View story at The News & Advance...After 25 years of serving the Lynchburg community from its Boonsboro Shopping Center location, Persian Rugs & More, owned by Hossein and Dawn Rezai, is relocating to a new home on Chapel Lane.This move brings both new opportunities and bittersweet farewells as they prepare to close their long-standing Boonsboro location.

Hossein, an electrical engineer, and Dawn, a former biology teacher, never imagined their careers would pivot to running a rug business but a visit to Turkey to bring Hossein’s father to the United States changed everything, Dawn Rezai said.

Dawn Rezai said she was captivated by the rich culture of rug-making, particularly the knowledge of a local rug merchant who could identify a rug’s origin simply by touch.

“I didn’t know anything at all about rugs, and he could walk up to rugs and touch them and know what country they were from with his eyes closed,” she said. “That really impressed me.”

“What else can you own that can go through fire and water? Oriental rugs have saved a couple of people’s lives because they don’t catch on fire,” Rezai said.

This led to a new passion that, in turn, was the creation of Persian Rugs & More, which opened its doors on St. Patrick’s Day in 1998.

“If I open an oriental rug business, then I can be with my kids wherever they want me to be. I don’t have to report to work when someone else tells me,” Dawn Rezai said.

The store’s early days were spent on Wards Road before a meeting with James “Jimmy” Forehand Jr., president of Forehand Inc., a residential and commercial real estate sales and property management company, who persuaded them to move to the Boonsboro Shopping Center. The location ended up being a perfect fit, serving the community’s needs for over two decades, Rezai said.

Persian Rugs & More has become the region’s premier destination for high-quality handwoven rugs, offering a vast selection of Persian, Turkish, Chinese, Moroccan, Indian and Kazakh rugs, among others.

“We tell people what they’ve got, what its value is and to keep it. Keep it for your kids, your grandkids — because it’s probably irreplaceable and only going to go up in value,” Dawn Rezai said.

Rezai said the store is not just about sales, it’s a place where rugs are carefully cleaned, repaired and restored.

“We just know rugs inside and out. All rugs are not created equal,” she said.

Over the years, the Rezais have gained extensive knowledge of the rug industry, becoming experts who can identify a rug’s origin by feel alone. Their expertise and dedication have helped the store thrive, even as global events and market changes have impacted the availability and quality of rugs.

Rezai said she’s able to identify a rug by its texture and knot type as well as the way each country finishes a rug on the bindings and ends.

“We have some that are already over 150, 200 years old and they’re still being used,” Dawn Rezai said. “Their value never goes away. We take Persian rugs back in on trade. If you bought a rug from us 25 years ago and brought it back today, we would give you your purchase price on it.”

In 2023, as the store celebrated its 25th anniversary, Hossein and Dawn Rezai began planning their move to a new 1,500-square-foot facility at 103 Chapel Lane. This new location houses both their showroom and cleaning facility, and streamlines their operations and provides customers with a unique opportunity to see the rug cleaning and restoration process firsthand.

The decision to move was driven by practical considerations, including the Rezais’ desire to have more control over their hours and operations as they approach retirement.

“Having your own space allows you to set your hours at what’s good for you, and you don’t feel guilty about being closed when the shopping center’s open,” Dawn Rezai said.

She said the new location also allows them to offer better service, with more space for large rugs and on-site staff to assist customers with heavy items.

“We’ve seen how well-made rugs can withstand the test of time, and we want our customers to understand the true value of their investments,” she said. “Persian Rugs & More is here to stay and we’re excited to continue serving the community from our new location.”

The Chapel Lane location is now open to the public as The Boonsboro Shopping Center store will close once the move is fully complete.