Q+A: Knots & Weaves Decorative Rug owners, Kerry & Jim Greim

1. No
longer
a
“lofty”
dream:
Knots
&
Weaves
re-­‐opens
in
its
new
home
Two
Decembers
ago,
Malvern
residents
and
business
owners
Kerry
and
Jim
Greim
had
their
lives
turned
upside
down
when
a
massive
fire
destroyed
their
decorative
rug
business,
Knots
&
Weaves.
Those
superstitious
might
deem
“12”
an
unlucky
number
for
this
hardworking
couple,
but
not
so.
2012
has
been
very
good
to
the
Greims,
delivering
them
an
opportunity
to
reopen
at
the
location
formerly
occupied
by
Nesting
Feathers.
Beloved
by
many
for
its
eclectic
home
furnishings
and
accessories,
Nesting
Feathers
was
both
a
destination
and
a
vibrant
King
Street,
Malvern
business—two
goals
the
Greims
hope
to
achieve.
With
the
addition
of
The
Loft,
a
vendor
co-­‐op
concept
that
harkens
back
to
its
predecessor’s
history,
the
Greims
are
poised
not
only
to
rebuild
their
business,
but
also
to
play
a
leading
role
in
revitalizing
the
community.
Though
admittedly,
the
timing
isn’t
great
with
the
devastation
caused
by
hurricane
Sandy
all
too
fresh,
if
anyone
is
perfectly
suited
to
help
others
regain
their
hope
and
vision
after
an
unforeseen
disaster,
it
is
hands-­‐down,
Kerry
and
Jim.
In
advance
of
this
weekend’s
re-­‐opening
event
(Nov.
3-­‐4),
we
thought
this
Q+A
would
be
well
worth
your
reading
time.
For
more
details
about
the
event,
visit
K&W
on
Facebook.
How
did
the
concept
for
The
Loft
come
about?
When
we
acquired
the
new
building
it
was
double
the
size
of
our
original
rug
store.
We
didn't
want
rugs
on
the
2nd
floor
because
logistically
that

2. can
be
difficult.
We
also
knew
that
we
wanted
to
compliment
the
rugs
with
products
that
our
customer
base
would
enjoy,
so
what
better
than
home
decor
and
fashion
accessories.
We've
actually
added
gift
items,
candles
and
holiday
decor
to
the
mix.
What
type
of
criteria
did
you
have
in
mind
when
choosing
“housemates”
to
take
up
residence
in
The
Loft?
The
potential
business
ideally
would
already
have
been
established,
have
a
following,
interesting
product,
creative
individuals,
and
be
involved
in
social
media.
How
do
you
envision
the
new
venue
enhancing
both
business
and
consumer
“life”
along
King
Street?
There
is
truly
something
for
everyone
at
every
price
point.
The
overall
feel
of
the
store
appeals
to
all
of
your
senses.
Candles
are
burning,
music
is
playing
and
the
products
are
visually
stimulating…
Soon
food
will
be
cooking.
Since
first
and
foremost,
you
are
a
purveyor
of
rugs,
what
are
some
of
the
details
you
want
customers
to
know
about
your
inventory?
We
hand
select
every
item
in
the
store.
The
rugs
are
hand-­‐woven,
the
furniture
is
hand-­‐painted,
&
some
of
the
jewelry
is
handmade,
so
many
of
these
items
will
not
be
found
anywhere
else.
There’s
been
talk
of
adding
a
café.
Can
you
expound
on
that?
The
cafe
is
on
the
back
burner
(pun
intended)
for
a
short
time.
We
wanted
to
have
it
open
for
fall
2012,
but
when
the
guidelines
for
the
equipment
showed
that
we
couldn't
use
our
existing
appliances
and
we
had
to
buy
all
new
ones,
we
had
to
put
a
hold
on
the
project.
We
purchased
and
did
a
major
renovation
to
the
building,
so
the
expense
of
setting
up
the
cafe
is
something
we
cannot
tackle
until
after
the
New
Year.
What
are
the
most
unique
features
of
the
new
store
in
terms
of
collaboration,
inventory
and
quality?
As
mentioned
above,
with
the
handmade
quality
of
so
many
of
the
products,
you're
guaranteed
to
find
great
pieces
that
you
wont
see
anywhere
else.
Signed
works
by
local
artists
are
offered
at
great
prices.
We

3. pride
ourselves
in
that
we
are
truly
a
mom-­‐and-­‐pop
shop
and
price
our
items
so
well
that
we
know
and
feel
confident
that
we
are
treating
our
clients
fairly
with
our
main
goal
always
being
that
they
have
a
great
experience.
How
has
the
economy
impacted
how
people
decorate
their
homes?
Are
they
spending
more
to
make
things
more
luxurious
and
going
out
less,
or
the
opposite?
Do
you
feel
the
price
points
of
your
Loft
vendors
will
help
customers
make
desired
changes
and
add
a
greater
sense
of
intrigue
and
comfort
to
their
homes?
The
economy
has
definitely
impacted
our
business,
which
is
why
we
needed
to
do
more
than
just
rugs.
We
didn't
want
people
to
feel
they
couldn't
come
in
if
they
weren't
in
the
market
for
a
rug.
We
want
everyone
to
feel
welcome
and
at
home
at
K&W.
We
have
found
that
our
prices
and
the
prices
of
our
tenants
our
so
amazingly
fair
and
reasonable
that
people
are
finding
it
hard
to
pass
up
on
some
of
the
deals.
Everyone
wants
a
deal
these
days
and
we
recognize
that,
so
we
are
very
aggressive
about
keeping
our
pricing
in
line.
Are
the
vendors
long-­‐term,
or
will
you
be
rotating?
Both:
When
it
works
well
for
each
vendor,
and
also
for
us,
then
everyone
is
happy,
and
they
stay
on
or
even
expand.
Sometimes
situations
change;
we
encourage
businesses
to
talk
with
us
about
joining
The
Loft
in
the
future.
Why
did
you
choose
these
particular
vendors?
Some
were
recommended
through
mutual
friends
or
business
associates
who
knew
what
we
were
doing
and
thought
they
would
be
a
good
fit.
We
met
one
vendor
at
an
auction.
We
found
two
jewelry
designers
at
the
West
Chester
Restaurant
Festival.
One
vendor
walked
in
the
door
one
day…
As
long
as
their
product
is
something
that
consumers
will
find
interesting
and
it
goes
along
with
our
concept,
we’re
willing
to
give
it
a
go.
What
has
been
the
biggest
challenge
of
relocating
after
the
fire?
The
biggest
challenge
to
overcome
was
letting
people
know
that
we
were
still
in
business.
Being
in
a
temporary
space
for
the
year
after
the
fire
put
us
in
a
compromising
position,
as
we
were
hesitant
to
put
money
into
advertising.
We
couldn't
justify
a
big
advertising
campaign
for
a
space
and

4. address
that
we
knew
we
were
moving
out
of.
We
have
to
make
up
for
lost
time
in
spreading
the
word
that
we
are
back
and
bigger
and
better
than
before.
What
are
your
hopes
for
King
Street
in
terms
of
becoming
a
destination
“Main
Street”
for
those
outside
the
Main
Line?
We
are
very
excited
about
the
expansion
project
across
the
street
and
hope
to
see
lots
of
people
walking
around
town.
With
the
addition
of
restaurants
and
Kimberton
Whole
Foods,
many
more
people
are
bound
to
venture
into
Malvern.
How
successful
are
you
at
juggling
parenthood
with
a
full-­‐time
business—and
as
a
couple?
Is
there
any
downtime?
The
juggle
is
tremendously
difficult
and
stressful.
Luckily
our
children
are
getting
bigger,
although
I'd
like
to
keep
them
little
forever.
They
are
much
more
independent
and
willing
to
pitch
in
and
help.
We
hit
the
ground
running
every
morning
and
often
have
evening
business
commitments
combined
with
sports
and
both
our
volunteer
work
with
the
school,
so
there
is
never
any
down
time.
Our
hope
is
that
once
we
get
things
in
place
and
have
our
staff
up
and
running,
we
can
take
time
for
ourselves.
We
cancelled
our
vacations
this
summer
in
order
to
get
the
construction
complete
and
the
store
open
before
the
end
of
the
summer.
We
desperately
need
family
time.
This
arrangement
is
not
one
we
would
recommend
to
enhance
a
marriage.
We
work
extremely
hard
everyday
at
keeping
the
peace
and
maintaining
our
sanity
as
a
couple
and
business
partners.
What
are
the
top
two
reasons
to
not
miss
your
opening
event?
Don't
miss
this
event
because
there
is
so
much
to
see
at
discounted
prices.
Most
people
who
see
our
new
home
are
so
pleasantly
surprised
to
find
what
we
have
done
to
the
place
and
to
also
find
the
addition
of
The
Loft!
Fun,
food,
balloons
and
tattoos
for
kids
(or
adults),
along
with
raffles
and
giveaways.