Instagram iconInstagram icon
Facebook iconFacebook icon
pinterest iconpinterest icon
YouTube iconYouTube icon
Tiktok iconTiktok icon
LTK iconLTK icon

Why We Chose a Vintage Rug + Our Favorites!

sectional | ottoman | knit throw | pink pillow | gray pillow (similar)

Despite our lack of trim molding (still!), it was super important for us to have a cozy spot to land at the end of a long day of DIY. (Oh, and yeah, our view from that pretty sofa might be bare drywall and exposed plumbing, but we’re making huge strides in the kitchen!) That chunky throw was borrowed from the studio in our Chicago home, and I picked up that rosy velvet pillow on a whim – and all the while, I scoured the web for the perfect vintage rug.

Why buy vintage?

Our living room in Tree House is an odd size, and more often than not, vintage rugs are oddly sized, too! While it would have been much easier to purchase an 8′ x 10′ (we considered another Baxter on more than a few occasions), what we really needed was something around 7′ x 11′-ish to properly balance the sofa and short depth of the room. I know that seems like a subtle difference on paper, but in person, the properly sized rug is really a game changer. For reference, the sofa is 10′ wide, but we have almost 11 1/2′ between the two doors. We plan on putting a banquette (underneath the ladder) on the opposite side of the room, and we don’t want the ‘living area’ rug to extend into that. It was really a fine balance of finding The One without settling, but most importantly, we didn’t want to break the bank – which can happen very quickly when shopping vintage! That said, we do think that spending money on an item of higher quality is often worth it.

On Finding ‘The One’

Generally – and this is with most items in our home – I’ll find several that I like, and then I’ll bring in Scott for his opinion. The problem was that most of my favorites were hovering around the $2k mark, and although it was important for us to choose an item that would stand the test of time – as vintage rugs do! – we still had a lot of renovating (i.e., money spending) on our plates. Even still, I would save, pin or favorite the ones I loved, and at the very least, I was able to get a good sense of what Scott gravitated towards as well. Our initial budget was a max of $1k, which we would typically spend on a nice wool rug, for example. Of course, that price point for the size we were looking for was certainly a challenge.

Finally, I found her! She was on Chairish, and although her initial price was well out of what we considered feasible, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I continued the hunt, but after so many hours/days/weeks/months of comparing every rug to The One, we agreed to make an offer. And we got it. For $1k less than the asking price (almost half price!). Queue all the high fives! Note: It’s super important to read the guidelines when making an offer on any online auction site. In some cases, like this, the money is deducted immediately and only released back to you if you’re unable to come to an agreement with the seller. 

As soon as the rug arrived on our door step, we unrolled it and there may have been shrieking. I loved it! Scott loved it! Coming in at 7′ x 11′ 7″, it was the perfect size! We were only mildly surprised when we realized that the tight weave was made of a thick cotton, not wool as we originally assumed. But on the upside, it makes for a super soft feel underfoot.

One thing we always check for is if a rug is washed before shipping, which this one was. (We’ve actually had to have a vintage rug cleaned in the past before use, and it’s an expense to keep in mind if it’s not immediately offered.) We paired her with this rug pad, and we trimmed the 8′ side and added the excess to the 10′ side. Not only do rug pads protect our floors, but we like that they also add extra cushion.

Because I hoarded so many favorite large vintage rugs along the way (large being the key word!), I wanted to share them with you! Some of them have since been sold, so I’ve found others that would still make our list today – and they’re all under $1,500, with several under the thousand-dollar mark. The ones I really, really wish we had more room for are 3, 9, 12 and 13:

Large Vintage Rugs Under $1,500

1. beige + blue overdyed, $885 | 2. pink + beige overdyed, $1226 | 3. blue Turkish Oushak, $1490 | 4. red Turkish Oushak, $890 | 5. gray overdyed, $1005 | 6. orange distressed, $1143 | 7. rose stonewashed, $1400 | 8. beige + cream overdyed, $969 | 9. muted Turkish Oushak, $1250 | 10. Turkish Kilim, $1300 | 11. pastel red, $1288 | 12. muted tan, $1467 | 13. blush distressed, $1410 | 14. gray distressed, $985 | 15. gray + cream overdyed, $865 | 16. pink + cream overdyed, $1200

We have a handful of vintage rugs throughout our home, and although we’ve dipped our toes in the past with this super saturated beauty (it’s still in the sleeping loft, but we’re thinking we may need to find a new home for it, sadly), we’ve found that we prefer more muted tones when going large. Do you shop vintage for rugs in your home? And if so, do you lean muted or saturated?

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

  • Elizabeth4.20.18 - 9:40 AM

    Yay for vintage rugs! The muted tones go so well with your sofa and create such a cozy space.

    Also . . . if you’re looking for someone to buy that supersaturated rug, PLEASE send me an email. I’ve been drooling over that bad boy for years and I live in Chicago!ReplyCancel

    • Kim4.20.18 - 10:12 AM

      Ooh, good to know! We should know soon-ish as we start planning out the sleeping loft, and I’ll definitely reach out if we go that route!ReplyCancel

  • Janet4.20.18 - 11:33 AM

    Why do you need to switch that beauty out of the sleeping loft? :(ReplyCancel

    • Kim4.20.18 - 12:24 PM

      It’s so cute, but we’re looking to go with a more peaceful vibe. Ideally we’ll get something along the lines of jute or sisal, and maybe we’ll layer on a more muted vintage rug down the road.ReplyCancel

  • Paige Flamm4.20.18 - 1:59 PM

    I love that rug! It is beautiful!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.comReplyCancel

  • Kristin Johnson4.21.18 - 8:05 PM

    I’ve found a great ebay rug shop. Some of their auctions end up super cheap. All the rugs I’ve gotten from have been clean and in great shape. I too needed a big rug 10×14 and fell in love with one that was everything I thought I wouldn’t want – lots of jewel tone colors and RED. It makes the room! The rug you found is lovely as well!ReplyCancel

  • pictaram5.2.18 - 11:09 AM

    Actually I have never thought about vintage rug. I will definitely take a look, it sounds very great.
    https://www.pictadesk.com/ReplyCancel

Let's be Pen Pals

Our Pen Pals have direct access to first looks, a peek behind-the-scenes, and exclusive interviews showcasing members of the #YBHDIY community. We can’t wait to connect with you!

Kim and Scott

We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

Instagram iconInstagram icon
Facebook iconFacebook icon
pinterest iconpinterest icon
YouTube iconYouTube icon
Tiktok iconTiktok icon
LTK iconLTK icon

LEt's be Pen Pals

Subscribe for first looks, behind-the-scenes, and exclusive community content

/* footer flodesk form */

This site uses affiliate links. We will always disclose sponsored posts in the text and by using the ‘sponsored' tag.

© 2024 Yellow Brick Home. | All Rights Reserved. | PRIVACY POLICY