Vintage rugs add timeless character to a room. Here’s where to buy vintage area rugs! Learn all about the different types of vintage rugs and discover the best sources and how to find high quality vintage area rugs!
Vintage Rugs are Timeless
Vintage area rugs are inherently timeless – they have already stood the test of time, and are making their way back into contemporary design. I think they’re a major design trend of 2020, but they aren’t anything new, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere either!
I absolutely love the rich colors of vintage area rugs, especially the jewel tones like pink, blue, and green!
An added benefit of these rugs is that they are incredibly durable due to the traditional weaving methods used by the tribes that created the rugs many years ago, so they will continue to age beautifully!
I am currently searching for a set of beautiful vintage runners for our hallway, which is one of the reasons this blog post was born. I am a huge fan of white everything, but I am drawn to the colorful patterns of vintage Persian rugs.
These handmade textiles are like art for the floor, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Allow their quirks, imperfections, and nuances to shine! They are a wonderful way to add color to a space that can easily be swapped out down the road when your tastes change – they will hold their value well!
One of the great things about investing in a vintage rug: it can always be resold in a few years. So have fun experimenting with different patterns and colors!
design above: Amber Interiors | photography by Tessa Neustadt
Antique Rugs vs. Vintage Rugs
When searching for vintage or antique area rugs, it’s important to know that in rug terms vintage is anywhere between 1920-1970, and antique is any time prior to 1920. This can help narrow down your search if you are on the hunt for a particular style.
Antique rugs are a bit older, and will typically be more expensive, but not always. It’s important to invest in rugs that your drawn to whether they’re new, old, or super old! Don’t get too caught up in title and labels. Just buy what you love!
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Types of Vintage Rugs
Moroccan
There are three types of Moroccan rugs: Beni Ourain, Berber, and Cactus Silk. When it comes to vintage Moroccan rugs, we most commonly see Berber and Beni Ourain.
Beni Ourain (a subset of Berber) and Berber rugs are made of wool from different Moroccan tribes. There are 17 tribes in Morocco that create Beni Ourain rugs, these rugs are known for their simple patterns and neutral colors, and can be incorporated into modern design very easily.
Turkish
Turkish rugs (which are very similar to Persian rugs) are woven with a double knot technique. Most Turkish rugs are woven with straight, geometric designs that feature tribal and meaningful motifs.
Persian (Kilim Rugs)
Vintage Persian rugs are generally handwoven, dyed using natural dyes, and are grouped into what is called Kilim Rugs.
They are known for their bold patterns and intricate designs. Persian rugs are made with a single knot technique and often have oriental, elegant, and round designs with a medallion in the center.
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via MyDomaine | Sabra Lattos Photography | by DesignStiles
The Best Sources for Vintage Rugs
I have spent countless hours looking at rugs for our home, and have found a few sites that are full of really beautiful options. From neutral to colorful, you will have no problem finding the perfect rug for your home. These are my favorite shops for sourcing and buying vintage rugs!
Check out Mesa Vintage, Vintage Rug Shop, and The Southern Loom!
Revival rugs has an amazing collection, plus they make it easy to narrow down by size! You can also even use their room visualizer tool!
I love Swoon Rugs for the very curated collection. Each rug is a beauty, and you won’t have to spend hours searching for a diamond in the rough. This is where I got my entryway rug from! Beautiful quality and color selections!
Etsy!
Shopping for vintage rugs on Etsy may take a little longer than shopping a curated site, but the money you’ll save makes it totally worth it! Etsy has the best prices by far! Here are some of my favorite Etsy shops:
Loom & Kiln is based out of Utah and offers not only rugs, but beautiful ceramics, art, and decor pieces from around the globe. Hannah, the owner also has a beautiful instagram account!
Based in New Jersey as well as Turkey, Kilim offers area rugs at really great prices!
You can find vintage, antique, and replica rugs here!
Kelly Vittengl is a London based interior designer with a passion for well-loved pieces. She opened France Loom in 2004, and continues to scour flea markets for beautiful vintage rugs. France Loom pieces are cleaned and mended before being offered for sale, so you’re sure to receive a product that is fit for your home. Kelly has an awesome instagram as well, new rugs added every Thursday 11 am EST.
Best Sources for Vintage Rugs
Frances Loom
A beautiful curated collection of stunning vintage rugs!
Etsy
Ollio Collective
A friend of mine, and an amazing vintage rug and home goods shop!
Loom & Kiln
Vintage rugs and other lovely antiques from around the globe!
Kilim Studio
A vast array of vintage rugs ranging from colorful to neutral!
Swoon Rugs
One of my favorite curated shops for vintage rugs!
Revival Rugs
They offer lots of amazing visualization tools to help you find the perfect vintage rug!
Chairish
Chairish has a variety of amazing antiques and vintage finds, and their rug collection doesn't disappoint!
Lulu & Georgia
Lulu & georgia Offers a great variety of one-of-a-kind rugs!
Vintage Inspired Replicas
If your budget doesn’t allow for truly vintage, or if you’re in search of a specific size rug, try one of these vintage inspired area rugs!
Love this roundup of beautiful rugs! We found our main replicas at HomeGoods. Shocked at the ever changing variety that they have there and the great quality.
xx Katie
Thank heaven for HomeGoods!!!! Seriously – where else can you buy pasta, cupcake mix, a rug, a new dress, and an iPhone charger all in once place??? Some of my favorite rugs from home goods are actually bathroom mats that were $16!!!!
Thanks Chloe for this great post. It says it All. One thing that is important to keep in mind though are the people, most likely women, who make the rugs.
Many resellers only pay the artisans the price of the materials to make the rug, so unfortunately not even enough for an artisan to feed their family.
So when bargaining with resellers, do specifically ask who made it and where it was made. If they stutter, walk away.
Another tip is to ask two separate people in the shop the same question and see if you get difference answers.
There are some, but unfortunately few, resellers who truly take care of the artisans they source from so do your best to find these resellers.
Of course, you can avoid all of this by using websites like Craftic.net which collects the products directly from artisans for a quite fair price, and the final cost is much lower than what you can get in in online or even local stores.
With sites like these, you can get a great item with a greater price while ensuring the artisan was paid properly.
Hope this helps!;)
This blog post itself can save someone so much time!!!!! I cant imaging the time spent in researching all of these rug options. This is very informative and helpful.
Thanks for sharing;)
Maria, Thanks so much! Yes – lots of time, and hopefully helpful! xo
This is an excellent roundup. Most don’t nderstand the difference of rugs and the fact that you pointed some facts about vintage vs antique is superb. There is a great small business shop for rare antique rugs over at Blue Parakeet Rugs. The owner is very passionate about her business and she educates you about rugs and the details of the heirlooms. She is very friendly and has amazing prices for what she collects and sells. Her website is very informative as well about each piece and I highly recommend this shop as we have filled our home with these rugs. Her shop is popular and very loved. On Instagram as well @blueparakeetrugs
I really love vintage rugs
it is so classic, I’m the type of person who chooses the old design I love old but gold rugs :D
perfect
Shop our gorgeous one-of-a-kind rug & kilim collection – http://www.rugncarpet.com
So great to have found your blog! Come check us out sometime, we have weekly new rug arrivals based out of NY, just started with our augmented reality virtually try a rug in your home before buying. Would love to connect ! All the best,
Dave
Old New House Vintage and Antique Rugs
camera across your post by accident and found it to be very helpful. It helped me understand some things about my rug that I didn’t know before. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Very informative blog post indeed! I would like to contribute.
We bought our first Turkish rug on Etsy. I am really surprised how fast we received, it only took a few days from when we found it to when it was at our door, half way around the world. I definitely recommend the Etsy shop called Turkish Rug Master.
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