Top tips: finding the perfect vintage rug for your home
Why getting the right vintage rug will make a real difference
Choosing the perfect rug for your home can be such a huge challenge that many find it to be the most laborious of all interior decorating tasks. After all, a rug can either make or break a room! Buying a quality piece is a serious investment and so the last thing you want is to rush into a decision you may later regret. There are a few key things to keep in mind while making the final selection, but once you get it right you will see that it was well worth the effort.
The right rug will elevate a room and tie all the pieces together in a unified look while opening up the space. To help you make an educated choice, we broke down the process into small, easy-to-grasp actions that will safely guide you from feeling overwhelmed to great satisfaction.
Here are our top five tips for choosing the perfect rug for your space!
1. Look out for textiles that catch your eye
First and foremost discover what aesthetic makes your heart sing each time you see it. Forget practicalities for the moment and think about appearance alone. Explore styles that speak to you and make you feel good. Make use of Pinterest and Instagram to curate a selection of inspiring interiors that feature rugs you find irresistible and would adopt on a whim. You will soon realise that there is a pattern in your saves and that you are particularly drawn to a certain look. This doesn’t mean you will eventually end up buying an exact match to some of your faves, but it will help you start and narrow the search.
image: Becks Silke
Vintage Anatolian Kilim 1.40m X 0.93m
Vintage Aztec Pattern Woven Wool Rug
2. Embrace imperfections that come with traditional vintage rugs
While on a hunt for a vintage or antique rug, being reasonable is crucial. You will need to set realistic expectations about what you will be able to find. Forget about exact matches to your previously created gallery of inspiration as a majority of pieces are handmade and often entirely unique. However, don’t consider this as a heartbreak, but rather as an opportunity. With a vast range of artisan rugs available in our collection, you can be sure that there are at least a dozen pieces that will fit your interior desires perfectly. And not just that, but you will also be bringing home a beautiful piece of art and history.
Don’t worry if it is not perfect. It shouldn’t be! No handmade object is without imperfections. They reflect the artist’s hand and should be celebrated, not hidden. Same goes for patina! Vintage rugs come with signs of previous use that are nothing short of fabulous! Just make sure that the inconsistencies the piece displays are balanced across the entire surface, and you can be sure you scored a keeper!
image source: Stadshem
Stunning Raspberry, Blue And Black Antique Tabriz Carpet
Antique Swedish Rug
Afghan Sultanabad Carpet 3.44m X 2.43m
Vintage Chinese Oval Rug
3. Consider how the rug will sit within the space
The room should be one of the biggest determining factors in what floor covering you ultimately choose. Use rugs to define spaces and influence the way people behave in the room. But to be able to do it you will first need to measure the space. Don’t guess. Measure, measure, measure, and double check! This is a crucial step that cannot be emphasised enough. To make it easier, there is one cool trick you can use here. Layer newspapers on the floor as place holders for the rug, and keep rearranging them until you hit that wow layout you are aiming for. This way you can be sure that the size you opted for is exactly perfect for your home.
There are a couple of decorating rules about choosing a proper rug size and placement, and even though they are not set in stone, they can come in very handy:
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- A big rug is better than a small rug – The last thing you want is a floating piece of material in the middle of the room with no furniture on it.
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- Leave some bare floor visible – A good rule of thumb is that there should be 30-45 cm of bare floor between the rug and the wall. However, this doesn’t have to be precise.
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- Create zones – Work the rugs to highlight different areas of an open plan concept and determine the way the space will be used.
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- A classic look – If the living room furniture is placed against the wall, the rug should be large enough to accommodate the front legs of the furniture.
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- Alternative look – If the sitting area floats in the centre of the room, the rug needs to be big enough to host the sofa and the armchairs.
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- Dining room layout – When opting for a rug under the dining table, make sure it is large enough to accommodate the chairs even when they are pushed back for someone to sit on.
- Bedroom layout – To create a seamless visual flow in the bedroom, extend the rug from the bottom ⅔ of the bed, place a runner at the foot of the bed, or two runners on each side.
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image credit: Enter My Attic
Modern Bakhtiari Gabbeh Carpet
Antique Persian Senneh Kilim, Very Fine Weave, Beautiful Design
Karna Rug 150×125 Cm
Old Beni Ourain Golden Cream Moroccan Rug
Set Of Three Geometric Modernist Carpets In Style Of Antonín Kybal, 1950s
4. Sturdy rugs to withstand the demands of everyday living
Depending on the amount of footfall it receives, each room dictates a different selection of rug materials. The high traffic areas benefit most from low pile rugs as they are much easier to clean and are significantly less prone to wear and tear. On the other hand, bedrooms and reading nooks will easily pack a touchy-feely high pile textiles and keep them in shipshape for a long time.
Your lifestyle (kids, pets, how often you entertain) and how much time you are willing to invest in maintenance should also be considered.
image credit: Design Attractor
Antique Caucasian Prayer Rug, Karabagh Region Of Scarce Design, Late 19 Th Century
5. Neutral or patterned vintage rug?
Think about what colours you would most benefit from seeing on a daily basis and figure out if they can work with your current furniture and decor. If the rest of the room is neutral, don’t fear to add a splash of colour on the floor. However, if your furniture is vibrant and features a lot of patterns, consider toning it down with a neutral rug. The larger the rug is, its influence on the entire place will be more significant, so be careful not to make it too busy. Play with complementary hues and shades to make the whole room come together in harmony, or choose to match the secondary colour from the rug with your statement furniture.
Vintage Kordi Kilim Rug
Handmade Antique Persian Lilihan Rug 3.2′ X 4.10′ ( 97cm X 150cm ) 1920s
Black Design Carpet / Rug, 1950s
Vintage Carpet By Ege Axminster Denmark 1960’S
You see, it is not that complicated. If you follow these tips, the hardest decision you will have to make is how to settle for just one vintage rug when there are so many breathtaking pieces out there.
Feature image: houseandgarden.co.uk