Catroux Rug, Erinn V. Collection; Photo by Meghan Beierle-O’Brien
The Mehraban family opened their Los Angeles rug store in 1983 and quickly found success in the fine rugs business. In addition to a deep inventory of carefully selected antique and vintage pieces, they offer contemporary luxury designer collections created in collaboration with some of the leading interior designers working in Southern California today. Mehraban’s signature collections – designed by an in-house team of artists and rug experts – are timeless pieces that add a whole new layer of style to any space.
Sammy and Soheil Mehraban
Gwen Donovan: What parts of the world are your rugs sourced from?
All our rugs are woven with traditional methods in India, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Nepal and other global locations.
GD: How do you develop and sustain your partnerships with international artisans?
Our principals make several trips to our sources annually. This is important because we design everything we offer, and we require that it be constructed of very specific materials with particular dyes and workmanship. This takes daily communication between trips. Thank goodness for WhatsApp!
(Left) Abrolhos Rug, Haute Bohemian Collection; (Right) Anika Rug, Erinn V. Collection, Photo by Meghan Beierle-O’Brien
GD: Tell our readers about your collaborations with Southern California designers, how has that aspect of your business grown through the years?
We viewed our collaborations as a means of broadening our offerings by drawing on the distinct and unique visions of the design community in Los Angeles. It is very important to us that we offer a sincere and uniquely Coastal design portfolio. As they say, the future happens in Los Angeles first.
GD: What do your clients look for when choosing a rug?
Interiors are quite eclectic and personal these days, and it’s difficult to generalize. Regional interior design, in our experience, has utilized very quiet tones with luxurious textures. People aren’t afraid to mix traditional with modern. We find that quality of color is always the most important factor.
Sands Rug, Claudia Afshar Collection
GD: How can a rug from Mehraban transform a space?
We feel a rug makes the room and is an essential component. That said, our work is a matter of aligning our offerings with the diverse vision each client brings to a project. The best designers find a new expression of quality in each interior. We strive to facilitate that effort by continually updating our design portfolio and anticipating what trends or tones can be supportive of their efforts.
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