Oriental rugs go in and out of style, but sales and repair business a constant

April 4, 2024 at 4:35 p.m.

by Aaron Gettinger

David Martinous in Martinous Oriental Rugs' showroom, 1521 Macon Drive in Little Rock. His grandfather emigrated from Lebanon to Springfield, Mo., in 1865 and opened a mercantile there. A branch of his family runs a produce wholesaler outside of Wichita, Kan.; his father worked in that industry before going into less-perishable rug sales.
David Martinous in Martinous Oriental Rugs' showroom, 1521 Macon Drive in Little Rock. His grandfather emigrated from Lebanon to Springfield, Mo., in 1865 and opened a mercantile there. A branch of his family runs a produce wholesaler outside of Wichita, Kan.; his father worked in that industry before going into less-perishable rug sales.


Bonafide Persian rugs haven't been imported since the U.S. imposed its trade embargo on Iran in 1979, but they've managed to avoid the pitfalls of other heirloom goods, said David Martinous of Martinous Oriental Rugs.

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