Sarasota rug dealer returns to US 41 after hurricane repairs

A large rug dealer in Sarasota has returned to its original location nearly six months after relocating due to hurricane damage.

Rugs As Art reopened at the beginning of April along South Tamiami Trail, where it has been since 2001 in an approximately 20,000-square-foot space. The address is 6650 S. Tamiami Trail.

“We were so happy to see how busy we were right away,” Jesse Murse of Rugs As Art says in an email. “So many customers came in and said how excited they were to see us back. They were waiting for us to return so they could shop for rugs."

After Hurricane Milton in October damaged its building — from the flooring to the roof — Rugs As Art looked for space elsewhere so it could stay in business during the season. Because its rugs were elevated or on rack systems, 95% of the inventory was fine, Murse previously told the Business Observer.

Benderson Development provided a nearly 50,000 square-foot location on North Cattlemen Road in the West District of UTC near Golf Galaxy, on the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties. Rugs As Art leased the space from November through March, after a six-week setup period.

In the temporary location, business overall was “fine,” according to Murse, whose company sells everything from Oriental to contemporary rugs. Because the space was so much larger and Rugs As Art did not have its usual display racks, working the showroom was challenging, requiring “lots of rugs in piles and lots of flipping,” Murse says.

Courtesy image

“That said, Benderson Development worked with us during this troubling time, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to keep our team employed,” Murse says. “We feel blessed that we were able to be open while our building was being renovated.”

For five months, contractors made updates to the location on US 41. Since the wood floors were destroyed, the business opted to tear them out and polish the concrete underneath.

“This turned out better than we could have expected. and we have received lots of compliments on the new showroom,” Murse says.

The floors were not the only update — the building got new paint and baseboards in a lighter color palette and its bathrooms were renovated to be “more sleek and modern,” Murse says. In addition, a new roof, insulation and ceiling were installed. Because two air conditioning units on the roof were lost in the hurricane, they were replaced, and so was the sign on the building.

“All in all,” Murse says, “it feels like a new building.”