Vintage Rugs Facts & Buying Guide
What's Old is New Again with Vintage Style Rugs!
About Vintage Rugs
The word "vintage" is thrown around all the time these days, but to be truly authentic, vintage rugs should be made after the year 1920 and 20 years before the present day. Our vintage style rugs don't pass the test of time, but rather provide the look of vintage and overdyed rugs. These soft-finished, pre-worn rugs are first bleached to remove the traces of the original color, leaving the outline of the pattern, before being overdyed with another color.
Materials Matter
With the emergence of new manufacturing techniques, you don't need to spend a fortune to acquire a vintage rug for your home – rather you can pick up one that's been distressed, worn, and made to appear aged for a fraction of the cost! Floor rugs featuring a vintage look are often hand-tufted or hand-knotted from polyester, cotton, or wool, with wool being the most popular. The pile height of our vintage rugs generally runs between 1/4-inch and under up to 1/2-inch high.
Room by Room
- Buck the norm and hang a vintage rug on the wall as a piece of art.
- Vintage mixes better with modern than you might think, place a vintage rug or runner next to your bed or in the bathroom for an unexpected design element.
- Go with busier patterned vintage rugs in areas that get the most foot traffic, like the entryway or main hall, to hide traffic patterns.
- Overlay a smaller vintage style rug over a larger jute rug for a show-stopping layering effect.
Color and Pattern
Vintage style rugs are available in a variety of colors and styles. Choose from a wide selection of shapes and sizes to find the best option for your unique needs. The majority of our selection of vintage rugs lie within the black, grey, and blue range with some other hues available and are mainly rectangular with a smaller selection of other shapes.
Caring for and Cleaning Your Vintage Rug
- Vacuum your area rugs just as often as you vacuum wall-to-wall carpet to eliminate excess dirt.
- If you have a fringed rug be careful not to vacuum the area, as this could be damaging.
- If your vacuum has a rug setting (which stops the rollers from spinning and just uses suction) use this option.
- Brush up any loose hair on the bathroom rug or pet hair on area rugs before vacuuming by going in the same direction as the nap.
- Rotate your area rugs a couple of times a year to avoid wear and fading from traffic and sunlight.
- Give smaller rugs a good shake outside to remove dirt and grime.
Finding Your Perfect Vintage Rug
- Create a cozy space by opting for a vintage style rug with neutral colors from nature, like browns and greens.
- Give your space a louder voice and a bigger personality by choosing a vintage style rug with a bold color or pattern – or both!
- Vintage style rugs with an overdyed appearance offer tranquility as well as compliment more minimally designed spaces.
- Keep in mind the color of your floors, furniture, and walls and choose a rug that will bring contrast rather than blend in (i.e. dark brown on dark brown).
- If you favor lots of prints and patterns, consider a vintage rug with a softer look to add balance and elegance.
Vintage rugs are available in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and colors, so you may want to use some filters while searching out the best fit. Here are a few shortcuts to help you get started on your search:
- Begin with an idea of where you'll be using your vintage style rug, that will help determine which material is the best fit
- Decide what size area rug will best fit the space and narrow your search down further
- Which color will best compliment the room – black and grey? Blue?
- Price options can also be filtered beginning with $200 and under
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