A rug can keep your feet warm, liven up a scruffy floor, and tie together different elements of a room. A carefully chosen antique or vintage carpet is the perfect throwback piece that’s not only unique, but also more sustainable than buying something new.

Shopping for a vintage rug can be daunting, but there are many factors that tip in its favor. The modern rug marketplace faces its share of ethical challenges. By supporting the vintage rugs industry, you lessen the impact on resources that are used to make a brand-new floor cloth. You may also save material from reaching a landfill. (See how to recycle rugs.) Plus, if you choose well, you’ve preserved a lovely piece of history that celebrates handmade traditions.

But before you plunge into the wondrous world of magical vintage rugs, there are a couple of points to consider. Set a budget (vintage rugs tend to be expensive), identify trusted retailers, research the origins of a rug, and finally, make sure the dimensions and style fit your space and decor.

We researched the market to find the best places to buy vintage rugs.

Our top pick is luxury home furniture and furnishing retailer One Kings Lanes, whose stellar collection of vintage and antique carpets will add a warmth to your home. From inexpensive rugs to shags that might give your sticker shock, One Kings Lane has your floor covered.

One Kings Lane

The company’s seasoned industry insiders vet the designers and brands on offer. Whether you’re looking for beautiful authentic vintage Turkish Oushak rugs or Moroccan Azilal rugs, it has a wide selection from across the globe to choose from. Nuggets of information such as the rug’s history, era, condition, color, seller details, and more are listed. Go one step ahead and book a half hour complimentary design consultation with the company’s experts to narrow down the perfect plush for your floor.

Revival Rugs’ vintage collection is comprised of rugs that are anything from 30-years-old to around a century old. The handwoven rugs, made from natural materials such as wool and cotton, are sourced from villages in Turkey and Morocco. Listing the smaller vintage rugs for less than $100, you get to own a unique piece of history for great value. With detailed curator notes, material history and information about the origin, you can also avail yourself of a complimentary design consultation.

Revival Rugs

Revival shares the processes of deep cleaning the rugs in detail, right from tumble dusting and trimming to cleaning and overdyeing, to let its warm patina shine through. What’s more, you can return the rug hassle-free if it doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart.

Whether you’re looking for a stunning Persian rug from the 17th century, a Chinese Ningxia carpet from the 18th century, or an English Axminster rug from the mid-19th century, your search ends at 1stDibs, an online marketplace which lists over a million extraordinary objets d’art. Several rarefied objects command eye-wateringly high prices, with price tags of six figures and upwards.

1stDibs Vintage Rugs

For their eclectic collection, 1stDibs has partnered with over 4,000 sellers of vintage furniture, fine art, jewelry, rugs and fashion, all who have been comprehensively evaluated. Offering price-match guarantee, buyer and fraud protection, and insured global delivery, you can connect and negotiate directly with the seller to find the right rug to sink your toes in. If you have dough to splash, then a century old, hand-knotted wool carpet is a legacy to be cherished by generations to come.

Woven’s roots were sown in Iran in 1960 when the then 13-year-old Abraham Moradzadeh sold a  Persian rug. Decades later, the now US-based family-run company Woven has showrooms in LA and NYC, with Moradzadeh’s son Sam firmly in the driving seat. But the patriarch continues to scour rug fairs and ancient bazaars across the world to curate a sublime collection of handwoven antique and vintage rugs, spanning continents through different eras. The selection includes dreamy Amritsar and Agra rugs and dhurries from India, a lovely array of oushak and kilims from Turkey, sublime khotans from Samarkand and majestic Tibetan carpets, and much more in harmonious, nature-evoking palettes.

Woven

An online marketplace for pre-owned furniture and décor, which includes rugs, Kaiyo offers white glove delivery in certain locations, including the Tri-state area, for a price. This special delivery includes attentive service, including unpacking and setting it up in the desired nook of your home. There also an option for warehouse pickup, or delivery through trusted third-party vendors.

Kaiyo Rugs

Selling pre-loved rugs from familiar brands such as West Elm, Bloomingdales and Crate and Barrel, amongst others, each is professionally cleaned before dispatch. For each sale, Kaiyo also plants a tree.

With a track record of over 20 years, E-Carpet Gallery has one of the broadest selections of vintage rugs around. It offers robust search options, including color, shape, country of origin, size, price, pattern, and even age. The prices are competitive, with some real bargains on sales items. The return policy allows free returns within seven days.

ECARPETGALLERY

What to Consider When Deciding to Shop for a Vintage Rug

Size, Color Scheme, and Style

A vintage rug is akin to a statement piece. It has to complement the space it’s in, while holding its own. It’s good to start with a little research on what kind of color scheme would enhance your room, the pile of the rug (whether you prefer a flat or a shaggy carpet), the space that’s available, and what kind of styles would go with the décor.

History

“Antique” usually refers to those which are over a century old, whereas “vintage” refers to those that are anything above 20-years-old and less than a 100-years-old.

A vintage rug will become a part of your family heirlooms. Ideally, a great pick will be a hand woven and hand spun rug made from natural materials. Delving into the historical origins of the rug gives you a good starting point. For instance, an Oushak rug harks back to the region of Anatolia in Turkey, and is typically recognizable by geometric medallions and a border design. Over time, it develops a beautiful worn look and an enviable patina

Search for trusted retailers who offer transparency when it comes to the origins of the rugs and vet the partners they work with.

Embrace Imperfections

A pre-loved rug could be worn in some patches and scuffed from others, which simply add to beauty of this classic, timeless piece. Imperfections are part of the aesthetic, and should you have any doubt, always get in touch with the retailer who can share more details and images with you. Ultimately, you need to love the piece, as it will hopefully be a part of your home for generations to come.

Why Trust Treehugger?

Vintage décor is a great long-term investment and is an environmentally responsible choice. Vintage rugs are timeless pieces that add elegance to your home for decades to come. Treehugger researched reputed retailers so that you don’t have to sift through sites to shortlist the best carpet for your home.

  • Are vintage rugs vegan?
  • Many antique rugs are not vegan. Traditionally rugs were handmade from animal derived materials such as sheep wool, goat wool and silk, but also from natural fibers such as cotton, jute, hemp and sisal, or a blend of these. With the development of synthetic materials, many contemporary rugs are made from materials such as nylon, acrylic, viscose, polypropylene and polyester. It is possible to find a vegan vintage or a preloved rug. If you are unsure of the materials listed about a rug, do check with the seller.
  • How do you clean a vintage rug?
  • Reputed sellers of vintage rugs ideally professionally clean the rug before selling it and it is good to check for this at the outset. If you don’t hang the rug on your wall like art, place it in an area where there is minimal traffic. Rotate the rug regularly on the floor, so that one section isn’t bearing the brunt of happy feet. Use the gentlest setting on your vacuum to suck out any dirt or grime clinging to it. For any accidental spills, blot and gently rinse off any stains (see how to clean a carpet naturally), avoiding the urge to scrub. For a major spill, it is best to call in the professionals after you’ve gently dabbed it as clean as possible.

Many antique rugs are not vegan. Traditionally rugs were handmade from animal derived materials such as sheep wool, goat wool and silk, but also from natural fibers such as cotton, jute, hemp and sisal, or a blend of these. With the development of synthetic materials, many contemporary rugs are made from materials such as nylon, acrylic, viscose, polypropylene and polyester. It is possible to find a vegan vintage or a preloved rug. If you are unsure of the materials listed about a rug, do check with the seller.

Reputed sellers of vintage rugs ideally professionally clean the rug before selling it and it is good to check for this at the outset. If you don’t hang the rug on your wall like art, place it in an area where there is minimal traffic. Rotate the rug regularly on the floor, so that one section isn’t bearing the brunt of happy feet. Use the gentlest setting on your vacuum to suck out any dirt or grime clinging to it. For any accidental spills, blot and gently rinse off any stains (see how to clean a carpet naturally), avoiding the urge to scrub. For a major spill, it is best to call in the professionals after you’ve gently dabbed it as clean as possible.

Author Neeti Mehra writes about responsible luxury and is committed to slow living. Her home is filled with vintage furniture and rugs inherited from her grandparents, which add old world charm to the interiors.