Walking into Erwin Franke’s World of Rugs is like stepping back in time.
Some rugs in the shop, a local fixture at 9944 Midlothian Turnpike, are hundreds of years old, and virtual works of art.
“It’s like a museum – but better,” Erwin says with obvious pride. “Here you can touch, and you can pick something to buy and take it home.”
Rugs are everywhere – hanging in windows, stacked on the floor, tacked to walls, suspended overhead, displayed on the sidewalk. Persian, Indian, contemporary, traditional, hand-knotted, machine woven, woolen, silken, in every color, pattern and texture. It’s impossible not to find something you like. And Erwin, who’s been at the shop as employee and then owner since he arrived from Germany in 1979, is there daily to help customers select a unique, high-quality rug that fits their style and budget.
RUGS V. CARPET
The first thing Erwin’s customers learn is the difference between rug and carpet.
Carpet is wall-to-wall flooring that completely hides the hardwood or subfloor beneath. Rugs are anything short of wall-to-wall – accent rugs, area rugs, room-size rugs and runners (typically used in hallways). Rugs are generally measured in feet with common sizes being 2-by-3, 4-by-6, 5-by-7, and 8-by-10.
But Erwin's customers want more than flooring.
“You buy a house. It becomes your home. When you put your rug down, there’s meaning there,” Erwin says. “A rug brings personality and life. It says, ‘This is my home. I don’t care what my neighbor has. This is me.’”
Before shopping for a rug, Erwin advises thinking about color, pattern and style preferences. Also, think in terms of a rug you’d like to keep for a long time, because with regular care, a rug can last for decades and beyond, passed down through your family for generations.
MEASURE FIRST
“Most people buy rugs that are too large or too small,” Erwin says. Before you shop, measure the room, and then the furniture footprint.
“Many people put a 5-by-7 in the dining room. That’s nonsense,” he said. “The chairs should stay on the rug.” He recommends 8-by-10 for most dining rooms.
For living rooms, “My philosophy is the rug needs to go to the front legs of the sofa.” He advises against putting rugs partially under furniture, which results in uneven wear and fading.
Don’t settle for a smaller rug to save money. While Erwin carries rugs with five- and six-figure price tags, there’s a wide variety of machine-made rugs for $600-700 and hand-knotted rugs for $3,000-$4,000.
CARING FOR RUGS
Erwin’s top-quality rugs don’t require extraordinary care. He recommends regular vacuuming and prompt cleanup of spills, and then thorough cleaning on a schedule determined by where the rug is used. A rug in a high-traffic family room should be cleaned every 4-5 years. In a bedroom, every 15 years is enough.
Because rugs are portable, Erwin recommends removing the rug and taking it to a rug cleaner. There it will be soaked in a soap solution, cleaned on both sides, rinsed, put through a wringer and hung to dry. This process cleans and dries the entire rug and differs from steam cleaning, which can push soil deep into carpet fibers and can sometimes trap moisture near the carpet backing, which can affect wear and livability.
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