I would highly recommend First Rugs in Acton. Cynthia provided me with excellent service and made the experience fun, easy, and enjoyable. I showed her what I liked in the store and then she came out to my house with beautiful options. Very pleased with what I bought!

I have had a great experience with First Rugs! When we replaced the carpets with hardwood floors in our living room, we were in need of a rug and unsure of which way to go: cheap rug that may need to be replaced soon? More expensive rug that may be more durable? To add context, we have three young boys, so we were expecting a lot of usage. Cynthia was super helpful about laying out the pros and cons of each option, and allowed us to come visit and browse rugs whenever we wanted. She even let me bring my boys into the store! One word of warning, they do not carry mass produced (cheaper) rugs, so if you want to compare you’ll have to travel a bit. In the end we ended up going with two Gabbeh rugs from First rugs that we absolutely loved. We opted for a stain resistant treatment for them, and they have held up awesomely. We have had milk, lemonade, and worse spilled on these rugs, and they clean like a dream. You would never know three boys abused them daily. It was a great choice.

We have done business with First Rugs for 10+ years and have always been pleased with the quality of the rugs and the great service.

Today is May 2nd, 2018 and I am modifying my original post as a response to the owners comments to my first post. I was mis-identified as someone else, so would like to clarify who I am and why I am posting this.Id like to thank all in advance for their time invested in reading my lengthy story. Hope it will serve you well in making your purchase decisions, not only at the First Rugs. I recorded my original post during the first week of March, 2018.My name is Marina Dobusheva. I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and worked as a certified tour guide at the Hermitage. I have been living in Prague, the Czech Republic since the USSR collapse and am an art dealer, advising clients on art purchases. I am also a chief editor of the EU award-winning cultural magazine Russian Word in the Czech Republic and a guide for exclusive/boutique tours in Europe for small groups.I visited a friend of mine in the US for the first time in my life - none of my family members have been to the US yet - and for the record, my 3 children are adults. I shopped at many antique / art stores in Boston area. The Czech Republic doesnt have marble, so I purchased quite a few small sculptures, including one at the Powers Gallery. A local Russian friend of mine suggested to also look at the collection of rugs at the First Rugs store.My impression of the store was that it is below the standards of the comparable stores in Europe. The outside appearance doesnt give justice to the contents - the selection of the rugs is impressive. However, I found the service level at the store sub-par. I am always modestly dressed in black jacket and trousers and am a petite woman in mid 50s - not wearing any jewelry or holding fancy bags. You wouldnt pay attention to me or notice me in a crowd, so to speak.When I walked into the store, a bald gentleman behind the desk was eating soup, slurping, and made no motion to help me. Another person, a tall younger gentleman with dark hair, gave me a brief overview of the inventory.When I told the local Russian friends of mine about my experience, they shared that the US stores are very different from European stores in their appearance. However, I bought a pendant for my daughter at the Tiffany store at the Prudential center, and they even offered me tea in very nice china. The ambiance of their store is what I am used to in Europe.As a journalist, I recorded the following feedback of the Russians who shopped at the First Rugs. When you visit it, make sure to inquire about their prices (they give a lower price if you pay cash). Ask about their refund policy and the rules if something goes wrong with your rug or if you change your mind (the return policy was not posted on their website as of the first week of March, 2018). These guys love cash and prefer it as a method of payment, so get a receipt with their signature (paid in full, cash received). This is also helpful if you are taking the rug with you outside of the US.One woman told me that when she entered the store with two toddlers for the first time, looking tired and wearing very casual attire, she was greeted by the lady-owner: Hello, our rugs are quite expensive. The mom took the comment as if she was perceived as a stay-home mom with modest financial means. What a snobbish way to welcome a customer and judging by the cover / appearance. I believe it happened to me too - when I entered the store and a young guy in sporty attire greeted me and showed me around.Weigh all your options before making a choice. Look for the stores which strive for the higher standards if you are going to make an investment in expensive valuable art (rugs or anything else), like that at the Tiffany & Co. No wonder the company has been in business for 180 years and its a delightful experience to visit them, no matter how you look and how substantial your purchase is.You can find me on Facebook. I welcome you to Prague for exquisite experience of art and culture.