From left, Karastan’s David Duncan and Dennis Thiets

New York— Karastan on May 4 launched American Treasures, a high-end collection of coordinating broadloom, area rugs and runners designed to take the guesswork out of matching colors, patterns and styles. The line was officially rolled out here at historic ABC Carpet & Home, one of the largest specialty flooring retailers in the country.

“The Karastan theme is all about making statements,” said Dave Duncan, vice president of marketing, adding that moving into the coordinates category with American Treasures is a perfect example. “And we also like to make statements with our marketing message, whether it be through the media, merchandising, retail showrooms or events.”

American Treasures launches with 12 patterns, but that number is expected to double by year’s end. The designs fall under the “classic” heading, according to Elizabeth Miller, senior vice president of design, area rugs, and range from tailored plaids and leafy lattice looks to small-scale florals. She added when designing the line, Karastan focused on the fact that its target customer is younger than it once was. “Their sensibility is broader than the traditional Karastan customer.”

American Treasures’ color palette is saturated hues primarily of red, black, ivory, green and gold, and black with eight other space-dyed accent colors. Most products feature New Zealand wool in Wilton and Axminster constructions. Retail price points range from $80 to $200 a yard for broadloom and $899 to $1,299 for a 6X9-ft. area rug.

Paul Chapman, ABC Carpet’s vice chairman and president, has high hopes for the collection. “It answers such a critical need. We hear from designers and specifiers all the time that they’re looking for stylish coordinates to satisfy installations for wall-to-wall, along corridors and stairs, and options for area rugs. American Treasures helps fill a void that’s in the market, and it’s from a trusted brand with a great legacy.”

Duncan said the line will be rolled out to 800 retailers by the end of summer.
—Steven Feldman