San Francisco's KRIMSA Fine Rugs & Decor Selected

SAN FRANCISCO -- KRIMSA Fine Rugs & Decor, the innovative San Francisco dealer in heirloom-quality rugs, has been notified of its selection as the 2007 Rug Retailer of the Year.

In only its fifth year, KRIMSA, located at 2190 Union Street at Fillmore, becomes just the 14th merchant nationwide to be recognized with the prestigious annual honor, the highest of the "ROY Awards" that are presented at Atlanta International Area Rug Market.

"We are elated at the choice of KRIMSA as Rug Retailer of the Year," said co-owner Paul Ramsey. "Our original fine carpet store, Shaver-Ramsey Oriental Rugs & Decor in Denver, was honored with this award three years ago after being in business for more than twenty-five years."

With no access to the deliberations of the independent panel that chose KRIMSA, Ramsey can only speculate that there were many factors influencing the decision. "KRIMSA, uniquely, is open to the public, not just to designers like many of the city's other Oriental rug dealers. Because KRIMSA targets a broader market, it has exposed thousands of people to the world's finest weavings," he said.

"When we opened KRIMSA, some questioned whether the city needed another Oriental rug store," said co-owner Elizabeth Vehko. "However, we felt that offering unique and beautiful rugs in a gallery setting, along with working with both designers and the general public, would prove successful. We are now the only retail rug store in the city with exclusive agreements from some of the world's preeminent weaving groups, including Woven Legends, Zollanvari, Megerian, Rugs by Robinson, Anadol and Tamarian."

Vehko added that she is pleased at how quickly KRIMSA has become a draw for out-of-town visitors, as well as for residents of San Francisco and the Bay Area. "Our original concept was to bring a store full of colorful, handmade, high-quality rugs and textiles to the public," said Vehko. "Our desire to educate the public has succeeded by offering lectures, showing films and providing weaving demonstrations."

In addition to standing out aesthetically, Ramsey notes that KRIMSA is committed to giving back to the community, another possible contributing factor to its selection as Rug Retailer of the Year. It has hosted meetings of the San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society and held a reception for the famed quilters from Gee's Bend, Ala., whose work has been displayed in museums around the world, including the de Young Museum. In addition, the company hosted weavers from Sarawak, Malaysia, in conjunction with the Textile Arts Council.