Menoo Rug Gallery Celebrates New Name, Anniversary—

Decorative Persian Rugs Viewed As Investments

By Kendra Bobowick

BROOKFIELD — Thousands of tightly knit, hand dyed stitches rushed beneath Menoo Afkari-Jarrett’s manicured fingertips as she described the hours of work devoted to the Persian rug displayed in her Brookfield shop. The craftsmanship intertwined with the wools and silks used to fabricate the pieces creates a value hidden beneath the weave. “They are an investment,” she said. Ms Afkari-Jarrett is celebrating her store’s new name, Menoo Rug Gallery, her tenth year in business, and some of the aspects that make her rugs valuable.

Customers looking to remodel a room, furnish an addition, or decorate the home will find their solutions here. Along with the aesthetic decisions, Ms Afkari-Jarrett also hopes to help some of her clientele buy more than a focal point for the den or an attractive color scheme in the bedroom. “These are an investment, [the rugs] can last for centuries,” she said. “They are very durable, that’s why they are an investment.” The handmade Persian rug industry is struggling against machine-made items, and prices of wool, dyes, and other materials are increasing, however. Arguing on behalf of her investment, she said, “As we say, we’re not so rich to buy cheap stuff.”

Laughing, she explained just how resilient the floor pieces are, and made the remark that often draws her favorite reaction from customers. “Toss the rug on [Interstate] 84,” she suggested. Much of her merchandise can withstand heavy foot traffic and, as she implies, possibly the highway. Offering another anecdote from her years in the business, she said some customers’ children begin climbing among the waist-high stacks of rugs that are as appealing as jungle gyms. She tells parents to let them play and that they can’t harm the rugs.

With her designer’s background, Ms Afkari-Jarrett also knows the design strength of Persian rugs. With different color schemes, patterns and materials, each rug inevitably becomes an intricate piece of the room’s design, accompanied by Ms Afkari-Jarrett’s offer to lend clients her own decorating experience.

“I approach customers as a designer, not a rug dealer,” she explained. And as a designer she considers details for dressing the room. “There is a fashion in home furnishings,” she explained. Despite the endless patterns, colors and materials that forge the final rug, some of the business trends never falter.

Beyond the colors, size, shape, or placement of a rug, her client’s satisfaction is the key to making the right purchase.

“They have to love the rug,” she said. Regardless of the colors or textures of other upholstery or window dressings that a remodeling project may call for, she advised starting the room with the rug. “Buy the rug and love the rug,” she said. “We can always work around it, any designer can.”

Her advice? “Start with the rug and end with the curtains,” she said, explaining that finding a new color or materials for the couch or the windows is much easier than coaxing a rug into the room and making it match.

She also suggested, “Take a rug home and try it out for a few days.”

“See it at home. I want you to have a glass of wine with it and have a cup of coffee with it,” she said. Essentially, she suggests living with the rug both in the morning and evening, “and see if the rug works or not,” she said. Providing another bit of designer’s insight, Ms Afkari-Jarrett said that two smaller rugs might do better in a large room than one large rug. Separate areas can be created around each rug, she said.

Already enjoying Ms Afkari-Jarrett’s merchandise and advice is Newtown resident Ed Raymond. Although his interest in Persian rugs had not emerged until the past several years, he now owns several in a variety of sizes from a 12½ foot round rug to a large 10 by 14-foot piece. Other rugs range from 8 by 10 to two others that measure 4 by 6. When faced with decorating a new home touting an open floor plan, he sought Ms Afkari-Jarrett’s expertise.

“I built the house here and decided I needed her advice,” he said. Mr Raymond spoke with Ms Afkari-Jarrett who made a visit, took measurements and made other preparations for selecting the right rug. He now enjoys several rugs throughout his house including one in his kitchen, another in the great room, and a smaller rug accenting his piano, he said.

Aside from their decorative qualities, he also recognizes the investment. “You aren’t throwing money out the window,” he explained. “Rugs aren’t like that and are worth more now than in the beginning.” He has also seen them last, saying one relative’s rugs are approximately 50 years old.

 

Better Business

 Ms Afkari-Jarrett had been involved with her previous husband’s Brookfield-based business, Mo & Me Rugs, and ran the store on her own when her husband left in 1997.

She explained, “Ten years ago life left me with that situation.” Through loans, effort, and support from the community, Ms Afkari-Jarrett managed to succeed in a business that she describes as an “all-male” endeavor, stressing, “You really need to know what you’re talking about,” when meeting with other rug dealers, for instance. She managed to adapt both to juggling her single-motherhood with operating a business and is now remarried and thriving. Menoo Oriental Rugs & Carpets is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm, and is closed Tuesdays. Contact the store at 775-0211.