Last week I shared my favorite tip for keeping rugs in place… this week I wanted to share a few tips (& my new go to source!!) for Vintage Rugs.  But first, let me introduce you to the newest member of our family.  This gorgeous vintage over dyed Persian Rug pictured in the graphic above.  I have an affinity towards rich magenta colored rugs, so when I found this beauty it had to come home with me.
First off, finding the exact vintage rug of your dreams is virtually impossible… so if you go into the hunt with that in mind you are bound to be more successful.  Either the colors are right, the pattern is right or the colors are right.  If you are lucky enough to stumble onto the trifecta of these in a vintage rug, get it!  
Have patience while looking.  Again, you are literally looking for a needle in a haystack & while there are a plethora of options available… each is a one of usually, so feel free to take your time to find the rug that is right for you & your space.
When shopping in person thrift shops, antique markets & specialty rug shops are the way to go.  Some places know what they have… in which case the price will reflect that.  Other times you can literally trip over a beauty in the store & stumble upon a hidden gem.  So when walking through these types of stores, look down!  A lot of times, the rugs are layered throughout the spaces/booths & people often times forget to literally look down.
Online is a whole different ballgame.  You can type in an exact type of rug, a color or a size & multiple items appear.  I like to search sites such as Chairish, eBay & Etsy when it comes to rugs.  If you aren;t sure what type of rug you are looking for, simply typing in Vintage Rug can begin to help you narrow down your search.  Once you come across a style you love (regardless of the size or color) take note of the description & include that in your next search.  This will eventually help you narrow down your search.
When searching for the rug above, I knew I needed two key factors: it needed to be a smaller scaled runner & I wanted it to be pink.  I had found a gorgeous option at a local store, but the fact that it was $1500 on sale… I knew that wasn’t the rug for me.  So I moved on, even though it was stunning.  I hit up my favorite sites & finally landed on an Etsy shop called RetroRugs that had exactly what I needed.  It was a smaller scaled vintage runner in a gorgeous over dyed pink colorway.  The price was amazing at less than $150 for a 2×6 runner & the best part was the free 3 day shipping, from Greece.  Yes, that Greece.  The rug was beautifully photographed, showing every detail & a good majority of their rugs also have videos attached so you can see a better representation of the depth of the rugs.  Genius.
The rug arrived promptly & was exactly what I expected when we unrolled it.  I can’t wait to share where it is going!!  I have been secretly working on a huge project the past few months & finally get to share all of the details next Friday… so stay tuned!
Depending on where your rug comes from, you may want to consider a professional cleaning into the purchase price.  Mine was guaranteed to be washed twice before arrival… but if you pick it up at a local flea market, that most likely won’t be the case.
So if you are on the hunt, I highly recommend RetroRugs & remember to be patient until you find “the one!”
xo – Kristin