Two Oriental Rug Follies you'd like to avoid.

Not getting a finely made rug cleaned every 2-4 years

One of the most frequent problems that we run into at Main Street Oriental Rugs is that a customer will every so often assume that they can either clean their hand woven rugs by themselves, or just surface clean it with a vacuum cleaner. While surface care for a fine rug is important, a customer who doesn’t give their high-quality rugs a high-quality deep cleaning job is allowing the beauty and charm of her or his rug to diminish below a layer of stains and dust.

A professional deep cleaning service is key to keeping a handmade rug’s design looking just as vibrant as the day it was woven. Processes such as odor-lifting soaks just can’t be replicated at home, and are important for removal of such common blemishes as pet stains and food or liquid spills.

Not knowing the history of their rug

Is the rug in your living room an Indo-Persian, or is it a Sino-Persian? What type is it? Kashan? Tabriz? Kazak?

If you can’t answer these questions, you’re missing out on the best part of owning a hand woven rug. When you buy an imported rug, you don’t just buy a floor covering, you buy a piece of history. Every rug design has a story behind it, and they’re all worth telling.

Outside of pure entertainment/educational value, the information about your rug has financial implications. The antique rug in your living room may be worth thousands more than you think it does; it’s all about where, how, and when your rug was made.

It isn’t difficult to learn more about your rug, fortunately. Next time you go to get your rug cleaned or repaired, make sure to ask your cleaner or repairman about the history behind your rug. It’s no trouble for him or her to answer your questions, because it’s quite common for customers to do so. In fact,learning more about their rugs is one of the most common things for our customers to enjoy and take away from their experience with us. Don’t be afraid to ask your cleaning service about your rug!

Oriental Stair Runners

 

The pictures below show just a sampling of our extensive experience with the installations of high quality, handmade Oriental Stair Runners in a variety of settings and situations. Stair runners make a very good addition to any home which has wooden stairs, as wooden stairs tend to take on a plain look, which is easily remedied with beautiful Oriental designs. Another purpose of stair runners is to make stairs not only more attractive, but also to improve upon the safety of the rug. Without a stair runner, a wooden staircase is much more slippery and easy to fall on. By increasing the coefficient of friction, stair runners make your staircase much more manageable and safe.

 

Recent Repairs

We recently repaired this antique rug, which had suffered great damage to both the binding and the field, where we repaired a large hole. We have matched the color of the rug to the repair, so the area where the hole previously stood is now nearly completely unnoticeable. The binding is also restored, ensuring that the rug stays together and regains some durability, allowing it to be once again displayed for all to see. The antique has, of course, been restored and cleaned completely and gently by hand, so the owners need not worry about the treatment of their rug, as it's in good hands.

Antique Chinese Rug Repaired

We have recently performed a hand-repair on this Antique Chinese Rug. The binding on this particular rug was severely damaged, but the damage was no match for our skillful and careful hand repairs. When restoring an antique piece, it is extremely important that any materials added to the rug are as high quality as the rug's original quality. A poor choice can cause the rug to have an uneven quality, which degrades the overall appearance of your rug.We restore all Antique rugs --using the highest quality materials-- to the closest possible representation of their original form and image, ensuring that the rug's original design and charm is preserved through the repair process. Unlike other repair services, Main Street Oriental Rugs offers a repair that is completely done by hand, not unlike how the rug was originally constructed. This Antique Chinese's bindings are completely restored, and the rug has been carefully cleaned to fully restore it to its former glory.

Portuguese Arraiolos Rug in for Repair

This 10x13 wool-pile Portuguese rug has come to us for restoration, over the years the rug has sustained some damage, as is evident by the frayed edges, holes, and wear. The rug will be washed and put through the process of restoring it to much of its beauty.
Portuguese fashioned rugs are often referred to as "Arraiolos" carpets. These carpets are so named for the original rug-making town of Arraiolos in Portugal. Arraiolos also refers to the specific technique of weaving and stitching the rugs using a long-armed cross stitch, and each carpet's central design with multiple elements. Rug making stopped in Portugal suring the period of the Napoleonic Wars, but was revived in the early 20th century by artist Jose de Quieros. These rugs soon became in high demand across Europe and the United States during the World Wars.

Main Street Oriental Rugs wins the 2013 Angie's List Super Service Award

Main Street Oriental Rugs has won the coveted Angie's List 2013 Super Service Award! This award is very exclusive, only given to the top 5% rated in the industry. We are very happy to see that so many customers were happy with their experience in the shop that they left their positive feedback with Angie's List. Though this is not our first time winning this award, It's been an especially great year, and we are looking forward to all of the new rugs and customers that we will meet in the next. 

GoodWeave Catalyzes Afghani Tradition

Afghanistan has been in tough conditions over the past decade. Harsh economic competition and violence have stifled many traditional industries, among them, of course, is rug weaving. But rug weaving is not just rug weaving. The presence of this industry is usually indicative of the local area's general condition.

To help remedy the situation, an organization known as GoodWeave is revitalizing the rug weaving industry in Afghanistan. Keeping the local weavers competitive with cheaper, machine-weaved rugs is a challenge, but it's one that GoodWeave is willing to take on.

More information can be seen in the article linked below.


http://www.goodweave.org/index.php?pid=9401