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With much of the original structure now exposed, Paymon's show floor offers a more open environment.
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ABOVE: The loft overlooking William Street and Hurkamp Park has not been accessible to the public for nearly 100 years. TOP: After undergoing an extensive renovation, Paymon Fine Rug Imports lights up the sky at dusk.
With more space for the massive collection, large rugs |
BY BILL FREEHLING
Over the past four months, Paymon Matini has been trying to transform his imported rug shop in downtown Fredericksburg into the type of store you'd find in Georgetown or New York.
The showroom at Paymon Fine Rug Imports has been expanded to 9,000 square feet, a 50 percent increase. Carpet was ripped out and replaced with hardwood floors. Ceilings in the back room have been raised from 9 feet to 22 feet, revealing the building's original black steel beams from Bethlehem, Pa.
The previously unused upstairs space is now a showroom filled with Persian rugs that looks over the corner of William and Prince Edward streets. Copper wrapping surrounds the original ceiling beams. Lighting and a heating and air system have been installed.
Jazz plays throughout the building, which Matini bought five years ago. Large windows allow passers-by to see inside. Matini plans to install a plasma television and couches upstairs, giving customers a place to rest. He might rent out the entire store to couples during special occasions such as anniversaries.
Matini has run the business for the past 16 years. During that time the 43-year-old Iranian-born man has built up an inventory of thousands of imported Oriental rugs.
Matini wanted to create a space big enough to display his rugs, which he's directly purchased from Iran, India, China and Pakistan. He says he wanted the quality of the building to match the quality of the rugs, which come in many sizes and prices.
"I'm a small businessman with big ideas," Matini said. "We're going to the next level."
Matini doesn't want to say exactly how much money he spent over the past four months on the now-completed project, but he said it ran in the hundreds of thousands. He admits it was a risky endeavor, but one that was "well-calculated."
He hopes the new store will draw in customers far and wide. He wants it to be a stop for "destination shoppers" who come specifically for the experience and wide selection of imported rugs.
Matini is also hoping that his renovation project is the first in a line of business improvements on the William Street corridor and throughout downtown Fredericksburg. He sees no reason why the city can't rival the offerings of Alexandria and Georgetown.
Matini moved to the U.S. when he was a teenager and became a citizen. He settled in Washington, where he had an aunt. He studied business and marketing in college and early on caught the entrepreneurial bug.
Matini learned the Oriental rug business from a family member in Richmond. By 1991, he was ready to venture out on his own at 501 William St.
At first, Matini said, customers told him he wouldn't make it in Fredericksburg. But he started developing a loyal customer base. Matini selects and buys his rugs directly from contacts he still has in Iran. That helps him keep his prices competitive.
Matini believes that his building's foundation dates back to the 19th century, and that the current structure was built about 90 years ago. Cars, paint, tires and moonshine are among the items sold there over the years.
Matini has left many of the original architectural features in place during the renovation. He's hung doors and signs that were found upstairs. The original ceiling beams remain, as do the brick walls. Pine boards from upstairs were laid on the floor in a back room.
Matini said he wasn't using much of the building for display purposes before the renovation. He decided to take the plunge to do the project this summer.
"I had to do this someday," Matini said. "I could have just let it rot."
Fredericksburg architect Sabina Weitzman handled the design, while Maryland-based Sarali Construction Inc. was the general contractor. Part of the design is patterned after the Chambers Hotel in New York.
Matini's building could someday be subdivided. It has five separate sections downstairs, each with a bathroom and entrance, and a sixth space upstairs.
But for now, Matini is thinking more about the sum than its parts. Sixteen years after opening, he's excited about the future.
"It has been my dream," he said. "I always knew about the potential of this building."
Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
