Home Guru
By Bill Primavera
When I rented my first apartment without roommates, my first purchase for it, even before I bought a bed, was a rug. It was a beautiful Karastan with a tree of life pattern in predominantly blue and red. I bought it as a hand-me-down from an eccentric friend who was a window dresser for Saks Fifth Avenue and decorated and re-decorated his apartment frequently. I was a beneficiary of his discards.
In the many years since that impulsive purchase that ate up a month’s salary–impulsive because I had to sleep on that carpet until I could afford a bed–I’ve purchased many rugs as my digs grew from that first studio in the city to a large home in the suburbs. I always bought oriental and privately, second-hand, until now when my wife and I wanted all new for an all new home.
I was referred to Kalaydjian Oriental Carpets in Bedford Hills where mother/daughter team Alice and Lisa Kalaydjian hold sway and, I was told, offer the greatest experience and service in oriental rugs.
“Yes, my family has been in the business for more than 185 years,” said Alice Kalaydjian, whose father had factories throughout Iran that manufactured fine quality rugs and other facilities that cleaned them.
“In those days, the industry there was quite different,” added Lisa, “but since the revolution in the ’80s, production has moved to other countries, primarily China, which does a good job in replicating Persian rugs.”
If my shopping experience has anything to do with the home, I always ask questions. This time around we talked about current trends in rug buying.
“We used to see hand-made purchases of heirloom quality, works of art that could take five or six years to make,” Alice said, “but today people are more price-oriented toward machine-made rugs that may have a certain look but lack durability because buyers feel that in five or 10 years they are going to want to change their décor anyway.”
“Most of the purchases made today are machine made,” Lisa said. ‘Our work with fine quality rugs is mostly with their cleaning, repair and restoration, which is a major part of our business.” She explained that their facility, which had housed her father’s car dealership before they set up shop 17 years ago, now accommodates a major operation devoted to cleaning.
“As far as I know, we are the only rug dealer in the region that does hand cleaning on our own premises. And, we don’t use any harsh chemicals,” Lisa said, noting that the major issue with cleaning rugs concerns “pet issues.”
“Also we have a restorer who does magnificent museum quality restoration work,” she said, “And if a fine rug has been too badly damaged, we can salvage it for runners or pillows.”
What impressed me most about Kalaydjian was the service offered, which I needed because of my own quirk. My taste in oriental carpets is contrary to popular preferences, which are now trending toward neutral tones, the browns, while I still like the traditional bright reds and blues, a leftover from that first carpet I slept on.
I did find one such carpet in a smaller size among the racks in the store, and Lisa is now on a search to find larger carpets for me from that color palette and in a tree of life pattern. When she finds it for me, this time around, I won’t be sleeping on it. Then again, because I will be placing it in front of one of those incredible new electric fireplaces, which I defy anyone to guess is a fabulous fake, you never know. I just may stretch out on a plush rug in front of it and doze off.
To experience many generations of rug expertise for either purchase, cleaning or repair, visit Kalaydjian at 761 N. Bedford Rd. in Bedford Hills or call 914-666-7571.
Bill Primavera is a Realtor® associated with William Raveis Real Estate and Founder of Primavera Public Relations, Inc., the longest running public relations agency in Westchester (www.PrimaveraPR.com), specializing in lifestyles, real estate and development. His real estate site is: www.PrimaveraRealEstate.com and his blog is: www.TheHomeGuru.com. To engage the services of The Home Guru and his team to market your home for sale, call 914-522-2076.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
