Basically… they go with everything!

For this roundup, I’ve pulled together the best vintage rugs I can find on Etsy at the moment. All vintage and handmade rugs, which will add texture and personality when layered into the design of your room.

Shown below: A large vintage area rug in the living room of our Attic Project. Our poodle, Margot, modelling the vintage rug in the entrance hall of our Arts + Crafts House. The main living space at The Georgian Flat has a huge vintage rug!

I love large vintage rugs in living rooms, maybe layered over a larger sisal rug. Faded floral vintage rugs add character in bedrooms, and don’t forget vintage runners in hallways. Dreamy oushak rugs are my forever favourite!

Lottie xx

a word on new vintage-style rugs

If you’re buying new, I always recommend skipping machine-printed rugs if you can. Instead, look for hand-made, hand-knotted or hand-woven pieces which will wear beautifully and age in the best possible way. If you are looking for a specific size or pattern of rug, it can be easier to buy brand new. That being said, we have used the rug shown below in one of the bedrooms at our holiday let, The Georgian Flat. It looks great and has held up well to holiday guests and frequent vacuuming!

See this post for some lovely brand new vintage style rugs

where to buy vintage area rugs

You don’t have to spend thousands! You can find really good vintage rugs on Etsy starting at about £400 depending on the size. It is a hunt though, especially if you are looking for a specific size.

These are the Search phrases that I use:
Vintage area rug, antique rug, Vintage Oushak rug, muted vintage rug, Persian rug, cottage rugs, traditional rugs and French country rugs.

You’ll be amazed what comes up! Check seller reviews for authenticity. I always make an offer, even a really cheeky offer, especially on very large rugs as these are harder for the seller to shift. The rug round-up below includes sellers that I have previously purchased from, but please, do your own research!

buying authentic

1. Check that it’s hand-made, not machine printed
Ask for pictures of the back of the rug and zoom in! You should be able to clearly see the pattern and knots rather than a flat, blurry design, which usually means it’s been machine printed.

2. Natural fading is actually a good sign
Slight variations in colour and gentle wear show that the rug has aged naturally over time, adding character rather than taking away from it.

3. Choose wool whenever possible
Most authentic vintage rugs are made from wool, which feels thicker, heavier and far more durable than synthetic fibres.

4. Don’t worry about small imperfections
Tiny changes in pattern or colour are completely normal in handmade rugs and are often what make them feel special and unique.

5. Look closely at the fringe
On genuine vintage rugs, the fringe is part of the rug’s structure and weave, not something that’s been stitched on later.

6. A good rug should feel substantial
Quality vintage rugs usually have a nice weight to them and feel sturdy rather than thin or flimsy.

7. Check seller reviews!
I look for sellers with at least a 4.8/5.0 on Etsy.

how to clean vintage rugs

I always clean my vintage rugs when they first arrive. This may be unnecessary as most sellers will have cleaned them before dispatch but I am a germaphobe. I have taken delivery of a rug before, though which had obviously been around animals as I was allergic to it!

On a dry day (and preferably sunny!), lie your rug on a hard surface outside. Give both sides a good vacuum.

Before putting water on a rug, you might want to spot clean with a gentle water based cleaner on a corner to check for colour fastness. I have to admit that I never done this!

I then use a hose to wash the surface of the rug and remove any surface dust, before spraying with a very gentle clear soap e.g. a wool washing liquid or even a non bio washing up liquid. Rinse thoroughly. I only use cold water on my rugs.

Hang the rug on a washing line and flip every couple of hours to dry it thoroughly. Again, choose a sunny day if you can, the UV rays act as a natural disinfectant killing germs, bacteria and fungi.

When dry, vacuum again thoroughly. If, like me, you have underfloor heating, bring the rug in when it is still slightly damp. The gently heat coming through the floor will help any creases fall out.

vintage rugs for sale on etsy!

I’ve hunted down beautiful vintage and handmade area rugs in various sizes, from runners to large area vintage rugs at different price points. They have the kind of quality that outlasts machine-made rugs by years! These are hand-knotted and handmade.

Vintage rugs hold their value, too, so you can resell them if you change your style or want a different look. You will notice that I tend to prefer a rug with more muted colours. I also prefer an overall pattern to a rug with an emblem in the centre unless it is a very pale rug. I do like a lovely border round the edges. Think about the placement of your rug when you are choosing, and where the pattern will show if it is going under furniture.

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Other posts you may like:-

English Coastal Bedroom – The Georgian Flat

Best Vintage Etsy Finds

10 Neutral Rugs You’ll love!

Stay in our luxury Holiday Cottages in Cornwall

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Copyright for all the photos belongs to the lovely Etsy Sellers listed.

The post Vintage Style Rugs – for sale! appeared first on Tin Coast Life.

That said, true vintage rugs can come with a few challenges: they can be expensive, and finding the exact size you need isn’t always straightforward. The good news? There are now so many new rugs designed with that perfectly worn-in, vintage look. We often use these too – not only are they easier to source, but they tend to have a softer pile underfoot while still giving you that collected-over-time feel.

Both vintage and vintage-style rugs are wonderfully practical. They’re great at hiding everyday marks, they clean up beautifully, and they only seem to get better with time.

We’ve rounded up some of our favourite vintage-inspired rugs below – the ones we come back to time and time again when designing homes that feel relaxed, timeless, and full of character.

For a look at vintage rugs for sale on Etsy right now, have a look at our post ‘Vintage Style Rugs For Sale’, which also details how to shop and care for vintage rugs.

We also love using neutral rugs in our English coastal interiors. You can see more of our favourites in our post Coastal Cottage Decor – 10 Neutral Rugs You’ll Love.

our favourite vintage-inspired rugs

Here it is in our Georgian Flat project..

Here are some other lovely options:

We love the timeless quality that a vintage rug brings. Their colours are often beautifully muted, which makes them incredibly versatile – they work just as well in a breezy Californian casual setting as they do in a more traditional or layered English coastal scheme. One of our favourite styling tricks is to layer a vintage rug over a natural base, like seagrass or jute, for extra texture and warmth.

Each week we share our ‘Best Vintage Etsy Finds’ – and vintage rugs often make the cut!

Join our list to get it sent straight to your inbox and have first pick of our favourites –

More ideas from our Blog!

See our latest ‘Best Vintage Etsy Finds’ here!

12 of the Loveliest Rechargeable Table Lamps

Stay with us in Cornwall!

Check out our lovely Holiday Cottages here

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something using my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my small business.

The post Design Notes – Vintage Rugs appeared first on Tin Coast Life.

A neutral rug provides balance and calm to a room and allows other more decorative home decor or furniture to shine! I have whittled it down to my 10 favourites here. Most of these come in at least three or four sizes, so you should be able to find one to fit your space.

A lovely neutral rug in a natural fibre is a great starting point in any design project – build your scheme from the floor upwards with stripes, florals and colour!

rug sizes

There are many size guides for rugs now available on Google Search, which I find super helpful.

Check out this guide from Ruggable.

In a living space, you want to avoid your rug being an island in the middle of the room! It needs to be placed so that at least a few inches are under the front legs of your sofa and armchairs.

In a bedroom, choose a rug that is big enough to extend at least a couple of feet to the bottom of the bed and the same to the sides of the bed.

A lovely look which I think works particularly well in a cottage scheme is to stack rugs. Buy a large neutral rug and then place another smaller one on top of it. This works best with rugs that aren’t too bulky so that the end result isn’t too thick. Try a striped or vintage rug on a plain jute for a super layered and cool look.

See our guide to shopping for and caring for vintage rugs along with our latest rug finds

Our fave neutral rugs!

Plain Rugs

The selection I have chosen features four plain rugs, which you can buy in several different sizes and shapes.

Plain Jute, Seagrass and Sisal rugs can also be made to order from companies such as The Natural Rug Company and Alternative Flooring. A custom rug is great as you can get a size that exactly fits your space plus you can choose from a vast number of patterns and border colours.

I particularly like a rug made of jute and wool (2,4 and 6 see below), and I found three lovely ones. The wool adds a bit of softness and makes it feel more substantial.

Indoor/Outdoor Rugs have come a long way! (1 and 5 below.) They are usually made of recycled polyester or even recycled plastic bottles, so they are also an environmentally friendly option. It is amazing how soft they are underfoot and how wool-like they feel in real life.

Checks + stripes

A striped rug is, of course, quintessentially coastal! I have chosen ones that are still, however, firmly in the neutral range and will mix well with other colours and patterns without overwhelming them. I love the big checked rug (4) such cottage core vibes!

self patterned floral

Jute rugs vary a lot in quality, so read reviews carefully. I noticed several floral jute rugs on Etsy, which looked lovely but had terrible feedback. Such a shame as it’s a great way of introducing movement and pattern into a scheme, especially if you don’t want to go the wallpaper route. This handcrafted stitched Jute Rug (7) is super quality.

Our fave neutral rugs all the links

1. Indoor/Outdoor Recycled Polyester Rug
2. Chequerboard Jute Rug
3. Super Large Sized Jute Rug
4. Atlas Wool/Jute Rug
5. Indoor/Outdoor Rug Rope Ivory
6. Jute/Wool Rug
7. Handcrafted Stitched Jute Rug
8. Jute Boucle Rug
9. Neutral Blue Rug
10. Hand-Knotted Beige/Light Blue Rug

No. 9 Neutral Blue Rug with Border

No. 2 Chequerboard Jute Rug

Ten Neutral Rugs

More ideas from our Blog!

14 of my favourite Rattan Wall Lights

12 of the Loveliest Rechargeable Table Lamps

Stay with us in Cornwall!

Check out our lovely Holiday Cottages here

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something using my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my small business.

The post 10 neutral rugs you’ll love! appeared first on Tin Coast Life.