I had the faded and tattered remains of my grandparents’ living room rug, a memento I feared had reached the point of no return.

When I brought it to Luv-A-Rug for appraisal, I was impressed by the staff: personable, deeply knowledgeable (the provenance of my rug was accurately described on sight, along with comments on the specific looms that wove it), deeply interested in the rug for its own sake (this business is a labour of love and personal fascination) and deeply committed to customer satisfaction.

Also frank and upfront about the necessary costs involved when a large rug is given hand-washing and hand-stitching.

I wasn’t fed any fantasies about what miracles might be achieved, but I was given a clear, obviously informed estimate on what could and could not be done, along with step-by-step descriptions of how the rug would be treated – along with excellent tips on how to prolong its life in the future.

The results were striking. Vivid colours had resurfaced, and the stitching was precise and elegant, looking more like a set-piece of old-fashioned craftsmanship than a repair.

All very much to my aesthetic, domestic and emotional satisfaction.

Luv-A-Rug stood by their work, and it was work worth standing by.

Plus, the staff’s personal interest in what they do brings special qualities to the overall experience that a “mere business” cannot provide.