Best of New York 2014 • Home & Help

• Heirloom

  heirloomrug.com; 646-801-4745

  Zach Zaman studied finance and was headed toward a career in private equity when he decided to join the family rug business that his father started in 1989. Since taking joint leadership of the operation in 2009, Zaman has rebranded the company, focusing on collecting and dealing handmade rugs (he’s a Pratt Institute–certified appraiser) in Brooklyn and Manhattan while his two Long Island–based restoration specialists repair and clean them. His team inspects each rug to best customize the cleaning process ($3 per square foot, which includes shampooing with a proprietary phosphate-free detergent). Zaman’s devoted customers, who include lifelong collectors, the merchandisers at the Rag & Bone and Gant boutiques, and Bushwick-based rug maven Aelfie Oudghiri, trust him to give their Brooklyn Flea Orientals a bath or to rid their kilim of an unfortunate red-wine stain. Heirloom also offers free pickup and delivery throughout the New York City area.

From the 2014 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine