We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Birnie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

As an entrepreneur, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for names and branding. They matter. So when I began working with unique, one-of-a-kind vintage rugs, I found myself thinking a lot about history, heritage, and heirlooms. That naturally led me to think about my own family—especially my Grandma Claudia.

She was an artist and a true collector at heart. Her home was filled with beautiful things, each with a story. Most of her treasures lived in her beloved “Curio Cabinets”—she had five of them, each displaying collections of unique glass, jeweled elephants, vintage dishware, her own ceramic artwork, and other eclectic finds.

The word “Curio” has always reminded me of her. It represents wonder, beauty, and the idea that every piece has a story. Naming the business Curio felt like the perfect way to honor her legacy and her love for all things special and unique.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I started my rug company, it was never meant to be more than a side hustle. At the time, I was working in the photography industry—mostly shooting weddings, portraits, and interiors. I also owned a baby portrait studio that I planned to grow and scale. But like many creatives, I had to pause my photography work during COVID. I thought this new venture would simply complement my photography career—just another creative outlet. I had no idea the impact that one quick decision would have.

My love for interior design is what initially led me to rugs. I was obsessed with sourcing pieces for my own home, hunting for the best deals online and diving into their history. I quickly realized I had a knack for finding great rugs at great prices—and could even turn a small profit. From there, I became completely immersed: building a website, shaping the brand, growing an Instagram following, and connecting with trusted suppliers. I started by selling mainly on Instagram—in 2020, people were home, redecorating, and living more online than ever, so the business took off naturally. I also already had a solid local following within the interior design community, which helped immensely.

The growth from there was almost surreal. Slowly, I stepped back from photography, discovering that my passion for entrepreneurship and building something from the ground up was just as strong as my love for rugs and photography. It also proved to be a much more scalable business, offering me something photography never quite could: true freedom and a better work/life balance.

Eventually, I said goodbye to my baby portrait studio in 2021 and let go of my interior photography clients which was painful. I took a full year off from photography to focus on opening our retail space in Wayzata, MN. These days, I only take on a handful of family shoots each year—because I still love it, and it’s all I realistically have time for.

Curio Rugs went from operating out of my garage, basement, and a 500-square-foot photo studio to housing over 700 rugs in stock and a beautiful 2,000-square-foot showroom. As we began stocking more high-end pieces, our clientele naturally shifted from the general public to primarily interior designers. It’s a transition we’ve embraced—we love working with designers, and it allows me to stay connected to the creative design process that I’ve always been passionate about.

What sets us apart is our pricing and our service. We will take rugs to our clients home to try and offer trials for local designers. We don’t believe in price gouging. One of our core values is keeping our rugs approachable and fairly priced as it is important for us to be a shop where everyone can find something beautiful they can afford. . That sometimes means our margins are lower, but staying accessible to the everyday customer is non-negotiable for us. While many companies inflate prices only to offer big “discounts,” we keep it honest and transparent from the start. I also believe our curated collection is one of the most tasteful out there—something we take great pride in, not only for our own brand but to complement the vision of the interior designers we work with so often.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I have completely bootstrapped my business until about 1 year ago we took out a small line of credit to fund purchasing about 100 samples. Our next plan of attack for growth is launching our “made to order” or “custom made” rugs. We are so excited about some of the designs we will be offering.

Bootsrapping is not for the faint of hearts. It can be scary at time when you owe suppliers and sales are randomly down. These last couple of months have been especially scary. No one knows what is happening with the tariffs and stock market. People have lost a lot of money in the stock market and are likely putting extra purchases on hold.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

This is a top priority for us. We do everything we can—within reason—to make our customers happy. It really comes down to putting yourself in their shoes and doing what’s right. My team (just Emily and me, lol) always takes the time to talk through any issues that come up. The first question we ask ourselves is: Is this worth our precious time to deal with this any further?

Every business runs into customers who seem determined to cause problems, but we’ve learned that it’s often better—for everyone—to address and resolve things before they escalate. It’s not just about keeping the peace; it’s about protecting your energy and your business in the long run.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.curiorugs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curio_rugs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curiorugs
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-birnie-56248b3b
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/curiorugs/

Image Credits

I have been the photographer for all of these :)