A home decoration piece that is tasteful, useful and has investment value is not easy to find.
Antique vases can be used to put flowers in but might be knocked over by children, whereas art pieces only provide visual pleasure.
Yet Persian carpets fit all the categories of luxury, usefulness and they are child-proof. Hong Kong is one of the most popular cities in Asia for such carpets, according to Avais Ahmad, owner of Al-Shahzadi, a local Persian carpet store.
'There is a growing interest in Persian carpets from Hongkongers, as more go overseas to study and travel, and understand what luxury is and desire to have the best,' Ahmad says. He say Persian carpets can be treated as an investment as prices will always go up.
Carpets from Iran are becoming rare as the younger generation do not want to get into the business, pushing the prices of these rugs up. Al-Shahzadi offers clients a trade-in carpet service as well.
After buying a carpet from the store, clients can bring it back and receive the same amount they paid for it, trade it in for another carpet or the store can help clients sell their carpet at market price. Ahmad says he has also noticed a trend of mainlanders coming to Hong Kong to purchase Persian carpets.
The sizes and prices of the carpets vary and so does their usage.