond, Va., lead designer for the project.