by Lily Burbage

For 38 years, Josephine Keir Pedersen has built her business around the belief that the right rug can transform any room.

Today, Josephine Keir Limited Rug & Home in Lewes is known for its collection of one-of-a-kind, hand-knotted rugs, fine art, soft furnishings, lighting, and home accessories. But for Josephine, the business is about more than what fills the showroom. It is about craftsmanship, creativity, and the relationships built along the way.

Josephine first opened her business in 1988 in a building she and her husband renovated in Lewes’ historic district. The space, which had once served as a firehouse and jail, became home to a store focused primarily on fine art and accessories.

Her love of textiles and fibers, cultivated during summers spent in Britain, soon led her in a new direction.

“Shortly after that, I kind of merged into a thought process of adding one-of-a-kind hand-knotted rugs,” Josephine said. “And I’ve been in love with rugs ever since.”

Eventually, the rugs became the heart of the business.

Over the years, Josephine operated several locations throughout the region, including stores in Bethany Beach, Salisbury, and Milford, as well as a large showroom and warehouse. Today, she has chosen to focus her business in Lewes.

“I don’t need two stores at this point,” she said. “After 38 years, I’m happy as I can be here.”

Josephine and her husband originally moved to the beach because they were drawn to the coastal lifestyle. With her husband retired and the couple raising toddler twins, opening a store seemed like a natural fit.

What began as something to do blossomed into a nearly four-decade career.

Walking into Josephine Keir Limited today, visitors are surrounded by a carefully curated design space. Artisan-made rugs cover the floors and walls, while artwork, lighting, and furnishings fill the showroom.

Josephine hopes first-time visitors are “absolutely mesmerized” by what they see.

The store operates as a full-service design shop, but rugs remain at its core. For Josephine, a carpet is not simply another decorative element: it is the foundation of a room.

“The core of a room really is the fine carpet on the floor,” she said. “It ties everything together.”

Josephine points to Edgar Allan Poe’s description of a rug as the “soul of the apartment,” a sentiment that reflects her own philosophy.

“The reason I do this is because I can transform a mediocre room into something that is designed spectacularly, and that is so exhilarating for me and my clients,” she said.

The rugs she carries are made by artisans rather than generated from computer-created patterns. Each reflects the craftsmanship of the person who made it, giving the rugs a uniqueness Josephine believes cannot be replicated by mass-produced alternatives.

That distinction is especially important as independent retailers compete with large national and big-box stores.

“The biggest challenge really is two things,” she said. “One is the ever-increasing costs of doing business as a small business. My costs are higher now than when I was running two stores.”

At the same time, she said, independent retailers face competition from larger stores selling products at lower prices, even when the quality may not compare.

For Josephine, however, the value of her business extends beyond the products themselves.

Her relationships with artisans around the world have become an important part of the business and provide opportunities to connect the Lewes community with craftspeople far beyond Delaware.

Josephine Keir Limited Rug & Home owner, Josephine Keir Pedersen.

In September, Josephine plans to host a seminar featuring one of her rug makers, a seventh-generation Persian artisan whose offices are in Switzerland. Sponsored by the Rehoboth Art League, the event will include food, beverages, music, and a lecture and demonstration, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the art league.

Josephine has worked with the family of rug makers for nearly 30 years and regularly travels to international rug shows in Switzerland. She has also hosted shows featuring rugs from Nepal and Afghanistan, with proceeds supporting causes such as schools for women.

For Josephine, those connections demonstrate the broader impact of shopping locally.

When customers choose an independent business like hers instead of ordering online or visiting a national retailer, she said, they are supporting both their community and the artisans whose work makes the products unique.

“They’re supporting their local communities, number one,” Josephine said. “Number two, they’re supporting the people that actually do this kind of artisan-made work.”

After 38 years, Josephine’s passion remains at the center of her business. Whether a customer is searching for a single rug or working to transform an entire room, she wants each person who walks through her doors to feel that their visit mattered.

“We hope every customer leaves here feeling appreciated,” Josephine said. “We want everyone to feel appreciated and blessed that they’ve come into my store and had interactions with us.”

In a community filled with independent businesses, that personal connection is part of what makes shopping local more than a transaction. At Josephine Keir Limited, it is an opportunity to bring artistry, craftsmanship, and a little piece of the wider world back home to Lewes.