B. Barn Antiques

Mojan Bagha of Main Street Oriental Rugs is a great supplier of low cost, high quality, all wool rugs.

Home & Design Magazine - 2000

Mojan Bagha Of Main Street Oriental Rugs in Ellicott City says, "The rugs, we have hand picked. It's like when you go to pick cherries. You only pick the ones that are ripe. We have traveled around the world and have picked the best. Because Ellicott City is known as a place where everyone comes to shop for antiques, we specialize in more collectible and very fine oriental rugs, anything from 2' by 3' to palace sizes. We import directly from India, China and Pakistan." And the company offers full service: cleaning and re-pairing fine rugs.
In addition, the company will buy older rugs in need of repair and "bring them back to life." Mr. Bagha points out that older oriental rugs tend to be more valuable. However, "a repaired rug will not hold the value, but it still has a certain value."

"We tell our customers; besides knowing where the rug is from, how it is made, what kind of dye was used, they should consider three very important factors when they buy a rug: First, which is more important than others, is, they have to like it. Second, they have to like it. Third, they have to like it," says Mojan Bagha.

Main Street Oriental Rugs doesn't use chemicals when cleaning the rugs. Mr. Bagha has found that many times when an old rug is cleaned, colors are revealed that hadn't been apparent before. They vacuum them thoroughly, rotating them back and forth. Each rug is tested to be sure the color doesn't run before it is shampooed by hand with natural soap and water
"Our customers are very inquisitive but they are looking for a certain color. They are looking for something to go with their decor," he says. "They look for one thing and buy another. They fall in love with the rug." Mr. Bagha points out that each rug has a different character. As each is different, they can't match but they can coordinate.

"Sometimes when you clean the rugs, the end of a knot appears. So we make sure the rug is not only cleaned but repaired to bring it back to life," explains Mr. Bagha. The process takes two to three days. "The process is very simple but it is labor-intensive. "The lady who repairs the rugs doesn't work on the premises. It is all done by hand and is hard on the eyes. It is not something she can do for eight hours," he explains. This highly skilled person was trained in Iran. She repairs small rugs in her home, where she works on them off and on during the day. For the larger rugs, she has space in the warehouse where the rugs are cleaned.

Many of these rugs have been damaged by water, perhaps from an over-watered plant or plumbing accident.
"We like to use the words, 'sing together in harmony." So mix them as long as they "sing in harmony."

He talks of one of his favorite styles of rugs, one that is also very popular with designers, the Heriz, a Persian rug. "We call most of these geometric rugs, tribal rugs. Most of the floral motifs were influenced by the Europeans. They influenced the rug making in Persia. But most of the newer designs that come out tend to be tribal designs. They have more character and more life to them. It's a rug that is made by an artisan, not someone who is interested in making it for the taste of someone else. Rugs are more like art. They are functional; they are floor coverings, but at the same time, each one is different. They have spirit. Each one is made by someone who put their spirit, their energy into the rug."