John Khalil of Khalil Antique & Oriental
Rugs in Huntington uses a miniature loom
to explain the process of creating fine
Oriental rugs.
Piles upon piles of the finest
handmade Oriental rugs,
both antique and modern,
are carefully laid out on
the showroom floor. Even the walls and
windows serve as display space for the
rugs, one more intricate and colorful
than the next. Aubussons, Persians,
Indians, French, needlepoints, silks . . .
the list is virtually endless, with every
piece handwoven. And the quantity?
John Khalil, owner of Khalil Antique &
Oriental Rugs in Huntington, smiles
shyly, saying, "I really can't put a number
on it." But when prodded, he makes a
guess of at least 20,000, maybe more.
Khalil's passion for the ancient art of weaving
Oriental rugs is palpable. As he guides visitors around his
eponymous store, he points out one carpet after another.
"Feel this one," he urges. "It's pure silk and took at least
four or five years to make." Touching another, he says
proudly, "Look at the incredible choice of colors here. It
takes magnificent artistry to have designed this." Quite
obviously, here is a man who joyfully lives and breathes
his business, who understands every aspect of the rugs.
Khalil developed his love for Oriental rugs in his
native Iran, where the rich tradition of hand-weaving
rugs began thousands of years ago. Working alongside
his father and grandfather practically from the cradle,
he absorbed their wide-ranging knowledge. Today, he
relishes the role of teacher, sharing his expertise with
C.W. Post students, some of whom are interior designers,
while others are simply Oriental rug aficionados who
come to his in-store classes to learn everything about
the rugs, from design considerations to care, restoration
and appraisals.
Indeed, caring for and restoring the rugs he so
adores is a considerable part of Khalil's business, which he
runs with his wife, Manejeh, who shares her design savvy
with the store's clientele. "We know that our rugs become
part of a family's treasured collection," says Manejeh
Khalil. "We take the utmost care to keep their heirlooms
in pristine condition."
The magic of Oriental carpet restoration takes
place toward the back of Khalil's showroom, where he
oversees a team of expert restorers as they painstakingly
reweave rug foundations, repair holes and worn areas in
the pile and remove stains. "The most common reasons
for restoration are water damage, moths, dog and cat
bites, spills, and color bleeding from improper washing,"
he explains. "Fringes and bonding, which are less dense
than rug pile, typically wear out first from ordinary use
or from being caught in vacuums, and they're the easiest
and least expensive to repair." Old fringes are simply removed and replaced with new ones, and bonding is
rewoven.
The repair and restoration of Oriental rugs requires a
high level of craftsmanship. Repair of a worn area or hole in
a rug begins with a thorough cleansing. Often yarns
must be carefully dyed to match the original colors before
the process of reweaving the wool or silk rugs can begin.
But holes, tears, fading and extreme wear of
the actual pile require the skills of master craftsmen, as
talented as the artisans who created the original piece.
Khalil contracts specific craftspeople for different types
of damage, each with their own specialties, from colormatching
wools to weaving and replicating intricate
patterns.
Pointing to a hole measuring about two-by-four
inches, caused by moths, Khalil describes the repair
process: "First, the rug is cleaned [with water and special
detergents] so the color is true. Next, we weave the
foundation, almost always cotton-based, in the same
manner as the original carpet maker did, starting three or
four inches beyond the hole's border, and connect it to the
original foundation."
After the foundation is rebuilt, the yarn (usually
made of wool but sometimes silk, depending on the
original material) is woven to match the original pile, one
small strand at a time. It's a time-consuming and intricate
process, requiring the exact replication of color and
design. "It's especially difficult to find perfect yarn
matches with older rugs," explains Khalil. "We can spend
hours mixing dyes to create the right color."
It's no surprise that such detailed work doesn't
come cheap. "About 25 percent of the time, I advise
people that their rug just isn't worth repairing," he says,
the sadness clear in his voice. "It's not that we can't repair
it, but if the piece is worth $700 or $800 and the repairs
would cost $1,000 or more, it just doesn't make sense. It
costs the same to repair a two-inch hole on a $500 rug as
a $20,000 one."
As an example, Khalil pulls out a severely worn
antique Indian Aushak rug. "This one needs $10,000
worth of repair," he says. "We can certainly do it, but
whether it should be done is up to the customer." Khalil
fully understands that his clients often can't bear to part
with their beloved pieces, even if the cost equation
doesn't add up. His suggestion for the Aushak: Remove the damaged outer border, and recut the rug
at its interior border, adding new bonding
and fringe. "Of course, it will be smaller," he
says, "but we can get it in magnificent shape
for less than a thousand dollars."
Once the damaged area has been rewoven, the yarn must be
trimmed and worked into the rug. The desired end result is a
repair that is virtually indistinguishable from the original
fibers. Khalil employs master craftsmen, each with their own
specialties from color-matching to replicating intricate patterns.
Helping rug lovers prevent such
damage in the first place is one of Khalil's
current passions. He and his son David,
who will enter medical school next fall but
is currently taking a year off to apprentice at
his father's side, are writing a book about
the selection, care and maintenance of
Oriental rugs. When it's finished, Khalil
plans to give the book to his customers,
sharing the fruits of his experience outside
the family tree.