Wauwatosa Business Spotlight: From a personal quest to a rug store in Tosa

Hemad Fedaifar insists he's still learning about Persian and Oriental rugs, despite his family history with the handmade heirlooms.

"There is so much to learn about any art, not just this art, so there are times when people ask me something and I'll say, 'That's a good question. I haven't gotten there yet.' And I'll find out for both of us," said Fedaifar with a laugh. His family owns the new Oriental Rug Gallery, former home of Bogosian Carpets.

And, yet, particularly for the uninitiated, the 29-year-old newcomer bears a striking resemblance to a man who might just know what he's talking about, eagerly spinning explanations nearly as detailed as the tapestries his grandfather has, for decades, so painstakingly repaired.

"People ask, 'What country is that from?' Iran. 'What country is that from?' Iran. 'Well, why do they look so different?' They're woven in different regions. 'The KPS, is that right?'" He slows as if ticking off the acronym on his fingers. "The knots per square inch, yeah, the KPSI, are different."

It's all about weave: The tighter the weave, the finer the rug.

"The fine rugs we call 'big city rugs,' like the city of Tabriz. They're known for super-fine classical detail, often traditional or elegant designs. They look like paintings because the lines, the flowers, the medallion, if they have one, the motifs, the branches, the leaves around the rug, they're all so tight.

"On the other side is Heriz. It's one of my favorites," Fedaifar continues. "It's a completely different region, known for bold center medallions, large geometric motifs. The knots are more coarse. Often those colors are vegetable-dyed or dyed with spices, teas. It's just a completely different feel."

Judging by the enthusiasm that Fedaifar spills when he speaks, you might think he's been waiting in the wings to join the family business, which also includes the Persian Rug Gallery in Whitefish Bay.

But, Fedaifar said, it's something he's come to slowly, spending high school summers flipping and cleaning rugs, filling in his for his uncle and owner Hamid Dehbod on the sales floor, basically picking up shifts when he wasn't working on his own upstart, the Spanish tapas restaurant Movida in Walker's Point, or challenging his mind, body and soul scaling a mountain, meditating beside a Buddhist monk or eating Fear-Factor-level fare.

Fedaifar was the winner of the Dos Equis "Stay Thirsty" contest. He applied via video and was the winner of a $25,000 grant to travel, testing his mettle. See more at http://bit.ly/1ONvOQ5.

What really brought him around to joining the family business was, in fact, his family.

"It's the greatest thing when people come in here and see my grandfather coming up the stairs. And I can say, 'That's my grandfather,' or 'That's my uncle Hamid.' There's something special about that."

Nearly as special as the daily lunches Fedaifar enjoys with his grandfather, Mohammad Dehbod. Nearly as magical as watching him work.

"My grandfather hand-repairs all the rugs," Fedaifar explained.

"It's a labor of love for him, but I see from his hands, you can tell, just like a wrinkle from a wise old person's face, you can see the creases and the rough ashy parts of his hands. You can see the work built up in those hands. I'm sure they're tough as stones with a balance of such delicate work, but he does it with such accuracy and patience. And, for someone of my generation, everything is so go-go-go, it's so refreshing. It's like going up north and losing Internet reception. It allows you to reset."

And, if you're paying attention, even learn a little something.

JUST THE FACTS

BUSINESS:Oriental Rug Gallery, 110005 W. Bluemound Road

WEB: www.persianrug-gallery.com/

PHONE: (414) 727-0007

OWNER:Hamid Dehbod

INCORPORATED:May 2015

TYPE OF BUSINESS: rug store

PEARLS OF WISDOM: "We've all heard: 'Don't go into business with family or best friends because it could turn into a disaster.' And that could be true, but the other side is it could be a beautiful thing. And our family is that case."