[A version of this article appears in the November issue of Rug News andDesign Magazine.]
The Eye of the Beholder
By Wesley Mancini
Every aspect of the human experience is touched one way or another by textiles, on a minute to minute basis. How does one textile relate to another? How is it that products made all over the globe find their way into your home color coordinated?
Trends are ubiquitous, and ever-changing. The relationship between products in the home evolve in an unspoken language and yet there are no specific rules when it comes to Interior Design. There is also no connection between a designer of textiles in New Delhi, for example, and one in Charlotte.
Today’s marketplace is not based on tradition. Looking at the old in a new way is what’s driving today’s interior fashion trends. An example would be a classic Asian toile, complete with pagodas, with a tie dye added to the background—turning a historic reference into something “brand new.”
This is a universal approach to design today, and it holds true to all markets. Rugs are a perfect example of this trend, where a historic rug document might be blown up and simplified, giving a modern take on scale and color.
The most disturbing trend of all (being that my passion is creating pattern) is that we live in a “solid world.” Upholstery on sofas tends to be a solid texture with an accent pillow for color and/or pattern. Oftentimes, the last stand for any pattern interest in a room is on the floor. Here, rug designs can be bold works of art for a statement piece, or soft, subtle, and complex, so while the room is calm, the colors continue that feeling in the rug. These are two extremes that can both work in the same environment.
Rugs and upholstery have to work with each other. The common thread to both is color. Color is the single most important aspect of anything in the room and if the colors work, the products will work together. Being that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and each consumer has a unique eye, anything goes.
About the author (from the Charlotte Observer)
Charlotte businessman and textile industry leader Wesley Mancini has been named the inaugural recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the International Textile Market Association.
The award was established as part of the association’s 50th edition of Showtime Fabric Market in High Point – held last month and one of the largest displays of fabric, leather and trimmings in the world. Voting was held among the association’s 200-plus membership.
Disclosure: Wesley Mancini is a friend, who also has a tufted rug line distributed through Due Process Stable Trading, an advertiser. This article was written in his role as Textile Industry Leader. [-LS/Publisher]
