Born in the Pacific Northwest, Richard Kirishian, at the age of nineteen, inherited a family business that spans three generations. With the sudden loss of his father, Richard took the rich heritage of the Kirishian rug family and over time expanded the rug business to include the manufacture of programmed, hand-knotted Oriental rugs, direct imports, as well as traditional sales of both hand-knotted and machined wool rugs in Washington State. His travels throughout the United States and the Middle East over the last 30 years has garnered him respect in the industry for his rug expertise.

It was soon after he entered the rug business, that he realized that rug dealers and furniture dealers rarely mixed company and that a lack of information and networking had led to misinformation. Realizing that furniture and rugs were a perfect marriage, he ran sales in furniture stores throughout the northwest. The desire to share his knowledge to a larger audience led to museum exhibits and regular seminars for collectors, merchants, and interior decorators.

With this vision, under Richard’s direction, his company developed a full line of accessories such as accent furniture pieces, tapestries, lamps, wall décor, and throws, to mention a few. Richard Kirishian was convinced that rugs would eventually be rightfully viewed as an integral accessory within the home furnishings business; in fact, an anchor for decorating rooms. This understanding of the manifest importance of rugs translates into middle and larger furniture stores devoting floor space to create a rug department as a complement to the furniture departments.

In 1998, Richard Kirishian was voted one of the top five most knowledgeable retailers of the year (Rug News, December 1998, pg 20-21). The ongoing trend in hard surface floor treatments and the use of area rugs, and his successful marriage of home décor with rugs, led to his recent collaboration with the home furnishings industry to market these highly compatible partners by writing several invited articles for the Western Home Furnishings Association.

He recently joined Profitability Consulting as the Oriental/Area Rug Consultant to assist companies with existing or new rug and full accessory departments.
 


Exhibitions:
 
The Oriental Rug: the Fabric of History and Tradition, Cheney Cowles Museum, Spokane, Washington, June 30-July 30, 1989.

Lectures:
 
Art and History of Oriental Rugs, November 1990- , Spokane Washington.

Professional Distinctions and Article References:

Western Home Furnishings Association Member.

Vendors Pick Most Knowledgeable Retailers of the Year, Rug News, December 1998, pgs 20-21.

Kirishian, Richard. Reconnecting with Your Customers After the Sale, Western Reporter, Forthcoming 2003.

Milano, Carol. Add-Ons that Add to Your Bottomline, AREA: the Official Publication of the Oriental Rug Importers Association, Summer 2002, pgs 56-59.