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11 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com Once you open the door of The Rug Merchant in Rockland, you can see straight away that this isn't your typical rug and carpet showroom. The building is a virtual hive of activity, with the merry hum of conversations being accented by phone calls and the sound of sample books moving about. Orders fly in, different weaves are pondered and tape measures make a regular appearance. All of this activity takes place against a rainbow of colors and textures, more than you ever thought carpeting and rugs could come in. The bold, the beautiful and the beige: The Rug Merchant has it all. Of course, you can buy carpets or rugs anywhere. Aside from the great energy in their showroom, what makes The Rug Merchant worth a visit? The answer, according to owners Steve Winterson and Hilary Repa, is simple: "We're a 100% full service company," says Hilary. With a group of talented salespeople who do a lot of the "heavy lifting" alongside an experienced team of fabricators and installers, this company is known for their ability to deliver some great products and services. What exactly can you expect from The Rug Merchant? For a start, this company offers a complete range of high-quality services—from planning, designing, fabricating, installation and even cleaning—to all of their customers. And their customers come in a greater variety than many people realize. Steve says, "We do everything. We fit carpets in large commercial spaces, we work with property developers, we carpet second homes, we do basements and attics, but we also do the 'fine' stuff as well, the real top-end work." And the 'fine' stuff in this company is indeed fine. Hilary often takes a lead role in scouting out what's on the market and she has a good working relationship with many of the nation's carpet mills. This means that The Rug Merchant not only knows what's about to come out, but they're also able to stock it as soon as it's available. The effort to bring the best products into their showroom also takes both Hilary and Steve to trade shows throughout the year, including a big one in Las Vegas every January. But even when they don't see something in person, it doesn't mean that they don't know about it. The large stack of glossy design magazines on Hilary's desk attests to the fact that they really know what their clients are going to be looking for. With all of this choice, however, how do they decide what ultimately makes it into their showroom? Accordingly to Hilary, that's a difficult one, since, "it often comes down to taste." But as a rule, she says, "Steve and I both have to love it. If both of us love it, we go for it." Their taste can't be too far off the mark, since many of the items in their showroom are often found in tony venues like the Boston Design Center. The quality of these items means that The Rug Merchant is a frequent stop for South Shore interior designers as well as those who are looking to make their space a little bit more special. What if you don't have an interior designer casting an expert eye over your space? This is where The Rug Merchant's full-service approach swings into action. For those that come in unsure of what they want (or need), the sales staff are always willing to work closely with customers. According to Hilary, their talented sales team "really takes pride in getting it right for the customer," with their ability to get it right being helped by the fact that all of them have a background in either fashion or design. When it comes to helping customers find the right product, Hilary says, "We really try to educate our customers about what's out there and what might work for them. We talk about a range of things: budget, application, usage, aesthetic. What do they want from the product? How should it look? What are the colors and the furnishings like? What do they need from their carpets or rugs? Do they have kids? Dogs? Where are they going to be putting it? What do they want to spend? We want our customers to be happy with their choice; it's all about helping them to find the right product." Steve is quick to add that none of their sales staff work on commission. There is no pressure to make a pricey or quick purchase, nor is there any problem with taking your time throughout the process. There are, however, some things that you can do in advance to make the process go smoother. "Come in with your paints and swatches!" says Hilary. "Come in with pages from magazines or pictures of other places that you like and we can go from there." by R.T. Conroy, photography by Susan Hagstrom s e t f o o t o n s o m e t h i n g s p e c i a l