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Arts & Entertainment

A Look Into Abrash Galleries

Abrash Galleries is a unique resource for antique rugs and a pillar of the Woodbury community.

Tucked away in a building on Main Street North in Woodbury, Abrash Galleries is a unique resource for antique Oriental, Persian and European rugs.

Owned by Woodbury resident Karen Reddington-Hughes, the shop is named for the subtle striations and color changes that form in a rug over time, as a result of the oxidation of its dyes. In the front room of the galleries, a Kerman rug from the 1930’s adorns the right wall, illustrating the depth and nuance with which the rug’s abrash infuses its surface.

Within the light-filled space of the shop, rugs of endlessly varying palettes and visual designs extend in every direction. In addition to the lively and colorful carpets on the floors and walls, collections of rolled rugs are grouped in several areas of the shop, their mysteries waiting to be discovered. Also for sale in the shop is a collection of other accent pieces for the home, including a variety of artwork and majolica.

The path by which Reddington-Hughes became a rug dealer is unusual. Having earned degrees in psychology and business, she spent the early 1990’s working as a business reporter for various newspapers. Then, her husband’s career as a Naval officer precipitated their move to Woodbury. In 1994, when Reddington-Hughes had settled in Woodbury and was working as a freelance reporter, she happened to interview Claire Hamrah, the well-known owner of a local Oriental rug store.

On the occasion of that meeting, Hamrah surprised Reddington-Hughes by asking, “How much are they paying you at the newspaper?” When Reddington-Hughes expressed bewilderment at such a question, Hamrah added, “Because I’ll pay you more to come and work for me.”

That serendipitous exchange was the beginning of a ten-year relationship, during which Reddington-Hughes was fully immersed in the world of antique rugs. As she learned, she also fell in love with the beauty and the rich histories of the rugs, and a life-long passion was born.

Reddington-Hughes ultimately became the buyer for Hamrah’s Oriental Rugs for eight years, becoming an expert in the rugs’ designs, weaves and dyes, as well as the unique places from which they originate. In 2004, when Claire Hamrah had to close her store, Reddington-Hughes acted as her partner in that process. Remarkably, she opened her own store a mere six weeks later.

In addition to a wide selection of antique rugs from places such as Persia, India and Tibet, Abrash Galleries also offers its clients a limited selection of new rugs, each one of a kind. One such piece, a graphic Turkish rug integrating bright red with subtle blues, greens and browns, was created by a contemporary women’s cooperative called Woven Legends.

Woven Legends prides itself on reviving the intimate relationship between weaver and materials that existed prior to the Industrial Revolution. Woven Legends carpets, although contemporary, are renowned among rug dealers and collectors for being unique in approaching the beauty and quality of the finest antique carpets.

Especially because there has been a history of consumer abuse in the rug trade, Reddington-Hughes takes great pride in approaching all aspects of her business in an ethical way. From the beautiful condition and authenticity of the rugs in her collection - which utilize only pure vegetable dyes - to the hand-done repair work, cleaning and appraisals that she offers, she earns her clients’ trust in every area. As a result, the relationships she forms with them often last a lifetime.

For Reddington-Hughes, Woodbury is the perfect location for Abrash Galleries. This is true not only because she got her footing in the business from a fellow Woodbury dealer, but also because the town’s many antique galleries and quaint stores provide a wonderful atmosphere for shopping.

As the current president of the Woodbury Antiques Dealers Association, Reddington-Hughes hopes to expand awareness of the Connecticut Antiques Trail beyond the northeast, so that the trail receives the national attention she feels it deserves.

“Woodbury is a huge draw for clients,” she explains.

In addition to the local designers, collectors and corporations who regularly seek her out, every now and then a new client discovers her just by walking in the door. Sharing her knowledge and passion for antique rugs, and helping her clients find the perfect piece for their space, are among her favorite aspects of what she does.

“I love telling the stories that rugs hold,” she says. “Each one has a story of its own.”

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