Learn More About The Founder

About the Founder of Rug Rats

Very seldom do you get the personal touch of a high-end retail store when shopping online? However, that’s exactly what you get when you visit Rug Rats, Sandy Henderson’s online rug store! Shopping at Rug Rats is a unique online experience because you get exemplary customer service along with a highly customized unique product tailored specifically to you that you can then proudly showcase in your home or business.

Sandy’s creations are not just rugs…. they are stunning conversation starters as soon as anyone walks through your door! And… when people ask, “Where did you get that exquisite rug? I’ve never seen anything like it,” you’ll want to tell them about Sandy Henderson and her novel online business approach.

In 1987, Sandy opened a retail custom rug store in the historic district of her picturesque hometown of Farmville Virginia. Located next door to the legendary Green Front Furniture store, Sandy’s focus on selling high-end rugs at affordable prices was a perfect match for the community at large and the district where she was located. There was no need for advertising, even in those early days, because as soon as anyone got a look at one of Sandy’s creations, the “word of mouth” spread like wildfire!

As Sandy’s reputation grew, it was only a few years before she and her fellow Rug Rats needed more space where to work. Thus, in 1992, she expanded her business to include a 2200-foot rug workroom… and then even more people came! She was flooded with business!

The genius of some artists is so great, they just can’t be confined to one small community. It wasn’t long before Sandy’s retail store was being visited by people in four different states plus Washington D.C.

How Did the Online Rug Rats Store Get Started?

First, Sandy has always had an eye for design. It’s in her DNA! As such, it was only natural for her to obtain a bachelor’s degree, specializing in Clothing and Textiles, from the highly acclaimed Longwood College, now Longwood University.

One day, while visiting friends in her hometown, a woman asked if she could craft a rug inspired by a Henri Matisse cut-out. What an opportunity! Sandy jumped at the chance and set about to create a high-end custom rug from cutouts like those Henri Matisse produced in his later life.

The result was fabulous and Sandy proved she was a craftswoman to be reckoned with! She has continued to create these dazzling art-inspired rugs ever since. A quick look through her online rug galleries shows how creative and innovative she truly is, creating hundreds of rugs inspired by some of her favorite artists including Wassily Kandinsky.

By 1998, the world-wide-web had become a phenomenon. Retail stores around the globe we’re beginning to take note and expand their customer base by setting up shops online. With an increasing number of calls from out-of-town customers pouring in all the time, Sandy decided to take the plunge into the vast unknown and launch her own website.

In an interview, Sandy mused about those early e-commerce days and recalled what her friends and family had to say about it. They’d make comments like, “So you think you are going to sell rugs online?” They simply did not share Sandy’s vision of selling custom rugs across the country. “They thought I was crazy!” Sandy added.

But Sandy soon proved that the internet served as a national portal to her work… and her online customers loved her rugs just as much as her retail customers! Not only that, but Sandy also offered the very highest quality rugs anyone could find anywhere online! Word began to spread again, only this time through email, discussion groups, directories, check sites, and the precursors to social media. She was settling new territory in the “Wild Wild West” of the internet. Sandy now ships custom-created rugs to all locations within the United States.

Today, Rug Rats enjoys a positive buzz across all modern forms of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and more. People love to post pictures of Sandy’s creations which are always a big hit…. and when they go viral, even more people want to buy Sandy’s rugs.

Rug Rats Hits the Big Time with Custom Rugs

While Sandy is quite humble about her success, her rugs have been featured in major blockbuster Hollywood movies! They have also appeared in primetime live TV programming. They are featured in the homes of the rich and famous.

In one interview, Sandy talks about how the internet has changed her business, “It’s exciting to open up my store and lend my expertise about custom, designer carpets and area rugs to more people across the country, all through the power on the Internet.”

What Makes Sandy’s Online Rug Rats Business So Popular?

Sandy creates totally unique high-end rugs that are affordable for most people. When customers call Rug Rats, Sandy is still the one who answers the phone and she’s still ready to give her customers the dedicated full attention she honed in the high-end retail environment of Farmville Virginia. Sandy also answers her own email. She has a way of getting into a person’s head, seeing their vision, and then making it become a reality.

Many people buy Sandy’s rugs as one kind gifts for loved ones. They are the perfect way to say “I love you” because they can be so fine-tuned for the recipient.

Sandy also sells a lot of highly professional business logo rugs and military rugs. She also supplies rugs to several interior decorators. She also designs rugs for children, and man caves, and features rugs with animals and pets.

Sandy has a special flair for rugs inspired by the mid-Century modern art of the 1950s and 1960s. She is particularly fond of the Mid Century Modern Rugs. Her custom rug creation inspired by the 1940’s Radio City Music Hall Carpet is one of her most popular sellers.

Nothing Is TOO Custom For Sandy

The most amazing thing about Sandy is how she is able to work with people to turn their vision into a showpiece for their home or business. Sometimes people have an idea of what they’d like to see but they have no idea how to make that a reality. However, if they talk to Sandy, she can take what’s in their head and turn it into a real-life beautiful masterpiece of a rug! And… that’s what makes shopping at Rug Rags unique compared to other online shopping… it’s Sandy herself that makes it extra special!