You inherited a rug. Now what?

Find out what it is

Turn it over and read the back; our guide to hand‑knotted versus tufted takes ten seconds. If it is hand‑knotted, the most common inherited rugs on Long Island are the American Sarouk (rose‑red floral, 1920s to 50s), the Kashan and Kerman of mid‑century dining rooms, Chinese Art Deco and 90‑line rugs, Bokharas from the 1970s, and the occasional genuine antique Caucasian or Persian piece from a grandparent's Manhattan apartment.

Check its condition

Fold the back and listen for a crackle (dry rot); look for bare patches and granules (moths); check whether the ends are losing knots (end stopping); rub a damp white cloth on a red area of a Sarouk (painted pile comes off pink). None of this decides whether to keep the rug; it decides what it needs.

Clean it before you decide anything

A rug that has been on the same floor since 1962 has never been to a plant and carries decades of soil. Washed, it is a different object: colors you did not know were there, pile that stands up, no smell. Most families decide to keep a rug after seeing it clean. If you plan to sell it, dealers wash every rug they sell; a clean rug with a condition report is worth more and easier to show.

What we will and will not tell you

We will identify the rug, document its condition with photographs, tell you honestly what cleaning and repair will and will not do, and provide a written condition report for insurance or an estate. We do not appraise value; that is a separate profession, and we can suggest that you consult a dealer or appraiser once the rug is clean.

Estates

Multiple rugs from one house are collected in one visit, priced together, and can be delivered to different addresses. We work with executors, attorneys and families across Nassau and Suffolk.