An amazing way to instantly add character and charm to your spaces is by laying down a vintage rug. Today I’m rounding up the best places to buy vintage style rugs and my top picks.
Vintage Style Rugs are easy to love: They’re affordable. These rugs instantly add character and color to a room. Vintage Style Rugs are typically pretty durable. Stains are more hidden with these rugs and some are even machine washable!
Typically, these rugs are great for high traffic areas (hallways, living rooms, entryways, dining rooms) and have a good texture. Some are super comfy underfoot. Also Kid and Pet Friendly.
Where to Buy These Rugs
My favorite places to buy vintage style rugs are the following:
All these places are affordable and usually offering some sort of sale or discount, as well as free shipping (not always but a lot of the times). Plus – you can’t beat the Prime 2 day shipping when you want your rug ASAP.
Below are my favorite affordable vintage inspired area rugs – some of these we have in our house here and I can personally tell you how much we love them. These are the rugs that are not really vintage, but they are inspired by real vintage rugs. A good way to get the look for less.
My favorite brand is Amber Lewis x Loloi and really any of the Loloi rugs. They are just so beautiful, the craftmanship is excellent and they look and feel just like a REAL fancy vintage rug. Typically these are somewhat distressed rugs (in the patterns), to mimic more of the real deal. Rugs Direct has a good selection of these rugs, as does Amazon and Wayfair.
Most of these rugs come in a variety of sizes, so if you like the pattern, you can usually find them in large and runner sizes.
Best Vintage Style Rugs
Authentic Vintage Rugs – The Real Deals
I wanted to touch upon real antique rugs for a minute. These are handcrafted rugs from sellers in Turkey in Morocco. There are a few clues you can look for to ensure you are buying a real handcrafted rug.
The first clue is in the make and material. Real, authentic vintage rugs will note “hand-knotted” or “handwoven” in the description. The materials used will generally be 100% hand-spun wool yarn. If you buy a machine woven rug, typically it will say “machine-woven” and include some synthetic materials – such as polyester and polypropylene.
Real antique rugs can cost a pretty penny. A good way to “get the look for less” here with an authentic rug is to buy a large natural fiber rug, such as jute or sisal, (these are typically not as expensive) and then throw a small vintage rug on top (perhaps under a coffee table or something). Or, buy a vintage rug in a small runner size for a touch of that vintage charm. These can be great for bathrooms or small closets or mud rooms. Here are some good places to check out real vintage rugs.
Etsy is one of my favorite places to look for them. Here are some search terms you can put into Etsy to help you find the best ones:
- Vintage Turkish Rug
- Kilim Rug (or runners)
- Oushak rug (or runners)
- Muted Vintage Rugs
Revival Rugs is another good option. This company was founded out of the owner’s frustration with finding quality, affordable vintage rugs. They believe that beautiful handcrafted rugs shouldn’t cost a month’s rent, or be difficult to track down.
And then there’s The Vintage Rug Shop was started by one woman with a passion for high quality rugs. After a chance meeting with a Persian rug dealer at a flea market, her rug company was born and didn’t slow down after that. She eventually left her corporate job to pursue her passion.
Understand that your vintage area rug may not be perfect. Because these are handcrafted rugs, you will get some fading and imperfections in the design. But that’s part of the charm, in my opinion. A bit of wear on these rugs is normal and ok – too much wear is not. These rugs can last decades for you if you take care of them. And they are beautiful enough to be passed down to future generations.
Tips for Styling These Rugs
These rugs are easy to style, but there are a few things you want to keep in mind.
- Try to match existing colors from the room in your rug choice.
- If you are starting from scratch – the colors in your rug are a great jumping off point for designing the rest of the room.
- If you are buying a “busier” vintage-style rug, meaning the pattern is A LOT, keep the rest of the room somewhat muted and neutral.
- Conversely, if the room already has some pattern and color, try to choose a less busy rug to complete the space.
- Keep SIZE in mind – one of the biggest mistakes we make is choosing a rug that is too small for the space.
- I like to follow this rule with placement; the front legs of the furniture should all sit on the rug. The room feels more pulled together and you don’t have a piece of furniture on an island by itself.
- A rug pad is essential in my opinion (unless you are putting this rug over existing carpet). It makes the rug cushier, protects the flooring underneath and prevents skidding and slipping rugs. Speaking of, these are some great ways to keep your rug flat.
Thanks for visiting the blog today! I hope this helps you find the perfect rug.
Xo, Karen
Karen Sloan
Karen Sloan is the founder, editor and syndicated content writer of www.decorhint.com. She offers hints of inspiration for everyday living, including home ideas, DIY projects and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared on Google News, MSN, Pioneer Woman, Apartment Therapy, and Bustle, among others.