Rug News and Design

14/01/2026

Posted by The Social Sarah who for 15yrs walked the markets for RugNewsandDesign.

Hi all, it’s Sarah. The print magazine as you know closed a couple years back. I am still figuring out how to take the knowledge I got from my years working with my father and with many of you to take it forward in something the home industry needs now.

As I go through years of photography, I wanted to show you what being part of a family business behind the scenes looked like. The kid you see in this video is now 14 and is into art and design.

Let me know what you would like to see from me going forward. What is in needed in the market of rugs, textile and design that’s missing?

05/01/2026

Always fun to learn about patterns

The fantastic must’ve put tons of work into this great graphic showing the name and story behind the name of popular patterns used in clothing. I knew exactly nothing!

15/10/2025

06/10/2025

The ancestral wall of pictures.

Homes with a wall of black and white family portraits displayed not in the main area but a back room, a stairway, a place that is comforting but not pushy, is an old school design aesthetic, I don’t see that often.

What do you think?

04/08/2025

11/05/2025

The lost art of smocking. It takes time and skill to smock a dress. While machines were invented to smock textiles, the difference of hand done versus machine done is noticeable to the train eye.

All my beautiful smocked dresses burned in an attic fire when I was 12. Even then I knew what was lost. Smocked outfits are not as popular today but if you see one handmade, admire it for the skill a seamstress had to make it.

11/05/2025

Functional design on a building. Made by hands in the traditional way.

28/04/2025

My first market in 5yrs after attending 15 years worth of markets.

Is it different? Well….

No. In the sense that color and design are everywhere, good and bad. People are mingling and doing business. It’s a morning to night overload.

And YES.

I am not here in my old role but a new one. Assisting a designer. Instead of worrying about what I need to write, bogged down in the minutia of editorial detail, I get to focus on the passion of design detail on a different level and on a larger scale than just rugs. Oh I still love rugs but there is so much more in textiles.

My eye drew me to the small details that bring out the unique individual. Things I used to want to stop and explore more but could not because I was always on deadline.

Assisting a designer tackle market had us divide and conquer. Collecting fabric and wallpaper samples, visiting furniture showrooms with a purpose, looking into the details. It has been a blast reconnecting with some of my rug family while here. It’s been great meeting new people.

In time this account will drop the title of RugNewsandDesign for two reasons 1. The magazine closed in 2024 and 2. I am taking the past into something new with andDesign. Something that represents my knowledge, my passion and joy of rugs, textile, design and the people and companies who support the communities they work in around the world.

I hope you stay with me if you have been a long time follower of my families business. If you’re new, welcome. Enjoy scrolling thru old pictures I took and watch as this page moves forward.

In Friendship,
Sarah Wadley Raoul (Thornton)

28/04/2025

Sunday’s market Fashion Walk comes from the wonderful ladies from

With their bold colors and beaming styles, you can feel the joy they have creating beautiful spaces for their clients.

Thank you letting me capture your style.

27/04/2025

It’s in the details that make a home the embodiment of the person. As I enjoy visiting for their evening party with Designer Atelier Lydie, I was drawn to the details. Take this candle on the long communal wooden dining table. The dripped wax of candles passed, representing previous meals and conversations among friends or buyers and designers meeting for the first time sharing their market stores. You could hear laughter echo around you, see people not only talking but walking the showroom.

This was no blank canvas of a showroom. Cisco offered a canvas for the buyer to build from, not just in the product, but who Cisco was as a company. It is in the details you gain the insight into the person/product/company.

This market, I have been assisting an up and coming designer from Richmond attend her first market. Between the showrooms, meeting new designers and attending lectures, it can be overwhelming. I have been helping her focus in on her goals, directing her to the showrooms that match what she is looking for and managing all the paperwork gathered. This free’s up her time to focus on the projects and clients she has, be fully present and engaged with those she meets. With my many years of trade show knowledge, I am able to help her focus on the details, enjoy market and help her have a successful market.

27/04/2025

People come to for work- to meet with other designers, attend lectures to help improve their business, to find new products to sell.

Yet, there is a part of market that feels like it’s own Fashion Week. The joy of seeing creative artist who design interiors showing off their personal style is a hidden joy at market.

Don Ricardo Massenburg of and his associate for two days have delighted with a masterful handle of mixing patterns and textiles in their wardrobe. We spoke waiting for our shuttles. I asked if I could take a picture for my son, a budding artist and fashionista. This in turn got me thinking more on the old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “we are what we wear.”

As one walks market, I am always drawn to the fabulous people who make bold wardrobe choices. I know they have confidence, strength and that je ne sais quoi of the love of who they are, what they do and are proud to express themselves. Which in turn makes me think of their business. If they put that much detail to their wardrobe, imagine what they put into each project or storefront.

And for those of us who don’t have the fashionista stylings like these gentleman, I still see your talents, from bold jewelry, a fabulous scarf, impressive shoes or bags.

It recalls something I was told 20yrs ago attending my first market with my father- find you style and repeat it, so when you walk into a showroom they know you have arrived. Well twenty years ago, it was all business suits. My father wore a hideous green blazer but when he walked into a showroom, they new Rug News Magazine had arrived.

As I take this platform forward as andDesign and use my years of knowledge in rugs and editorial, I think to myself, what will be my green jacket, my bold style to say I AM HERE.

What is your style when you attend market? How do you represent your brand when you walk market?