At 88, Charlie Knott said it’s time to roll up the carpet for his interior-decorating business.
As the owner of Knott’s Interiors on North Hermitage Road in Hermitage, he has been supplying flooring, furniture and other interior supplies for 60 years. Originally housed on Jefferson Avenue in Sharon, Knott moved the business to its existing location in 1968.
“We installed flooring in every Mercer County school district,’’ he said.
Local hotels such as what is now the Quality Inn in Hermitage and the Park Inn by Radisson in Shenango Township also had their flooring installed by Knott’s.
When the local economy hit the rocks in the early ‘80s from local mills closing, Knott said he adapted.
“We increased our geography for business,’’ he said. “We went as far away as places just outside of Philadelphia, Buffalo and the Cleveland area.’’
Hotels outside the local area became great customers.
At one point the store had 38 floor installers, he said. Also, for a time it remodeled kitchens and bathrooms.
And along the way the business has installed speciality flooring, such as at operating rooms at UPMC Horizon’s Farrell hospital.
“We laid down anti-microbial material,’’ he said.
There were rough times. His son Charlie “Chuck’’ died unexpectedly from an illness in 2011. He was only 48. Then Knott’s wife, Lynne, died in 2020.
He said he continued running the business always with their memories in his mind.
During his tenure, home furnishing styles have changed. In the early days traditional and colonial furniture ruled. But Knott said now he’s seeing more contemporary styles.
Some home features have disappeared.
“Wallpaper has gone away,’’ Knott said.
The store is holding a going-out-of-business sale, with its last day expected in mid-June.
“This has been a good ride,’’ Knott said. “People have been very nice to us.’’