Services

Interior designer Vincente Wolf, known for liberal application of rugs and carpets in his work, likes to forewarn his clients about the inevitable. "Dog puke, child vomit, a lot of wine," Wolf says, enumerating the emergencies for which he's recommended calling David Cohen to the rescue. For seventeen years, Cohen's been running his own cleaning business, mostly through referrals from designers like Wolf. His prices -- 40 cents per square foot for wall-to-wall and $1.50 per square foot and up for area rugs -- are some of the best in town.

Restoration by Costikyan
28-13 14th Street,
Long Island City
718-726-1090

But for those precious kilims, it's best to call in the specialists. Mary Jo Otsea, the director of Sotheby's rug department, uses Phillip Costikyan's century-old restoration-and-cleaning business for touch-ups on the antiques at her auctions. It'll cost you around $3.50 per square foot for a delicate hand washing, but Costikyan can handle the full range of messy rugs -- right down to the dog puke.