If you've been following us for a while, you'll know how much we love a good kitchen and runner pairing. They are the perfect duo, and one of our favorite stylings that we see interior designers do.
Due to the general shape of kitchens, and the long narrow dimensions of runners, they just make sense together spatially.
This photo above from Oho Interiors' Instagram feed is a beautiful example of why we love this pairing so much. There's no better fit in our opinion!
Below, we dug up seven runners of varying sizes and styles that we know would look spectacular in a kitchen.
(Side note: If the idea of a nice rug in your kitchen worries you, check out this post about why handmade vintage rugs are actually the best choice for a high-traffic spot like a kitchen.)
Option 1: Mid-Century Modern Tones
This rug's colors give off mid-century modern vibes, and they are dark enough that you don't need to panic if you drop some pasta sauce or a cup of coffee on it!
Option 2: Wide, Elegant Runner
This runner is a good option for a more spacious kitchen. It adds so much character and personality to an otherwise undecorated space (the floor).
Option 3: Warm Malayer
Designer's R-2011 | 10'11 x 4'11
The details on this gal are so beautiful! Brick red and cranberry tones will warm up any kitchen, while also adding an element of sophistication.
Option 4: Playful Oushak
For a less traditional rug, we've got this cute little Oushak. The vibrant colors and playful pattern are super unique, not to mention extremely fun!
Option 5: Long Malayer
Designer's R-780 | 10'11 x 2'9
This is the longest of the runners we've selected, clocking in at just under 11 feet. It also prominently features this year's hottest rug color: blue!
Option 6: Big Red
This is a very common design we see in kitchens. With the three big medallions running down the center and a border around the whole rug, it's a classic design that just looks so great in a kitchen.
Option 7: Denim Edit
Designer's R-780 | 10'11 x 2'9
Here's that popular blue again! This gal with her perfect distress and gorgeous colors (denim, taupe, brown/olive, cranberry, terracotta, and gray) would look so stunning in a kitchen. And with all the different colors, she'd fit with just about any decor.
If you are considering putting a runner in your kitchen, just be sure to measure the space before you purchase anything. For the best fit, the runner should lie in the middle of the floor and there should be space on all sides of it. If you have questions or would like to see any of our rugs in person, reach out to us!
]]>Blue can take on so many different vibes. It can be light and airy, adding a hint of elegance to a space. It can be bold and boho, which is a ton of fun and makes for a great conversation piece. And it can be just about anything in between!
Here are some of the prettiest blues we've got in stock, plus some inspo from designers so you can get an idea of why this cool tone is so hot right now.
One of the best color combinations for a rug is icy blue contrasted with warm tones like oatmeal, camel, and espresso, and this 100-year-old has got it all. It also has the perfect distress, which adds to the overall blue hue.
Designer's V-1996 | 10'7 x 7'7
This one also has a mix of icy and warm with its light cornflower blue and oatmeal tones. Here's a close-up of the beautiful color combo:
This pretty gal is so unique and fun. The floral motifs come in terracotta and beige and are accented by emerald and black, which, in combination with blue, is something we don't see often. This rug would look great in a children's bedroom or nursery, or under a coffee table in a bold, cozy living room.
Now that you've seen all these gorgeous blue rugs, let's take a look at some nice ways to style them.
This Persian Malayer is the pumpkin spice of vintage rugs! She's got a nutmeg field with some distress that leans oatmeal, plus some dark chocolate embellishments. Up close you'll see tiny bits of dusty blue, too. She is such a lovely little gal, and she's under $500!
We are obsessed with this one! She is the epitome of autumn: a soft terracotta field with so many accents: oatmeal, dusty blue, chestnut, dark cranberry, and our favorite color in this rug, marigold! Look how charming those details are! Here's a close-up:
This is a prime example of why we love vintage rugs so much. A newly-made rug would never have these perfect pops of yellow on one side like this. There's just so much personality here!
This neutral-colored gal is the chai latte of our fall rugs. The field is a dark camel and has beautiful cream-colored geometric designs throughout. The rug leans neutral, but the palette is rich in color. She's also under $500!
This one is a Persian Malayer from the 1950s, and she is a perfect fall-time rug! With the sharp, pointed designs and the muted camel and brown tones, she'd be great in a foyer and would be such a fun, festive welcome for guests.
While these five new arrivals would make great art for your floors in any season, they definitely lean autumn to us.
If you're in the Twin Cities metro area and would like to see these rugs in person, you can schedule a studio visit here!
When looking for rugs, the first thing we verify is whether it is handmade. Machine-made rugs can be great, but that's not our business. Our business is handmade vintage rugs that serve as art for your floors. The way to determine whether a rug is handmade or not is quite simple: you turn the rug over and look at the back side. If the back design mirrors the front, it is more than likely handwoven or hand-knotted. Next, check the fringe or tassels. Are they sewn on or are they woven into the rug? If they are sewn on, it is not a handmade rug.
We typically lean toward rugs with overall muted rugs that feature surprising accents, motifs, or colors. This enables our customers to get really creative and have fun with their decorating while not going wild and getting way out of their comfort zone. Life is too short to have an all white and beige house! But we understand that a bold, bright rug isn't for everyone, so we are sure to source many options that have subtle pops of color and lots of personality.
All of the rugs we source are either Turkish or Persian -- hand-knotted rugs made in Iran. Turkish rugs usually feature motifs like florals or birds (Oushaks) or tribal designs with lots of straight lines and angles (Anatolians). Persian rugs are quite intricate and have a higher knot count per square inch, which you can see by turning the rug over and checking out the back side. These rugs often have a medallion in the center, and their colors are typically vibrant (and some are even hand-died with vegetables!)
Here's a Turkish rug we just brought into the studio. As you can see, it's got an overall neutral color scheme, with its pale pink and oatmeal field and dusty blue and charcoal accents, plus it features some lovely floral motifs.
This is a Persian we just acquired and we love. Note the much more intricate designs and the slightly more punchy colors, both of which are hallmarks of a Persian rug.
For a detailed post about the differences between Turkish and Persian rugs, click here.
While we are fans of sourcing unique rugs, we also have a commitment to a certain level of reliability, which is a standard rectangular rug. While we have sourced the occasional square rug -- and we love them! -- the truth is that rectangular rugs are the best fit for most spaces in your home.
For the most part, we only purchase rugs from suppliers who we know sell authentic vintage. We have great relationships with our select vendors and we know what we're in for when we purchase rugs from them. That said, we did just recently go on a buying trip! When we're in a position where we can touch the rug and check it out ourselves, we always start by folding a corner to look at the root of the knots. If it truly is a vintage rug, the colors will be more vibrant right there at the root than they will be on the surface, and the color difference will be more of a fade (like an ombre look) rather than a blunt cutoff, which a machine-made rug colored to look vintage would have.
We also look at the distress. Yes, machine-made rugs can have a distressed look, but real, natural distress you can feel in your hands. The rug will be slightly thinner and more pliable in places with natural wear.
Identifying vintage is just one of those things that you learn when you're in the trade. It's something you can feel in your hands, because they just don't make rugs the way they used to! And that's why we're so taken by handmade vintage rugs: there's nothing quite like them. They are the perfect accent, a great conversation piece, and an investment that will last for decades.
We've worked with a lot of designers over the years who have implemented a beautiful layered rug look. Here are some of our tips and tricks (plus some rug picks!) about rug layering:
The first thing we recommend when designing the layered rug look is to measure your space, or, better put, the space you want the rug to fill. We can't tell you how often people exchange rugs because they hadn't adequately measured (or hadn't measured at all) their room.
It can be hard to measure an open space, so we recommend using blue painter's tape to draw out exactly where you want the rug to lie. This will give you the most accurate measurement. Keep in mind that for places like a bedroom or living room, you may have a little wiggle room when it comes to the size.
Photo: Styled by Stephanie
Once you know the general size your rug needs to be, it's time to look for the base layer. As we mentioned, jute rugs are a great option for the bottom rug. They are neutral in color and design so you can layer any style on top of them.
For a smaller space, here's a beautiful 6'x9' hand-woven rug in ivory. It is so plush and it's got a subtle chevron design that we love.
If you're searching for a larger rug for layering, here's an 8'x10' in braided jute that has a slight patterned look, and here's more of a blank (but lovely!) slate to layer upon.
You may not need to pull out the measuring tape again, but you will need to decide an appropriate size to layer on top of the base rug. If you're going with an 8'x10' base, we recommend going at least a foot shorter all around the border, which would be about 6'x8' or smaller. So when searching for a top rug, use 6'x8' as a guidelines, but give yourself a little room to play.
Here's a pretty Turkish Oushak that measures 5'4"x 8'3" (so it's bigger than 8' but not by much) and would look lovely on top of one of those 8'x10' jute rugs.
If a simple jute rug isn't your vibe, we've seen many gorgeous rug pairings with mixed and matched designs and colors. It's so unique and memorable! Here's a layered styling we adore:
After you've decided which rugs to purchase, now you get to play around with them! We gave you our recommendations above, but feel free to break the rules and do what looks best to your discerning eye.
Whether you layer rugs because you're on a budget or because you just love the way it looks, we know you'll have fun coming up with your design. If you need opinions or recommendations, feel free to reach out to us! And if you're in the Minneapolis area, you can book an in-person buying appointment here (there's nothing quite like seeing and feeling the rugs in person.) Bring your base rug along with if you want to try out different looks!
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How it works:
Find a rug on our website that you love;
Click on the new button See This in My Room;
Upload a photo of the room you are hoping to fill with a new rug;
Move the rug around until it is in the perfect place.
If you don't love it, you can easily scroll through other rugs and add them to your space with the click of a button! It's so easy (and quite addicting, if we're honest).
Here's an example of what this our AI-powered tool can do:
You'd never believe the rug wasn't really in this kitchen! The software is highly intelligent, so as you move the rug around in your space, the software automatically scales the size and angle of the rug.
How to get a good photo of your space:
Turn off all the lights in your space;
Take the photo (phones work!) when the sun is on the other side of your home for some great lighting;
Slightly angle the camera above the space so you can get a human eye view of what the rug will look like.
If you don't have a photo of the space, you can use a demo room on our software instead. This will give you an idea of how the rug plays out in a room, even if it's different from the room you're looking to place it in.
We are so happy about this new software and we know it'll make your shopping experience with us much easier!
Here's a little demo of how this new feature works. Happy playing!
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The only thing we love more than tearing open our new arrivals is seeing our rugs in your spaces.
In the photos above, designer Anna Christian of Call it Christian staged our rug in this gorgeous design, and we can't stop looking at it. Not only is her design so classically unique (we particularly love her use of both black and white in this neutral-toned room), but we are in love with how she layered our rug on top of another more neutral rug.
The rug we supplied her with is a Persian Mahal, which typically features intricate designs tied with asymmetrical Persian knots. Because the designs are quite nuanced, there is typically a higher knot count per square inch in a Persian rug like this in comparison to a Turkish rug. What's extra special about these rugs is that the wool is often hand-died with vegetables, which gives them their vibrant colors.
Designer's V-684 | 9'8 x 6'8 | $3,750.00
The rug in the staging is available for purchase if you're loving it as much as we are! She measures 9'8 x 6'8 and her colors run rust, taupe, terracotta, and denim.
Since we know this one won't be in stock long, we dug up a few other Mahals that would look just as show-stopping in a home as the Call it Christian staging above.
This runner is simply majestic. It's an 80-year-old Mahal with shades of denim, taupe, olive, and varying browns.
You can really see the intricacies of design in this rug. The contrast in colors and the combination of hard lines and soft curves makes this rug so unique and lovely. She's also nearly 100 years old! Just swap out the rug in the Call it Christian design and replace it with this one, and you have a stunning, colorful addition to a classic and neutral-toned living space.
Designer's 1-481 | 12' x 8'6 | $5,350
We love how this rug's color scheme is predominantly a cool blue, but is warmed up with notes of mushroom, taupe, and brown. It's show-stopping in person and would make a huge statement in just about any room in the house.
Designer's V-715 | 10'4 x 6'10 | $3,250
Speaking of warm tones, this 80-year-old gal is just about as warm as it gets, with camel, chocolate brown, olive, and khaki with subtle dusty blue and blue-green flourishes.
If you need some inspiration for how to style a handmade vintage rug, be sure to follow Call it Christian. She's so great at pairing strong neutrals while also finding a way to add a spark of creativity and intrigue.
Here are six of our favorite new arrivals, each as unique as the last:
Here's another rug with distinct color variations, which only add to the character. It's got a light beige field with beautiful hints of sage, taupe, gray, and even black. Look at that detail of the peony! It is such a stunning rug, and while very different from the muted rug above, it could also be placed in nearly any room in the house -- plus, it could complement so many different styles, from clean aesthetic to boho!
Details: 11'7 x 8'5 | $2,850
This little gal is so stunning. It's full of warm tones like taupe, beige, espresso, olive brown, and sage, then when you're up close you see hints of a cool blue. Given its small size, it could fit so many places -- like in a bathroom, in front of the kitchen sink, or even as a welcome rug in a foyer or by the front door.
Details: Turkish Oushak c. 1960 | 3'11 x 2'5 | $325
Possibly the best part of our job working with handmade vintage rugs is being surprised every time we open up a shipment. We're so lucky to get to observe these beauties up close! If you have any questions about these rugs or would like to schedule an in-person buying appointment, just reach out!
The thick border in this Turkish Oushak evokes the same vibe as Elizabeth's gorgeous rug choice for the dining room above. The color scheme is similar too, with an oatmeal field, tiny hints of mauve, and flourishes of dusty blue. And it's the perfect size to place underneath a dining room table or a bed.
The oatmeal field of this Turkish Keyseri is such a strong neutral that it would go with so many different styles, like clean and classy or boho and moody. It's a little more muted than the rug in Elizabeth's dining room design above, but close up you can see shades of slate blue, olive/gray, and taupe. Such a lovely rug!
This Persian goddess is from the 1940s and she is absolutely stunning. The field is brown/olive mixed with greenish khaki, and it features hints of dusty blue, which may lean indigo or periwinkle in some spots. This is what we love so much about vintage rugs -- the variations in color and design make them truly one-of-a-kind.
Here's a warmer vibe than the rug in the dining room design above. This is another rug from the 1940s, and it's one of our absolute favorites. It's got an oatmeal and taupe field and its embellishments are espresso, dusty blue, and sage. There are also hints of beige and sage throughout -- a beautiful collection of colors! We could see this rug in a living room under a big wooden farm table in the dining room.
This rug has got a lot of the same colors as the one under the dining room table in the Elizabeth Lawson design above. The field is oatmeal and the designs run muted brick, dusty blue, pink, taupe, and camel. This would be the way to go if you're looking to add some pizzazz to a space.
If you have any questions about these Elizabeth Lawson Design-inspired rugs, or any other rugs we carry, feel free to reach out to us!
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Persian Tabriz rugs hail from the northwestern region of Iran, Tabriz, which is one of the oldest weaving centers in the world. In fact, the first rugs came out of Tabriz starting in the 12th century!
With a very high knot density (how many knots per square inch), Tabriz rugs often feature incredibly intricate designs, such as medallions, florals, foliage, fruits, and even fish, and are often contained by an ornate border.
Given the hand-knotted nature of these art pieces, they are in a higher price range than other handmade vintage rugs, such as a Turkish Oushak. Despite the price, these are one of our favorite origins to source because the construction is known to be one of the best and longest lasting types of rug in existence. You truly cannot find a rug with more structural integrity -- or more beauty!
Here's a look at some Persian Tabriz rugs we've sourced recently:
A Persian Tabriz from the 1940s with a typical ornate border and some beautiful, punchy colors! The rug runs blue, beige, sage, and taupe for the lighter tones and is accented with terracotta, rust, and watermelon.
Designer's O-8021 | 6'7 x 4'5
These designs are as intricate as something you'd see in a Renaissance painting. It's astonishing that weavers can create designs like this, all with knots! This rug has so many amazing colors: dark brown, sage, olive, terracotta, pumpkin, gray, and khaki.
Designer's C-738 | 12'6 x 9'3
Here's another Persian Tabriz from the 1940s. The field is navy and a cool slate blue, and embellishments are camel, beige, black, and more dusty gray/blue. Up close, the beige sometimes reads slightly mauve. The intricacies of the colors are almost as mind-blowing as the details themselves.
Designer's 172 | 12'10 x 3'1
This runner is iconic. It's a Persian Tabriz from the 1950s that runs a green/gray color, but in some lighting, the field leans blueish. The details are a mix of peachy/dusty pink, taupe, and gray.
Designer's B-696 | 15'2 x 10'7
From afar this blue beauty looks quite minimal, but up close you can see faint olive and brown designs throughout the entire piece. This is one of our favorite rugs if you're going for that classic Light and Dwell or Amber Interiors vibe!
Designer's B-689 | 11'10 x 9'3
Here's another Tabriz that appears quite neutral, but up close is very detailed. The colors are ivory, oatmeal, light brown, and taupe. She's stunning!
If you're loving looking through these, you can view our whole collection of Tabriz rugs here!
If bold prints and bright colors intimidate you, check out the Schumacher and Studio Ashby Instagram feeds. They both go wild with all things bright, and you can gain a ton of inspiration by scrolling for a minute.
Whether you choose a small rug to add some depth under a coffee table, a runner to brighten up your kitchen, or a sprawling rug for your bedroom, these colorful, one-of-a-kind pieces will spice up any room in your house – and totally disrupt our neutral-toned Instagram feeds!
This little buddy is amazing! She’s got all sorts of reddish tones, like ruby, cherry, and crimson, all of which are accentuated with warm ivory and beige flourishes. The navy and brown stabilize the pops of color, and all the colors work together to make up this unique piece. We especially love the floral motifs throughout.
We could see this rug in a home office or under a small table, like this perfect game table! Here's another little one that would do wonders for a home office.
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it a hundred times more: runners are perfect in kitchens! How fun would it be to brighten up your kitchen by adding a colorful runner like this one?
Here’s a kitchen designed by Shauna Walton Design with a very unique runner that adds so much character to that space. Also check out this deVOL Kitchens design and this Mel Bean Interiors design choice.
Another colorful runner to check out is this one! And if you’re feeling extra bold, you can even place two rugs in your kitchen like this design.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns! Creativity is essential when wanting to spice up your space.
How gorgeous would this big beauty be under a wooden farm table in a dining room? And don’t worry about food spills – handmade vintage rugs like these are famously easy to clean, as opposed to their modern-day machine-made counterparts. (Check out our post on how to clean a vintage rug here.)
If you need some design inspo for your dining room, take a look at this Gideon Mendelson design and this Heidi Caillier design.
Greet your guests with a pop of color by placing a vintage rug in your foyer! Look how breathtaking this design by Carrie Delany Interiors is. You can achieve the same vibe with your own bright and bold rug.
Here are two more rug choices for a foyer.
We’re dying to see this rug placed in a living room! Who needs art when you can showcase a rug like this one?
If you’re unsure about mixing patterns and playing with colors in your main living space, take a look at this spectacular living room, designed by Anna Eleri. The warmth and fun in this design make the space so inviting!
Tell us this isn’t the cutest rug you could ever place in a little girl’s room?
If the floral print is a little too much for you, here’s a much more neutral kid’s room rug placement, and here’s the rug that could achieve a similar effect.
Bringing some bright bold character to your home is as easy as picking out a colorful rug and putting it on display! As always, if you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you. Instagram is the best way to reach us!
This handmade Malayer from the 1940s has the most beautiful color combo of denim, taupe, brownish-olive, cranberry, terracotta, gray, and olive-gray. It would add a ton of charm and vibes to your kitchen.
This pretty gal has such nice colors: mauve/dusty pink, navy, camel, dark gray, green, olive, and plum. We love the close-up of the floral motif, too!
This beauty is long: over 16 feet! In the right space, this rug would add a beautiful luxuriousness that you don't often see in kitchens. It's a Kirdish from 1930 and has a muted olive field with accents of rust, slate blue gray denim field, gray, and taupe.
The majority of the rugs we carry are low-pile, meaning they aren't thick and plush. But this one is a very soft high-pile rug and she's a stunner. She's got different shades of red mixed with navy, brown, olive, and watermelon accents. She's got tons of personality and would look spectacular in the right kitchen!
We're huge fans of designers Light and Dwell. Their designs are so casual and laid back, yet they look super high-end. Here's a design they shared on Insta:
Photo by Chris Mottalini
See how cozy the space is while simultaneously being elegant and approachable? We just can't get enough of their looks.
To help achieve your own homey look like Light and Dwell's designs, we rounded up a handful of Persian rugs we think would achieve the elevated laid-back look these gals are so good at.
Side-note: If you're not sure the difference between Persian and Turkish rugs, check out our latest post.
Designer's 670 | 14'x1 x 9'10 | Persian Mahal c. 1900
This is truly one of the most amazing rugs we've ever carried. First, she's 120 years old and she'll probably last several more decades. The center of the rug is a very dark charcoal and the border is ombre tones of brick red, strawberry red, rusty orange, gray, sage, and olive. These moody colors make the rug appear to be straight out of Light and Dwell's Insta feed.
Designer's F-844 | 11'10 x 8'8 | Persian Tabriz c. 1940
The subtle floral motifs on this Persian Tabriz are so beautiful, and the colors just pop. The field is a blue/green and the details are camel, beige, and khaki. It's giving us living room vibes like this one.
Designer's 789 | 13'4 x 9'7 | Persian Sereben c. 1940
This huge gal is so pretty. The details are so intricate, which is only achievable with a high knot count typical in Persian rugs. Here's a look at those details:
Her colors are a light chocolate brown, denim blue, dark brown, and taupe -- a perfect backdrop to a Light and Dwell-inspired design.
For an effortless but high-end look, any of these Persian rugs would help you achieve that unparalleled Light and Dwell style.
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We are going to break it down for you so you really understand what makes the two styles unique and why you might want one over the other.
Persian Bidjar, c. 1950
Persian rugs are hand-knotted rugs made in Iran. The designs are often quite intricate, and to achieve this look, there is typically a higher knot count per square inch in comparison to a Turkish rug.
Below is a Persian Heriz rug from the 1960s. As you can see, the designs are complex, which requires a higher knot count to achieve. Accordingly, the price of Persian rugs is typically higher than Turkish rugs. Persian rugs take an immense amount of time to hand-weave, but the effect is beautiful.
Here's a closer look at the details:
You can see how intricately woven this rug is, and while you can't count them, you can get an idea of just how many knots it has. A Persian rug is regal and elegant, and you'd put a Persian rug in any space you want to elevate.
Many rugs, both Turkish and Persian, are named after the region from which they come. The rug at the top of this post, as an example, is a Persian Bidjar, which comes from the Kurdish town of Bidjar in western Iran. The rug immediately above is a Heriz, which is a district in the northwest region of Iran. Designs differ slightly from region to region as well.
Here's a brief list of regional differences:
Turkish rugs typically have fewer knots per inch than Persian rugs, making Turkish rugs a more accessible entry point to owning a handmade rug.
While Persian rugs are typically more intricate and elegant, Turkish rugs lean toward more straight lines, floral motifs, and overall funkier designs. These rugs can be so fun!
Here's a Turkish Anatolian from the 1970s. The designs are less intricate than the Persian rugs above, but there is still a ton of detail. Straight lines and tribal designs are typical of rugs from the Anatolia region of Turkey.
The rug below is a Turkish Oushak from the 1970s, which comes from the Oushak region of Turkey, just south of Istanbul. Oushaks often feature floral motifs with small vines and medallions along the border. The field of this rug is a dark ivory, which is another indication that the rug is an Oushak.
A higher knot count doesn't mean a Persian rug is structurally more sound than a Turkish rug. Both styles are very strong and durable, which enables them to last for generations.
Here are the two most popular Turkish rugs:
The primary differences between Persian and Turkish rugs are the knot technique and designs. (For some great visuals about the difference between knot techniques and knot count, check out this article.) The simplest way to remember the difference is that Persian rugs have a higher knot count due the more intricate designs, and Turkish rugs have a lower knot count and feature more tribal or floral designs.
Because of the higher knot count, Persian rugs are more expensive than Turkish rugs. Both rugs are beautiful and you cannot go wrong with either choice!
]]>If Amber's feed has you drooling over the authentic vintage and antique rugs she uses in her show-stopping designs, but you don't quite have the funds to purchase one, we have some more affordable options you may love (and we think Amber and her team would love too)!
Here's an inspo post from Amber:
Details: Designers B-696 | 15'2 x 10'7 | Persian Tabriz, c. 1940
This Mahal is about 120 years old and one of the most amazing rugs we have ever laid eyes on. The center is a dark charcoal and the border has an ombre vibe of brick red, strawberry red, and rust. You'll also find some rusty orange, gray, sage, and olive tones in this beauty.
She has a very well done repair, which you can see in the photos, and is priced accordingly.
Details: Designers 670 | 14'1 x 9'10 | Persian Mahal, c. 1900
The colors and natural distress in this rug give off the same vibe as the Amber Interiors rug pictured above. The field is navy, the border is ombre brick, burgundy, cranberry, and terracotta, and there is brown, beige, taupe, olive, and even a dash of pink throughout. She's so lovely and unique!
Details: Designers G-675 | 13'6 x 10' | Persian Mahal, c. 1910
The ornamental details of this girl are unreal! Her field is a bluish gray and she's got accents of beige, terracotta, rust, and taupe. Can you even imagine how she'd look under a modern coffee table and leather couches, or in a bedroom?!
Details: Designers B-724 | 12'2 x 8'10 | Persian Mahal, c. 1920
The details on this rug are just about as good as it gets! Her field is a mix of navy and slate blue and the details run camel, beige, black, dusty gray-blue, and some tiny spots of the beige lean a hair pink / mauve.
Details: Designers C-738 | 12'6 x 9'3 | Persian Tabris, c. 1940
This gal is a dreamy light chocolate brown with hints of denim blue, dark brown, and taupe. We love when a rug looks like it has a subtle pattern from far away, but when you view it close up you get a view of the intricate designs.
Details: Designers 789 | 13'4 x 9'7 | Persian Sereben, c. 1940
We can't play favorites because we see so many rugs, but this one is truly one of our favorites. Her field is a gray/green/blue tone and her border is mauve with a heavy lean toward brown, olive, and gray.
Details: Designers H-633 | 9'5 x 7'4 | Persian Bidjar, c. 1930
The deep colors in this rug would be so fun to create a design around. You could play up the rust, or you could take the blue/gray route to accentuate the undertones. There's also some creamy camel. Such a gorgeous collection of colors!
We had to throw in a runner because Amber can do no wrong when it comes to her rug pairings, and that includes runners! (See here and here and here.)
This runner is super regal and we could see it in a hallway, a kitchen, or even an upstairs landing like this one.
Details: Designers R-787 | 16'2 x 3'2 | Kirdish, c. 1930
As you can see, we are big fans of Amber Lewis and her team at Amber Interiors. They have such a brilliant eye for design and we are inspired by them daily! We hope you love these rug pairings as much as we loved picking them out.
As always, if you have any questions, we're here for you! Find us on Instagram to message us. And remember, we offer payment plans to make our rugs even more obtainable.
Here are five of our favorite newly-launched rugs (all of which are still available at the time of publishing).
This rug is unique in that it's narrow for an area rug, so it could work almost as a runner if you have a wide enough space for it. She has an oatmeal field and has the slightest pink, sage, blue, and dark brown flourishes. A great neutral that would go with just about anything!
This runner is so elegant and beautiful. The field is a very dark brown, and there's some dark blue, papaya, rust/orange/red tones, sage, and light blue. She's a Persian Malayer from the 1940s, and she's long -- over 13 feet!
These blues, olives, grays, and olive-browns have a stunning interplay when you look close up. And the rug has a hint of distress, which softens the colors and adds even more character.
Here's another rug with a splash of distress, which we always love. The colors are navy blue, khaki, terracotta, gold, emerald, and muted cranberry and together they look so luxurious. It's a nice petite size, and we can see it in a home office or at the foot of a cozy chair.
If you have questions about any of these rugs, or just want to know how to best style a floral rug like the first one in this list, just reach out to us! Instagram is usually the best way to get in touch.
A bathroom may not be the first place you think to place a nice, handmade rug, but read on. We've pulled together some of our favorite bathroom rug stylings so you can collect a little inspo for your own bathroom projects -- plus, we've paired these designs with our own vintage rugs (all of which are still available at the time of publishing) so you can get started designing.
Yes. We will do home viewings for larger or multiple rugs. We don't have a minimum purchase requirement, but we do expect the customer to spend a minimum of $2,5000 for an in-home showing. We charge a $250 fee for in-home viewing for places within 30 minutes of Excelsior, Minnesota, and we do a travel fee beyond that. The $250 is a non-refundable fee but it can be put toward any order of $2,500+.
This is something we used to do more frequently as we began building our business, but it is a lot of work to lug these rugs into a home. Some rugs weigh 50+ pounds!
We have a system where we mark the rugs up a specific percent to reach our margins to stay in business and reinvest in new inventory. Some of our suppliers carry much more high-end rugs and in turn they charge more for wholesale. These rugs are what you'll find in our Designer's Collection.
We are always striving to offer the most inventory at the best prices, so a good wholesale deal for us is also a good deal for our customers. This is why you see such different prices on our site.
There aren't really any cons! Some origins have a looser weave and a lower knot count, and sometimes, when they are very old, they need a lot of refurbishment. But refurbishment is almost always possible, and these fixes often end up making the rug even more unique and charming.
As for pros: Where do we begin? We like to compare a vintage rug to an old house. They just don't build new houses the way they did in the 1920s, and the same goes for rugs. Rugs woven in the 1930s were literally made to last hundreds of years. Another pro is the natural fibers and variation in colors. It makes them unique and impossible to ruin with a stain.
When we help customers pick our rugs that will be close to one another, we always say to choose 2-4 common colors to be in each rug. For instance, you may have a neutral living room with taupe, ivory, brown, green, and blue colors. We would recommend choosing a rug with a rust base and blue and green in the design. Or a brown and green rug with another warm accent color like terracotta. The common colors would be the brown and green.
Styles are also important when designing rugs in adjoining spaces, and we love mixing modern rugs with vintage. As an example would be placing a chunky knit rug in the living room and a vivid vintage Persian for the foyer or a room adjacent.
Pattern play is so fun in design right now. So if you have a large-scale printed rug in your living room, you could mix another rug nearby with a small-scale print featuring a couple of common colors.
A super popular question! Here are some differences of note:
Turkish: Made in Turkey; lower knot count per square inch; design not as intricate; designs are often more straight line and tribal (Anatolian) or floral (Oushak).
Persian: Made in Iran; more intricate design; designs are usually more elegant and regal; higher knot count; knot technique allows Persian rug designs to be more intricate.
In a nutshell, the biggest difference is the knot count and weave techniques. They are both structurally quite strong. Persian rugs are usually more expensive because they took much longer to make because of the higher knot count and intricate designs.
Yes! Our criteria for custom sourcing is always evolving. As it stands, here's what we require:
- A $4,000+ budget;We know this is a lot of rules! But after attempting to custom source for many people, we have learned it is very difficult to find exactly what people are looking for. Handmade vintage rugs are a big investment and we want to find the perfect rug for our customers. That said, it's important to be open-minded and not stuck on a specific rug that is unavailable.
This took a lot of researching, digging, trial and error, and trust. We're not going to give up that secret! We are still with two of the first three suppliers we tried working with and we are forever grateful for them! We have a great relationship with our suppliers and we trust and resect them immensely.
Most of our suppliers add the repairs and shipping into the cost of the rug, which is how we prefer it. The less math we have to do, the better! All of our rugs come fully washed, repaired and refurbished, and ready to sell, and all of those fees are woven into the wholesale price.
We would recommend an Oushak like this one, below! They are very, very durable for heavy traffic, they're easy to vacuum, and the cotton foundation makes them a bit more stiff for scooting high chairs and tables around on.
Here's a post all about the best rugs for high-traffic areas.
We are seeing such a shift in trends lately, with bolder, more daring pattern and color choices, and a beautiful mixing of textures.
Our favorite kitchen designers of all time, deVOL Kitchens, nails mixing and matching here with this fun Turkish runner, which adds warmth and depth to the white floors, cabinets, walls, and ceilings.
Do you see how beautifully the rug complements the other bold colors found on the decorative pillow, vase, and embellished lamp shade? And then you mix in the copper pots and all of these colors come together to paint this beautiful scene.
We pulled together some of our favorite (all of which are still available and under $1,000!) unique rug options if you want to spruce up your space and pull off a vibe like deVOL Kitchens does here.
Rug: Turkish Oushak c. 1960s | $825
This runner is a perfect dupe of the one above! It's got a mix of watermelon and peach, gray and dusty blue, and the tiniest hints of gold and olive.
Rugs with these colors are flying off our shelves right now. There are lots green tones (olive, chartreuse, and army green) with burgundy-brown, a little rust, and a bright, cheery periwinkle in the mix. She's so pretty.
Rug: Turkish Anatolian c. 1970 | $750
Rug: Persian Bidjar c. 1950 | $995
The shades of cherry red, emerald, and orange absolutely pop in person. Follow this link for a video of the rug.
Rug: Turkish Anatolian c. 1970 | $575
It blows our minds that this charming rug is still in stock! She has the most glorious mix of colors: an olive khaki field with flourishes in sage, red, pink, charcoal, gray, and lavender, all pulled together with a rusty red border.
Rug: Turkish Anatolian c. 1970 | $725
Here's another stunning runner! We love how the cool navy blue contrasts with the warm ivory, camel, taupe, and beige accents. It would look so lovely in a kitchen. And if you're hesitant to put a handmade vintage rug in a high-traffic area like a kitchen, read this. A vintage rug is the best kind of rug to put in a high-traffic space!
When looking for a rug, don't be afraid to add something vibrant or super detailed, even if the room is already fully decorated. Keep deVOL Kitchens in your inspo pictures -- they know how to do it right!
]]>Do I really want to put this rug in my busy foyer?
YES! You do! We are frequently asked whether a vintage rug is a good option for a high-traffic area, and we are here to tell you that handmade vintage rugs are the best option for high-traffic areas.
We know it sounds hard placing a gorgeous vintage piece of art in a space that will get a lot of foot traffic, but handmade rugs hold up a lot better than machine-made rugs, which often times are ready to be thrown out after five years or less.
Here are a few reasons the best rugs for high-traffic areas are handmade:
Cotton and wool have a lot more longevity than plastic-based materials like polyester, acrylic, and nylon that newly made rugs are often made out of. A fact we love is that wool is so durable that its fibers can bend up to 20,000 times before breaking. That is a ton of footsteps.
The natural fibers are renewable as well, which is an added bonus.
There's a good reason vintage rugs are primarily made out of tough fibers like wool and cotton: the weaving process is rough on the fibers, so they need to be durable enough to stand up to the hand-pulled knots. If you take a close look at a vintage rug, you can see the individual knots that a weaver's hand pulled over and over again. Twisting, pulling, and knotting require durable fibers, and there are none better than wool and cotton.
For more on the structural differences between handmade and machine-made rugs, take a look at this post.
Remember the fun fact about wool? Here's another good one: wool naturally wicks away liquid and dirt, so stains are rather easy to remove from a vintage rug -- even wine and coffee! So whereas a machine-made rug may require frequent trips to a professional cleaner, your vintage rug is likely to be cleaned up just fine by a little spot treatment. (Here's everything you need to know about cleaning a vintage rug.)
Do you see how charming the wear is on the 60-year-old rug above? It's not matted like a machine-made rug would be, and it's not threadbare or damaged either. It's more like a patina you'd find on a leather bag or shoes. The interesting thing is that sometimes you'll see the perfectly distressed look on a rug this old, but then you'll come across a 90-year-old rug and you can barely tell she's that old.
Handmade vintage rugs' ability to stand up to wear and tear makes them the best rugs to put in high-traffic areas in your home. And because they're easy to clean, the only thing you'll really need to worry about is finding the right no-slip pad to place under it so people aren't sliding around as they walk through the busy area.
As always, if you have questions for us about handmade vintage rugs, or any of our pieces in particular, we are always happy to hear from you. Instagram is a good place to connect with us!
]]>Here are some of our favorite stylings from the last year:
Haus of Rowe knows how to do a kitchen! The tiny details like that stool with flowers and the cookbooks all add up to the most charming, welcoming kitchen!
Design: Haus of Rowe
Photo: Emily John
We are absolutely in love with the way designer Megan Miller styled this Persian rug! Layering a smaller rug over a larger neutral-toned rug like this is just perfect. (You can get another view of this amazing design choice here.) Small details like this make a room look so unique and well-designed.
We pulled together some of our favorite colorful Persian rugs so you can get this look if you love it as much as we do!
This handmade rug is a 100-year-old Persian Malayer with the most charming distress (we call wear and tear like that beauty marks!) Note: marks like this are not damage, they are simply side effects of being (very) vintage. Think of details like this as a patina on a leather bag.
This is a kilim-style Afghan rug, so it's really thin and intricate. The watermelon mixed with black and khaki makes it the most delightful, space-brightening rug!
Speaking of natural wear-and-tear, this rug's markings could not be more beautiful. The differences in coloration bring so much character to a room, and a rug like this is truly one of a kind. Also, those colors!
If you're layering rugs like our design inspiration by Megan Miller, don't be afraid to play with patterns. When it comes to rugs, the more textures the better!
At the time of publishing, all of the Pinterest-worthy rugs below are still in stock!
This rug is what dreams are made of! She's a Persian Bidjar from the 1940s and has a spectacular dark denim and charcoal field with highlights of honey, greige, rust, camel, terracotta, and taupe. She'd look perfect in a hallway or a kitchen.
This gal has rust, terracotta, espresso, taupe -- basically all the trending colors in one beautiful rug. Perhaps the coolest part about her is that she's from the 40s! And still in such great shape. That's the amazing thing about handmade vintage rugs: they are built to endure.
This Turkish Oushak from the 70s would look great in virtually any room. She's full of neutral tones with the slightest hints of brighter colors like terracotta and a muted brick. The designs are so intricate and lovely!
This old girl is stunning! She's a Persian Hamedan, a style of rug we don't often have a ton of in stock. She's got the perfect mix of light colors (pink, olive, honey, terracotta) and dark (denim, black, gray, super dark brown). We're shocked we still have her!
We're loving the cool tones of this Turkish Oushak. Her field is a gray blue that almost skews teal in the light. The ornamental designs are all in dark brown and black, with oatmeal highlights to brighten her up.
In 2018, in the U.S., we discarded 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings. That doesn’t even include rugs and carpets, which was an additional 3.4 million tons that same year. These numbers are uncanny, and yet they are continuing to rise. It’s no wonder, then, that our eco-conscious Gen Z and Millennials in particular (but consumers in general -- according to Forbes, the U.S. secondhand market will reach about $82 billion annually by 2026) are opting for vintage.
Keeping up with the times, Zara, a notoriously large fast-fashion empire, is moving toward resale with its recent release of Zara Pre-Owned in the U.K.
Another piece consumers appreciate about vintage is the stories the pieces tell. Fashion icon and vintage expert Cameron Silver says it best: “Looking at a beautiful vintage garment can provide a visual explanation of what was happening in society, politics and the arts since the way we express ourselves in fashion tells us a lot about who we are and where we have been.”
That’s what we appreciate so much about vintage: it reflects a specific time and place. For us, of course, that representation is found in our rugs. We source primarily from Turkey and Pakistan, and the rugs are frequently named after the city or region in which they were made, so you can really get a sense of what the weaver’s world looked like when they crafted their rug.
An example is this 60-year-old Turkish Oushak above. We know it was made some time in the 1960s in the Western Turkish town of Oushak. With a little research, we can learn the story of what the atmosphere was when the weaver created this. And the story itself is a piece of art, and much more meaningful than, say, purchasing a ready-made piece from a big manufacturer. While that may be a little more affordable on the outset, it doesn’t come with the story or the sustainability of a used rug – and that’s what consumers are flocking to. (Also, machine-made rugs are harder to wash and they don’t stand up to time like handmade vintage rugs do.)
Since pre-owned goods are making such a comeback, we thought we’d share some of our favorite local-to-us vintage and resale shops:
Apparel:
Furniture and home goods:
And of course, you can look to us for handmade vintage rugs!
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In our last trend watch post, we shared all the ways we were seeing florals popping up. Scroll through that post and you'll see floral-studded linens, wallpapers, rugs, and curtains -- and they're full of rich and beautiful colors.
Here's how some of our favorite designers are styling color right now, followed by our picks for vibrant rugs, rich in color and charm:
Designer Ann McDonald captioned this photo on Instagram saying, "Visual warmth - a theme I’ll never tire of." And same! The colors in this kitchen add warmth and personality, and the rug makes it so atmospheric.
Design: @anne_mcdonald_design
Photo: @canarygrey
Build: @mcdonaldremodeling
Because we can't help ourselves, we found a runner we have in stock that could give the same rich vibes as the one above.
If a cuter chaise exists, we've never seen it. We love a deep furniture color like this, and look how it makes the wallpaper pop. It's stunning.
Design: @kismet_house
We adore how the warm tones brighten up this moody charcoal room, which could easily make a room feel cold!
Design: @hamiltongraystudio
Photo: @erinlittlephoto via @archdigest
This rug has a similar ripe watermelon field to the rug in the charcoal room (and she's on sale). She'd look beautiful in a foyer or hearth room.
If you're looking to dip into the vibrant color trend, here are our picks for rugs we have in stock:
The natural distress that comes with a 70-year-old rug is the best. You'll see machine-made rugs try to evoke this wear-and-tear but it's never as perfect as a good vintage rug. We can't believe this gal is still in stock!
This one's a good choice if you just want to dip your toe into color, as it has a calmer but still vibrant color palette In person, she gives off hints of dusty pink and sage with all that navy and taupe!
Here's another perfectly distressed rug! It just adds so much character, and it looks gorgeous with this rug's floral motifs and stunning (and uncommon) burgundy tones.
There are so many ways to bring some color into your home. If you want help finding a handmade vintage rug that's perfect for your space, we're always happy to chat!
]]>Here are five of our favorites in stock right now:
This rug is so intricate and has the most amazing and varied colors! Her field is a subtle smokey green, and the accents range from taupe and camel neutrals to muted fuchsia, brick, and denim blue.
This Persian Bidjar is the perfect size (9'2 x 2'8) for a hallway or kitchen. She's got the tiniest hint of a light peachy pink mixed into her olive, dusty, and khaki green color scheme. We especially love the floral motifs in the border!
This combination of colors is so unique. Her watermelon field is accented with denim, charcoal, ivory, and dark teal. She's also got some really lovely bird motifs scattered throughout.
If you look closer at this rug, you can see her denim and light blue field, which is adorned with mauve and rust floral motifs. So pretty! And a perfect size (10'6 x 4'11) for a foyer or home office. Could also be cute in a nursery!
We had to throw this mini in here because first of all, she is perfect, and second, we have a feeling that these vibrant, saturated colors will be making a huge comeback soon. She's the cutest little size of 3'1 x 1'4 and she'd be great in front of a kitchen or bathroom sink.
If you're interested in any of these rugs or if you have any questions, reach out to us! We love helping people find the perfect rug for their home.
]]>Most handmade rugs are made from natural fibers like wool and cotton. Let’s take a look at how these natural fibers are so good at what they do:
Most of the rugs we source are 100% wool, meaning they’re naturally stain and moisture resistant. If you’ve ever seen rain drops gathered on flower petals or trees, you’ve seen nature’s moisture-wicking technique in action. It’s the same with wool: when wool comes into contact with a liquid, its waxy coating repels the liquid, and droplets will roll off the surface rather than being absorbed into its fibers, which occurs because of the lanolin oil in the animal fur the wool is harvested from. So if you spill a drink – even wine or coffee – on your rug, you can sop it up the majority of it up with a towel, then spot clean with mild soap and water if there are any remnants. For a more comprehensive post on cleaning vintage rugs, follow this link.
According to a website all about wool, Americanwool.org, wool is so durable that its fibers can bend up to 20,000 times before breaking. It’s no wonder that handmade rugs, which have been made out of natural fibers for centuries, are passed down from generation to generation.
On top of all of that, wool is non-flammable and anti-microbial. Going back to that waxy surface that repels water, it also repels flames and mold, mildew and bacteria. And because of all of that, wool repels odors! It’s really a magical fiber.
While many of our rugs are 100% wool, some Turkish rugs come woven with a cotton foundation (the bottom side of the rug). This means that, rather than the hard-backed synthetic materials that machine made rugs are produced with, a rug made with a cotton foundation will be pliable, and therefore easier to clean either in a tub or by flipping it over on a semi-regular basis to vacuum the back side of it. As you can see in the image above, rugs made with natural fibers are soft and luxurious.
Cotton is not moisture-wicking like wool, but when woven with wool, the cotton foundation will be protected from spills. It's also a sustainable fiber that comes from a plant, so when you purchase something made with pure cotton, you’re supporting farmers and the communities producing the commodity. Plus, the majority of U.S. cotton is grown using only rainfall, rather than drying up our precious water resources. If you want to nerd out about sustainable cotton farming, here’s an approachable article on it.
These sustainably grown fibers can also return to the earth after generations of use, as most natural fibers are biodegradable. That said, you don't see handmade rugs filling up landfills like their machine-made counterparts, which deteriorate and become stained -- and therefore thrown out -- after only a few years.
For all of the reasons above, plus the sheer beauty of the rugs, we are passionate about sourcing rugs that are only made out of natural fibers, and we encourage those who are on the hunt for new rugs to consider doing the same!
]]>Designer's 1-530 | 11'5 x 3'1.5
She's so pretty! You can't go wrong with denim blue, and her taupe and olive tones are such a nice contrast to the deep blues.
This heavy-duty rug is a Persian Tabriz from the 1940s. The combination of its intricate floral motifs and subtle beige coloration makes it super unique.
What's not to love about this Persian Bidjar? She's perfection.
This girl is so soft! She's a Persian Malayer and her colors are so vibrant and beautiful. We love those very uncommon pops of teal!
Designer's 103 Runner | 12'7 x 3'1
This runner is a work of art! The colors, the bird and floral motifs, the size -- she is everything.
The floral details on this rug are jaw-dropping. We love the color palette, too. She's a 90-100-year-old Persian Herke, and we love her!
This Persian Herke must have been made for royalty. It is so elegant and intricate! And she's 90 years old.
Have you ever seen something like this? The details are absolutely incredible, and the colors are so lovely and vibrant. We cannot get over this one!
This little gal is 90 years old! Her colors are stunning, with pops of sage and cinnamon against a more neutral-toned field.
Designers 303 | 13’6 x 8’11
With the rare combination of periwinkle, dark brown, and black, this 70-year-old Persian Mahal, is just perfect.
This girl is so luxurious! She has such vibrant colors -- rust, denim, brick red, dark brown -- and, though she's a low-pile, she's extremely soft.
Look at this gal! These olive and sage tones and extremely intricate patterns were hard to let go of, but we know she found a good home.
This little rug is so charming, with its seafoam and watermelon tones and small geometric patterns!
An 80-year-old Oushak with a coloration and design that we just know we won't see again!
This is a perfect Malayer with robust colors and its unique geometric motifs. We love the little pops of rust and pumpkin in it!
Lilian | 5'1x3'5The colors of this Persian beauty are incredible. Look at those pops of tangerine and melon!
It was hard to choose our favorites, as we love every rug that passes through Curio. But these are 22 highlights of 2022!
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So what do they all mean? Here are some of the most popular motifs we see in the rugs we source, plus their meanings:
Peony: Our favorite flower represents wealth. In the image below, the peony is the smaller flower on top with eight petals. This is a typical rendering of a peony. The larger flower is a lotus, another common motif which represents rebirth and immortality.
Boteh - This flame-like motif is a representation of the universe, or a burning flame. Other interpretations of this motif say it is a floral spray signifying eternity.
Leaf - A stem with three or five leaves is said to indicate endless regeneration, just like a perennial plant that blooms every spring.
Tree of Life - The tree of life is very common in vintage rugs, and it's said to represent eternal life, or a direct path from Earth to heaven.
The rug above is a simpler interpretation of a tree of life (the Y with a diamond floating on top of it).
Ram's Horns - The ram's horn, seen along the border that looks like a C, represents strength and bravery. And, depending on who you ask, could also mean male fertility.
There are dozens of other common motifs, but these are some of the ones we see most often. It is important to note that these are our interpretations of what the motifs in these rugs are. It's entirely possible we are putting our own biased spin on what we see, but isn't that part of the beauty of handmade rugs?