Since sharing our guide to rugs on the blog, I've gotten tons of questions from clients, followers and fellow designers about my favorite places to source vintage rugs. A vintage rug can transform any space and I particularly love using them in our projects' kitchens, bathrooms and stairways as they can withstand a lot of wear and tear. Since we are always on the lookout for great vintage rugs, I've picked up a few tricks to sourcing the best pieces for our projects.
Here are our industry tricks to find the perfect vintage rug:
Be flexible. Take measurements of the space, as vintage rugs don't have standard sizing. This allows you to expand your search further to include more options within a size range, instead of a set size.
Be patient. It can take weeks or sometime months to find a vintage rug in the the color palette you're searching for and in the appropriate size.
Follow your favorite rug shops on Instagram, so you can keep an eye on inventory as it changes.
Be quick! When you find one you love, be ready to make the purchase immediately. Because these are all one-of-a-kind items, they often sell quickly.
Zuma has incredible prices on beautiful, unique pieces. Woman owned and operated, I always go straight to Zuma if I'm in search of a vintage piece. Today, I'm loving this one, this one, and this one (perfect for a kitchen!)
With a larger inventory, Revival is a nice option to watch regularly while on the lookout for something specific. You have to weed through the oversaturated and bold pieces, but you can find some beautiful, patterned, subtle rugs. This one, this one (for a little girls' room) and this one would be a beautiful addition to your home.
A beautifully curated collection of vintage rugs, I particularly love The Southern Loom's large sized area rugs and runners. The site is easy to navigate and shop by size, which makes it easy for sourcing for clients. All rugs ship free which is a huge bonus for our clients. This one, this one, and this large beauty are current favorites.
An absolutely beautiful collection of vintage rugs, I usually start my search at The Vintage Rug Shop. The pieces focus on neutral palettes with interesting patterns that are classic and timeless. While priced higher than some of the other sources we've shared, it's a great option when in search of something specific. The Orry, Roslin, and Isolde are top picks right now.
Old New House provides a much more detailed description of where their rugs are sourced and details about the condition. When shopping for vintage, it's critical to consider the existing condition of a rug. While fading is part of the charm, you want to avoid holes or tears that can be a tripping hazard. I LOVE the color palette of this option and I would design a room about this pretty piece, too.
Etsy is an incredible resource for vintage rugs, and often you can ind more affordable options than a pre-curated collection from another brand. My favorite shops on Etsy for vintage rugs include Area Old Rugs, BEFound Collective, and Vintage Kilim. When shopping on Etsy, use the provided filters to search rugs more easily. Make sure you've applied the "vintage" filter to avoid any new or reproduction options. If you're looking for an area rug, consider adding the word "large" before your search for vintage rug. Other key words to try searching on Etsy include "Turkish", "Persian" or "Moroccan" rug which can help pull more specific results.
Don't forget to catch our rug styling tips here on the blog or catch up on the trends I'm most excited about in 2019 here.
