Oriental Rug Specialist has been dressing up floors in Aiken for 27 years. Margaret Noisworthy opened Oriental Rug Specialist in 1991. She sells area rugs – old and new – plus carpets in every price range. Oriental Rug Specialist also specializes in cleaning and repairing your area rugs.
Margaret actually started her rug business in 1980. Her Mother was opening an antique shop and she thought rugs would be a great addition to her inventory. Margaret decided to leave her job in banking and join her Mother on this new adventure. Her first trip was to New York to be introduced to the “rug man”. One year later, she met her husband Pat. A few years later, the couple moved to Atlanta. No matter where she ended up in the United States, her rugs followed her.
It’s all about the hunt! Margaret loves to go on treasure hunts to find the perfect rug for a client. Although Oriental Rug Specialist is full of beautiful old and new rugs, she travels to Atlanta on a regular basis to find the perfect size, color, and look for a client. Her shop specializes in hand-knotted, wool tufted, indoor/outdoor, and natural fibers like Sisal and Seagrass rugs. She is very excited that she recently picked up a carpet line that makes 16′ width designer carpet. “It’s very usual to find carpet in that width,” Noisworthy said, which prevents the need for seams during installation.
Oriental Rug Specialist has a great following of customers. She credits that following to the store’s superb customer service and the education customers receive while shopping with Margaret and her staff. Her staff is backed up with many years of experience. Another reason why customers love Oriental Rug Specialist is because they love Margaret! Margaret’s bubbly personality and memorable laugh makes her someone her clients want to return to see. If you looked in the dictionary for a photo of a Southern Lady, I’m sure Margaret’s picture would show up. Margaret is a lover of life and enjoys everything she does. She is by far the best dog Mom in Aiken. Just ask her two four-legged babies, Gracie and Rebe. And, lets not forget about the cats! This animal lover has made her shop pet friendly, welcoming you and your furry friends in for some rug shopping and treats for your pets.
Margaret’s advice for someone wanting to start a small business is to, “Have a service business. Don’t rely on retail completely. And make sure you have good help.” Margaret would love to see Aiken progress more with small businesses and keep small businesses alive versus everyone turning to the internet to make purchases.
You can shop Oriental Rug Specialist in Centre South – right beside the Red Pepper Cafe. They are open Tuesday-Friday 9:30-5:30 and Saturday 10-3.
Oriental Rug Specialist also has booths at Southern Charm in Augusta and The Rock House Antique Mall in Greenville, South Carolina.
Fun Facts
*Margaret loves spending time in Highlands, North Carolina in The Worthy Cottage with family.
*Her favorite job recently was installing rugs in a lawyer’s office in Columbia, South Carolina. The lawyer loved her work so much he hired Margaret to also do his home.
Contact:
- Margaret Noisworthy
- 803-642-5540
- 754 Silver Bluff Road
- Aiken, SC 29801
I’m a 5th generation Aikenite who loves interior design, history, family, College Sports (yeah, you know my team) and of course my new puppy Duckett, The German Shorthaired Pointer.