Greg Halbert, Halbert Rug Company
I have a casual and easy going style and my shop atmosphere reflects this. Sometimes my dogs will join me bringing warmth and life. I want visitors to feel comfortable and have fun -- there is never any pressure to buy. Bellatrix and Narcissa
Poksha
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Meet GregI have always been interested in tribal cultures and textiles but I really started collecting when I lived San Francisco. I became good friends with other like-minded people who were equally obsessed -- "rug nuts" we were called and rightly so, we were always talking, looking, reading, buying -- rugs, rugs, rugs.
One of my friends, a shop owner I had grown close with, kept telling me I had a knack, an intuitive understanding of rugs that many seasoned dealers never acquire. He urged me to get into the business. I appreciated his assessment but would never bite. Then one day he retired. He asked if I would take the remaining inventory and try selling it for him. I agreed and started selling out of my garage on weekends. This really was a turning point for me. I’m sure my friend thought he had pulled off the neatest trick but I didn't care. I found it to be so much fun -- talking to people about rugs I loved -- it didn’t even matter I was working all my weekends. At that point I decided to look for a permanent showroom. One appeared immediately on a great corner in the Castro-Upper Market area, close to my house. I chose to carry only authentic new pieces, traditional and modern rugs made with hand prepared materials and natural, non-synthetic dyes. People responded well to my approach. My shop became popular and my clientele grew and spread across California. In 2006 I felt I’d had enough of the big city and decided relocate my rug shop to St. Louis where I could be closer to my family. I still work very closely with my California clients while building new relationships within the St. Louis metro area. It is such an honor and a pleasure to be able to share what I know with others... especially budding rug nuts. I love everything about what I do -- research, sourcing, curating -- but what I love most is getting involved in the design process and helping my clients find the right piece, something that affects them emotionally, something they will love forever. I feel so lucky. I think I have the best job in the world. My services extend beyond your typical store buying experience. I always offer free in home consultations. I find it’s very helpful to visit a client’s home and see the space they're working with so that I can help them with ideas. Client's love this personal touch and it’s something I really enjoy doing.
Once a rug is selected I encourage clients to take the rug home on approval for a day or two so they can really get a feel for how it works -- see how it looks in their environment, in natural daylight, under house lights at night. I routinely work with clients across the country to place rugs in their homes and even do remote home consultations. Shipping is readily available. We can use photos or video calls to collaborate and work together. It's amazing what we can do with technology today. And when it comes to the care of your rug I am happy to give referral information for cleaning and repair needs based on your distinctive needs or a particular problem at hand. |