Rug Restoration at its Finest

Summer is over. It's been fun, but the wear and tear on your antique carpet has taken its toll. Constant exposure to heat, humidity, foot traffic and sunlight have caused damage to your favorite heirloom. Fortunately, many areas of damage can be repaired if you have access to skilled artisans. Help is available from Restoration by Costikyan, a premier company in the care, restoration and cleaning of fine rugs and tapestries.

Established in 1886 in Rochester, NY Restoration by Costikyan was originally an importing firm. By the 1900's, and now based in New York City, the company became known for its collection of museum quality period carpets from the 19th and 20th centuries. Selections from the Middle East, Far East and Europe started to grow, and they created a division, which handled fine carpeting, manufactured both in the United States and abroad.

The heritage was passed on to sons and daughters who continued to be trained by Armenian artists employed in the family business. Under the supervision of Phillip and June Costikyan, Restoration by Costikyan is now regarded as America's foremost expert on the care and restoration of fine floor coverings, and has expanded its service to include all hand made and machine made products. Well known by collectors of fine antiques, modern floor carpets and decorative floor coverings, the Costikyans service many homes in the Hamptons and the tri-state area.

Here are some of the services they provide that you may not know are available, to help maintain your valuable carpets:

Tinting and Touching Up: Worn and faded areas of a carpet can be disguised by hand tinting the design with a colorful dye.

Blocking and Stretching: Rugs are tacked down flat, misted with water and dried to their natural shape.

Stain Removal/Color Bleeding Removal: Costikyan has a chemist on staff who can remove and/or reduce all kinds of stains and color bleeding, regardless of the circumstances.

Patching, Reweaving & Latexing, Binding Fringing and Seaming: The areas of the rug that sustain the most wear and damage are the edges and borders. Costikyan has developed many techniques that effectively repair and restore the delicate and intricate workmanship of these areas.

This involves repiling the face and matching the existing designs, colors and fibers. Matching patterns are taken from remnants. A patch is cut to fit the hole and then hand stitched into place. These can be either preserved or replaced through hand weaving using a wrapping stitch.

Professional Cleaning: A rug responds to humidity in the environment, to light and to temperature. The fibers must be cleaned in a certain way. Customized cleaning techniques allow for the protection of fine in-house wall-to-wall carpeting and upholstery. In-house service includes cleaning of the most sensitive upholstered silk, cotton and wool fabrics by certified technicians.

They have also created Costikyan Bond, a stain repellant and soil release system that seals against water, oil and alcohol stain. Not only does it help reduce wear and tear on fibers, but it is quick drying, acts as a disinfectant, is environmentally safe, resists fading, provides static control, is non flammable, non toxic, hypoallergenic and protects longer than any other fiber product!

If your carpet is beyond repair, they have now partnered with manufacturer Richard Rothstein to provide an exciting new service to customers - the detailed replication of antique rugs made to order in Azerbaijan. Woven by master weavers - adult women who were taught the art from their mothers and grandmothers - who continue a tradition practiced in Azerbaijan for generations.

Company president, Phillip Costikyan, says, "This new service presents an attractive solution for those that have beyond repair antique rugs which they can't bear to relinquish. The cost of replicating a rug is a fraction of the cost of the original antique."

Restoration by Costikyan will visit your home and give you an estimate and evaluation of your rug. Call 1-800 247-RUG or visit 28-13 14th St., Long Island City. For more information go to www.costikyan.com and info@costikyan.com.

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