Mohawk Home Shows Broadest Rug Line

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 2/25/2008 12:00:00 AM

New York —

This was the first market in recent memory that decorative pillows and throws were not part of Mohawk Home's lifestyle vignette presentations.

Since exiting these categories, Mohawk has focused on area, accent and bath rugs.

Drawing mostly from India but a bit from China as well, Mohawk looked overseas for its 40-plus cotton bath offerings. Donna Sandy, design director for imported bath, said the a variety of constructions "cover every price level and help our consumer find something she loves" from $12 to $40 at retail.

Mohawk Home's first certified organic cotton collection is GOTS certified and set to retail for $19.99 to $24.99. Sandy's approach here was to lead with design. "In the past people made organic rugs so plain, and there was really no reason to buy them instead of something else," she said. "What we did was try to make our organic rugs beautiful with texture, color and versatile design."

The organic lin includes solid-colored reversibles, high-low textures, chenilles, cabled cottons and cut piles. "I really feel strongly about the pretty story we can tell that is also organic," Sandy said.

To hit a popular price in bath, Sandy took a high-end cotton grade but lowered the pile height to maintain look and quality but still appeal to tight pocketbooks.

On the high end is Enchanted, a 70% cotton/30% micro-denier polyester blended product.

Regardless of price bracket, the design mission for this market in bath was "to keep the styling simple and versatile," Sandy said.

Mohawk also showed infant and juvenile styles for the first time.