Today we’d like to introduce you to Soheil and Sammy Mehraban.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Soheil and Sammy. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Our story began with our great grandfather, a rug merchant in Tehran who was loved and respected. We’ve sold rugs ever since. Our families relocated to Los Angeles more than 30 years ago. We’re all Angelenos — Los Angeles has been very good to us.
For years we dealt with fine, traditional Persian carpets. Now, everything is fashion-minded. So we’re focused on translating the traditional world of rug design into an innovative and modern approach.
Our rugs are designed by top designers and fine artists, yet still consist of the luxurious materials, unique textures and the highest level of quality that Mehraban is known for.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Accepting our LA customer’s declining appreciation and interest in the finely woven, silk and wool Persian masterpieces that we love was difficult for us. Our father is still excited when he sees a classic Persian piece open on the showroom floor.
Once we broadened our travels to places like Morocco, India, Turkey, and Central Asia, we discovered that there was so much beauty in all weaving traditions. Opening the shipments with these new products and designs has become more exciting than ever for us.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Primarily, we serve a group of international design professionals working on some of the world’s most extraordinary residences. We specialize in exceeding their expectations by challenging our craftspeople to discover the new materials, designs, colors, and textures which keep the designers’ portfolios full of new and creative interiors.
That said, we enjoy everyday people who find their way into our shop and want to learn about oriental rugs. We’re a small group. We all have time to hear about someone’s hopes for their home and find ways to help. Noted design author Karen McCartney recently spoke at our showroom and said, “rugs are a way to humanize a space.” We feel the same way.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We feel like we’ve had to make our own luck.We should have focused on retail and promoted ourselves to the design community sooner. We’re not very comfortable with self-promotion. It doesn’t come naturally to us. But now we understand the importance of networking.
Even though we’re on the corner of La Cienega and Melrose, we’re still somewhat of a secret. But we’re working so that every day, more and more people who genuinely appreciate fine design are beginning to discover us.
Contact Info:
- Address: 545 North La Cienega, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Website: www.mehraban.com
- Phone: 310-425-6779
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Eric Reim
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