About The Rug Authority

The experience, family tradition, and independent philosophy behind The Rug Authority.

A LIFELONG CONNECTION

Rugs Have Been Part of My Story Since Childhood

These photographs capture some of my earliest memories around handmade rugs—a world that felt completely ordinary to me as a child, long before I understood how deeply it would shape my work.

Growing Up Around Rugs

Handmade rugs were part of my life long before The Rug Authority existed. I grew up around my family’s rug business, surrounded by rugs from different regions, traditions, and levels of craftsmanship. Over time, I learned to notice the details that help explain what makes one rug different from another—its construction, materials, quality, condition, and character.

My father represents the second generation of our family in the handmade rug trade, and I am the third. Over approximately 20 years, working alongside him turned that early familiarity into practical experience through examining rugs, researching them, documenting them, and assisting clients with the questions and decisions that often come with owning a handmade rug.

That experience is what I bring to The Rug Authority today: helping people better understand what they have, ask the right questions, and make decisions with greater confidence.

Creating The Rug Authority

As I gained experience, I saw how difficult it could be for people to find independent guidance when they were not simply looking to buy a rug. They might want to understand what they own, evaluate a purchase, consider restoration, deal with an inherited rug, explore questions of value, or determine whether a formal appraisal is appropriate.

The Rug Authority was created to provide that kind of decision support—without inventory to promote, sales pressure, or an interest in steering clients toward a particular outcome.

The goal is simple: to reduce uncertainty before an important rug-related decision is made. Whether you are considering a purchase, restoration, insurance coverage, sale, inheritance matter, or formal appraisal, independent expertise can help you understand what you have, avoid costly assumptions, and make a more informed decision.

MY STORY

Three Generations of Experience

Years spent working closely with handmade rugs have taught me what details matter, what questions to ask, and how to help clients make sense of what they own.

Samina as a child standing among handmade rugs in her family's showroom.

Childhood photo of Samina on a handmade rug in her family's showroom.

A Childhood Surrounded by Handmade Rugs

By the age of three, my family’s rug showroom already felt like a second home. Rugs from around the world were simply part of the environment in which I grew up.

One of My Earliest Memories

At four years old, I wasn’t thinking about origins, craftsmanship, or value. I was simply playing among the rugs around me—never imagining that they would one day become part of my professional life.

Looking back, perhaps it was inevitable that The Rug Authority would one day exist.

Experience Meets Education

My background combines extensive hands-on experience in the handmade rug industry with formal academic and professional appraisal education. I hold two bachelor’s degrees in Management and International Commerce from HEC Montréal, one of North America’s foremost French-language business schools.

To complement my rug-industry experience with professional appraisal methodology and standards, I completed specialized training through the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), including the Core Course in Appraisal Studies and the 15-Hour Personal Property USPAP Course. My formal appraisal work is developed in compliance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), established and maintained by the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) of The Appraisal Foundation.

Fluent in English, French, and Portuguese, with conversational proficiency in Spanish, I am able to work with clients from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

How We Work Together

Receive Your Deliverables

Depending on your project's scope, receive a detailed consultation summary, a Restricted Appraisal Report for your personal records, or a fully compliant written Appraisal Report for insurance and legal needs.

Connect for an Initial Inquiry

Reach out to discuss your situation, helping us determine whether a formal appraisal or a consulting service is the right fit for your needs.

Flexible Examination Options

For a seamless experience, we can initiate valuations remotely using your high-resolution photographs. However, for complex hand-knotted textiles where texture, material structure, and structural integrity dictate value, an expert in-person examination can be arranged.

Ready to Discuss Your Rug?

Whether you're trying to understand what you have, make a buying decision, explore value or care questions, or determine whether a formal appraisal is appropriate, we can discuss the most useful next step.