The Cohen atelier journal.
Long-form notes on hand-knotted rugs — care, restoration, the weaving traditions, the family. Written by the people who have washed the rugs that matter for more than a decade across the Northeast.
Where to begin.
Five subjects we return to over and over — the practical care of a hand-knotted rug, the restoration crafts, the weaving traditions, the family, and the Northeast.
Care
How to clean, store, and protect a hand-knotted rug — by the family that does it for a living.
Restoration
Reweaving, color restoration, antique wash — the slow crafts that happen on the restoration bench.
Types
Every great weaving tradition — Persian, Turkish, French, silk — and how to know what you have.
Atelier
Behind the scenes at the Cohen family workshop. A day in the life, the master artisan, the family.
Local
Northeast-specific rug care — the Hamptons, Manhattan, Greenwich, the seasonal patterns of HNW homes.
The Master's Guide to Oriental Rug Cleaning
A definitive guide to hand-washing antique oriental rugs — by the family that has done it for more than a decade.
- What oriental rug cleaning actually means — hand vs machine vs dry.
- The twelve-step Horizon hand-wash process.
- Persian, Turkish, French, silk — the rugs we hand-wash.
- The chemistry — dye stability, fiber, foundation.
- When you actually need professional cleaning.
Every article, in order.
Arranged by category — care, restoration, types, atelier, local.
The Master's Guide to Oriental Rug Cleaning
A definitive guide to hand-washing antique oriental rugs — by the family that has done it for more than a decade.
How Much Does Antique Rug Cleaning Cost? A 2026 Price Guide
What you'll actually pay for hand-washed antique oriental rug cleaning in 2026 — by fiber, size, and condition.
Moth Damage in Oriental Rugs: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent
How to spot moth larvae and casings before they ruin an antique rug — and what to do when you find them.
Silk Rugs: How to Clean, Store, and Protect Your Most Delicate Piece
A complete guide to caring for Hereke, Qum, Persian silk, and antique Chinese silk rugs — by hand.
Why Hand-Washing Is the Only Method for Antique and Silk Rugs
The chemistry, the structure, and the centuries of evidence — why nothing else works on antique wool or silk.
What to Ask Before Hiring an Oriental Rug Cleaner
Ten questions that separate a master atelier from a wash plant — and what the wrong answers actually mean.
Antique Wash, Overdye, and Whitewash — The Three Treatments Explained
What each treatment does, when each is appropriate, and why the antique wash is the only one that respects the rug.
Color Restoration — When a Faded Rug Can Be Brought Back
The hand craft of selective re-tinting with light-fast dyes — and the limits of what can be restored.
Restoring a 17th-Century Rug — A Case Study
Six weeks at the restoration bench — color match, foundation rebuild, fringe reconstruction on a 350-year-old piece.
How to Identify a Real Persian Rug
Seven simple tests anyone can do to tell a hand-knotted Persian from a machine-made reproduction.
Oushak Rug Master Guide
The Renaissance carpet — Holbein, Lotto, and a 600-year tradition still woven in western Anatolia today.
Hereke Silk Rug Identification
How to spot an authentic Hereke silk — knot count, sheen, palette, signature, and how to read the back.
Aubusson and Savonnerie — The French Carpet Traditions
Tapestry flatweave versus royal pile — the two French weaving traditions that defined European decorative arts.
Inside Our Atelier — A Day in the Life of the Cohen Family
From dawn dust-down through evening drying — a day at the Westchester atelier, by hand.
Storing a Rug Off-Season — Especially for Hamptons Homes
Fall-closing rug-storage discipline for the Hamptons — humidity, moths, rotation, and the right wrap.
Letters from across the Northeast.
A few of the rugs we've cared for — and the families who trusted us with them.
“They returned an heirloom Tabriz — the colors look exactly as my grandmother described them.”
“A 1920s Heriz I thought was beyond saving came back better than the day my parents bought it.”
“Our clients trust us with eight-figure homes. Horizon is the only atelier I send their rugs to.”
More from Horizon.
Other ateliers, every service we offer, and the rest of our story — a few directions to explore.
Speak with our atelier.
Once you've read the journal, the next step is bringing the rug in. Complimentary pickup from Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, Greenwich, and Stamford.
Call (203) 587-8662