45 Years of Tradition, Innovation, and Family Friendliness in the Rug Industry
In the area rug industry, there is an elite group of industry veterans who have not only been in the rug trade for over four decades, but who have been trendsetters and taste makers in the industry, and who have had their family along with them to carry the business forward for the new generation.
One of the shining examples of this elite group of rug industry stalwarts is Jahanshah Josh Nazmiyal of Rug & Kilim, who in 2025 is celebrating 45 years in the area rug trade, and who in recent years has been joined by his family, including sons Cyrus and Sina, and more recently, his daughter-in-law Brittany.
Rug Insider had the privilege of sitting down with Josh for an exclusive interview, in which we discussed the beginnings of Rug & Kilim forty-five years ago, its growth and evolution over four and a half decades, the impact his children have had on the business, where he sees the rug trade moving in the years ahead, and more! The full transcript of our exclusive one-on-one discussion follows.
RI: Rug & Kilim is celebrating its 45th year in the rug trade, having been established in 1980. What was the inception of Rug & Kilim?
Josh: It kind of fell in our lap. My cousins were in the business, and we’ve never looked back. We didn’t know anything about carpets when it happened, and we learned as we started the business.
It was a very different time in those days, and there weren’t many carpet shops or stores. Those that existed were mainly there to service current carpets or buy antique rugs for the European market, and our push was to sell.
So that’s how we started, in a very small shop, 780 square feet in Short Hills, New Jersey, and very soon we expanded to a 5,000-square-foot showroom two years later on Route 10. A major showroom.
Above and below: Exterior and interior scenes from Rug & Kilim’s 5000-square-foot showroom in Long Island City.
RI: Over the course of its 45-year history, Rug & Kilim has had locations in New Jersey, in New York City, and now in Long Island City. How is the current location in Long Island City different from the previous locations, and has it been a better space for you since you’ve been there?
Josh: It was really kind of just pre-Covid when our wholesale business was growing quite fast, and of course we had a number of insistent businesses from loyal designers that we’ve been acquainted with in the last many years, so it seemed like a very appropriate move for us, allowing for much more space to show our inventory, and it’s been phenomenal!
We love it. The store caters to designers in a very spacious way, and unlike our previous space, when we have somebody in the showroom, it’s not in a rush and we’re there to take care of their needs.
RI: Similarly, Rug & Kilim started out in 1980 as a vendor of traditional area rugs, and now has branched out into numerous rug lines, including Scandinavian rugs, modern rugs, and more. Tell us about that journey, and what served as inspiration to explore some of the newer product categories.
Josh: We’ve always been at the cutting edge of our business, very forward thinkers, and we’ve consistently over the last 45 years touched newfound weaves in our business.
Scandinavian was one of them, and now we’re pulling up on our French Deco production.
We’ve always been creative and focused on bringing new materials to the business, from silk to Nepal to high-and-low in China, many exotic yarns, and now Scandinavian. There’s been a lot of ‘first time’ in Rug & Kilim.
“We’ve always been creative and focused on bringing new materials to the business… There’s been a lot of ‘first time’ in Rug & Kilim.“
RI: In your forty-five years in the rug trade, has there been one constant or one through-line that has stayed with you throughout all the years, whether that is a person, an idea, a rug, or a way of doing business?
Josh: Yes. To buy and associate myself with only the finest and highest quality.
RI: The Rug & Kilim team has been expanding over the last few years, notably with the addition of Josh’s sons, Cyrus and Sina. How has their addition to the team impacted Rug & Kilim?
Josh: Tremendous. They are phenomenal; they love what they do. They’re eager, they follow the tradition of Rug & Kilim, and they have been instrumental in our growth and working with the rest of the team to get where we are.
RI: In addition to Cyrus and Sina joining the team, another Nazmiyal, Brittany, has also come on board. What are the respective roles of these three younger generation Nazmiyals?
Josh: Well, it seems like Brittany is completing the mix.
Sina is in sales and marketing and many other things; he also has his eyes on antique rugs as well.
Cyrus is in wholesale and administration, and basically everything in the business goes under Cyrus’s eyes.
And Brittany, although very wisely, she’s starting with sales, my goal is to see her more in forming the direction and the quality of our brand.
RI: Your company has worked arduously on introducing numerous new product lines, some of which are pictured in this article, and all of which look fantastic! With all that focus on the new, how have you kept yourself and your staff connected with the vintage and antique products in your vast collection?
Josh: Yes, vintage and antique rugs are our inspiration. I’m always telling my team that, to make anything new, one must first master the classics and understand them best.
RI: Can you discuss some of your latest collections, and what types of styles and materials you are currently focusing on?
Above, left to right: Design 34372 is new to the Block Print line of R&K’s Modern Classics Collection; Scandinavian design 32016 uses a blend of wool and exotic yarns, while Scandinavian Watson design 33688 is made with handwoven silk.
Josh: Most of my focus now is on Mid-Century and Art Deco. We’re acquiring some of the most exciting, even collectible French and European rugs in our collections, and they’re always informing the way we honor these designs and the names behind them, historically.
I’ve built a collection of exotic yarns, only the best wools, all-natural silks, even metallic threads, that we’re now introducing over so many years.
The focus is on an immersive look, like those period pieces that inspire us, but in ways they couldn’t be made in their day.
Above: Design 24767 from the Burano Collection is an ode to tribal aesthetics; contemporary Oushak design 33913 (right) is inspired by vintage and antique designs.
Designs 29587 (left) and 30111 are exciting new additions to Rug & Kilim’s Scandinavian rug collection — a contemporary reimagining of Swedish Minimalism and vintage rugs and textiles of Rollakan and Rya traditions.
RI: Are the recently introduced tariffs on foreign goods having a big impact on your business?
Josh: We have decided to observe and keep an eye on how things progress for now, as we think the tariffs might be lifted with India. While customs enforcement has been unpredictable, we’ve chosen to remain steady and consistent. For nearly a decade, we’ve taken pride in maintaining stable pricing, especially for our Scandinavian series, which will continue unchanged.
RI: Rug & Kilim has been a staple of a number of area rug and home decor trade shows for the last few years. Has this strategy been successful, and are there any trade shows that are of particular importance for you?
Josh: Trade shows have been a means for us to learn and expand our clients. It has been quite expensive, but it certainly is worth it to learn about new accounts and be introduced to new collaborations.
“We have been managing to grow 20-25% every year in the last five years … for the next three years, our promise is to stay with the same exact way of doing business.“
RI: With Cover Connect NY coming up in September, but no Rug Show scheduled this year, what can we look forward to from Rug & Kilim in the New York City trade show?
Josh: We have so much new in our Block Print, our Art Deco and Mid-Century lines, with a stress on Scandinavian, which is always growing, and introducing new textures.
Left: “Nu” flat weave design 31312 features a boucle-like texture of blended yarns; new flat weave Scandinavian outdoor rug design 34143 above reinvents vintage Scandinavian Kilim in a proprietary blend of performance polyester.
RI: Rug & Kilim’s website is a marvel, with an outstanding level of visual clarity and functionality. What was the process of revamping the website to be so all-inclusive?
Josh: It started many, many years ago with taking good pictures, and it has continued that way. We are very determined and very focused on improving our website, and we continue to do so.
This is not an effort for a few years or a few months; it continues, and I’m happy to see that it’s paying back after so many years.
RI: Rug & Kilim has also branched out into boutique hospitality. How has that process unfolded, and how significant has this addition been to the company?
Josh: We’ve been very lucky to have been selected among so many for the projects that we’ve been involved in. To be very frank with you, it’s come down to the relationships we’ve had.
I like to say that we intend to put even more energy into our hospitality, and we love those projects, because they teach us so much and they keep us on our toes.
They’re fun projects, and the fact that we know as many workshops in India as we do, and the close relationships we have with them and nurturing them, is very handy.
It is one thing to make a carpet in 3-4 months; it’s a whole other thing when there are 200 to be made at a certain time.
Rug & Kilim’s NEXT GENERATION. Siblings (left to right) Cyrus and his wife Brittany, along with Sina Nazmiyal follow the tradition of Rug & Kilim and are instrumental in the company’s growth.
RI: With all the growth and expansion of the past few years, Rug & Kilim has been paving the road for what the future of the rug industry is. What do you see as the future of Rug & Kilim, and of the rug trade?
Josh: The hardest question. This is something I battle with all the time, but we are determined for the next three years to do exactly what we’re doing. Of course, there’s always a pressure, but my intention is for the next three years to stay where we are for sure.
The industry? For a boutique business like ours the players may change, but we’re basically always going to be sourcing the best of what‘s being produced and finding people who want them.
That’s really our goal, and that’s my promise so long as I can grow the business by providing only the highest quality.
Right now, our means of growing the business are tapestries, Mid-Century, Deco and period pieces from that era, and of course we’re constantly trying to upgrade our offerings to our wholesale audience.
RI: As this is Rug & Kilim’s 45th anniversary, what can we expect for the 50th anniversary, and beyond?
Josh: I suspect that it will be very interesting and probably very exciting to see the 50th. We have been managing to grow 20-25% every year in the last five years, and I suspect that we’ll maintain the same growth if not more, and like I said, for the next three years, our promise is to stay with the same exact way of doing business. We, just like I mentioned before, keep adding to our categories. We’re now heavily invested in Aubussons and European weaving, and it’s exciting for us. This is probably a market that will develop in a few years, but we’re planting the seeds now!