A total of 233 hand-made carpets from 15 nations were submitted for the 2019 Carpet Design Awards . From among this number, an international jury of design and carpet industry experts has selected the very best, putting 24 finalists through to the final round of the world's most prestigious award for excellence in carpet design. For each of the award's eight categories, the jury has selected three exclusive creations which they believe stand out from the rest in terms of design, quality and craftsmanship.

These finalists will now be whittled down to just eight overall winners – one in each category – who will receive their awards at a special DOMOTEX ceremony held at the "Framing Trends" showcase at 6 p.m. on 12 January 2019. The Carpet Design Awards, an annual highlight of the show's section on modern, hand-made carpets, are highly valued in international carpet circles, and their outcome is already the subject of great anticipation.

The keynote theme for DOMOTEX 2019 is "CREATE'N'CONNECT" , which alludes to the show's primary focus on the power of connectivity as a wellspring of creativity. This connectivity theme finds expression in many sections of the Carpet Design Awards, particularly in the "Best Collection", "Best Interior" and "Best Communication" categories. Together, the eight categories encompass a range of production methods, price points and design principles, ensuring that the award is broadly representative of the diversity that characterizes the carpet industry as a whole.

This is the second time that the selection jury has been chaired by Michael Mandapati, carpet expert and founder and president of Warp & Weft, New York. "So far it has been a great year for the CDA. Reducing the hundreds of submitted entries down to only 24 is no easy task but this year the quality on offer was particularly high. It is great to see the rich variety of work that is going on in the international rug market and I am proud of being part of the CDA judging process. I am looking forward to choosing the final winners at the show in January", says Michael Mandapati.

The selection criteria included design and design concept, material, execution, structure and quality, and sustainability and branding.

The Carpet Design Awards are staged in cooperation with the trade journals HALI and COVER, and January 2019 will be their fourteenth anniversary. During DOMOTEX, all 24 of the shortlisted carpets will be on display at the "Framing Trends" showcase in Hall 9, where they will share the limelight with various other innovative design and interior trends inspired by the "CREATE'N'CONNECT" keynote theme. And once again, visitors will be able to vote for their favorites. The carpet receiving the most votes will be presented with the "Best Liked by DOMOTEX Visitors" prize at the close of the show.

Shortlisted carpets and designs in each category:

Category 1: Best Studio Artist Design
Original small-scale production design from an artist or designer

(Note: This category is open to both exhibitors and non-exhibitors.)

THE CHAMELEONCARPET, Atelier for Textildesign (AU)
ICARPET, Icarpet (DE)
POMPON-TIGER, Myk Berlin (DE)

Category 2: Best Modern Design Superior
Original contemporary designs showing optimum use of materials

LINEA MAGIA FOG, Galleria Battilossi S.A.S. (IT)
GREHA, Jaipur Rugs Company PVT. LTD. (IN)
SPARTAN PLUMAGE, GABBEHS FLORA & FAUNA, Zollanvari International (CH)

Category 3: Best Modern Design Deluxe
Original contemporary designs showing optimal use of materials

CLASSIC REVIVAL DESIGN NO. 3, Art Resources LTD. (US)
RAASTA, Jaipur Rugs Company PVT. LTD. (IN)
REGGAE, Wool and Silk Rugs (US)

Category 4: Best Transitional Design
Most successful interpretation of a traditional rug design

JEWEL, Choudhary Exports (IN)
GHOM COPPER, Hossein Rezvani Design OHG (DE)
BALOUCH LIGHTPINK, Rug Star GmbH (DE)

Category 5: Best Flatweave Design
Original rug design demonstrating the flatweave technique

BIJAR, Edelgrund GmbH (DE)
TRIBAL JUTE EMBROIDERED RUG, Manglam Arts (IN)
ZAGROS SONGLINES, BANEH KELIM, FLATWEAVES MINIMALIST, Zollanvari International (CH)

Category 6: Best Collection
Contemporary traditional or transitional design collections demonstrating a common theme

CLASSIC REVIVAL COLLECTION, Art Resources LTD. (US)
COLLECTION NEWTRIBAL, Rug Star GmbH (DE)
HAPPINESS COLLECTION, Wool and Silk LLC (US)

Category 7: Best Interior
A high-end customization project or rug installation demonstrated with high-quality images

ANNDORE HOUSE RECEPTION RUG, Creative Matters (CA)
MAGNIFICENT OLD-PORTLAND-STYLE HOUSE, Rug Star GmbH (DE)
AUTUMN FUN, Wool and Silk LLC (US)

Category 8: Best Communication
A successful marketing or branding campaign demonstrated with high-quality images

EDELGRUND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN, Edelgrund GmbH (DE)
RUG STAR MAGAZINE NO. 03, INTIMACYPORTLAND ISSUE, Rug Star GmbH (DE)
PHOTO CAMPAIGN "KINGSROBE", Rug Star GmbH (DE)

DOMOTEX 2019
11–14 January (Fri.–Mon.)
Hannover Exhibition Center (Hannover, Germany)
www.domotex.de