What markets do you attend?
I like to go to NeoCon in Chicago in the summer and NeoCon East in Baltimore in the fall. As I do a lot of commercial work, I will sometimes attend a Floor Coverings show.
Do you have a favorite source for buying your rugs?
It depends on the nature of the job I am doing. In New Orleans, there are quite a few Oriental rug dealers, but one I particularly like is Maximilians Rugs. Two others are Avenue Rugs and Modern Nature Design in Florida. They both have quality rugs and offer good service. Avenue does a lot of custom work for me and will build anything I design.
What about custom rugs?
I will buy custom rugs when we need something different, something that I can’t find readily available. It could be I need a special size or color to go with the rest of the interior. It is important to make the rug fit correctly in the space, so custom sometimes is the only route to go.
Do you shop online?
I do a lot of research online, but I don’t usually buy online. I try to find out what styles a company might have, or in what colors a rug might be available, but truthfully I want a person to deal with, someone I can trust, someone I can see, not just information on a screen. It is hard to trust “words just written on a page.”
Any suggestions for the industry?
The only thing that comes to mind, really, is the timing of getting something, like a custom sample sent back to me. In today’s world, everyone is in a hurry, no one is willing to wait for anything. So the sooner I can get a sample, the better. Issues always come up, so I think it is important to have a dealer who has experience and can make sure that communications between all parties is clear. Their experience in the business can make a huge difference to being sure I get precisely what I want and need in quality, color and size.
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