Considerations to Finding the Right Area Rugs to Buy

You’ve come to this rug shopping guide because you’ve been weighing a decision for some time, but now you’ve made up your mind. You’ve analyzed it from every angle, and now you’ve finally made the decision, the big decision: you’ve decided that you want to go shopping for an area rug for your home.

After all, there are precious few things better at tying an entire room together than a beautiful rug – especially if you are considering to buy an antique rug. However, you find that rather than excitement, you are feeling overwhelmed and lack certainty. Especially if this will be your first time buying an antique or vintage area rug.

First, it is important that you look after your own needs and your own personal taste. In fact, if you approach the process of purchasing an antique rug with just this one idea in mind, you will soon be on the track to finding the right rug for you.

I want to buy an antique rug but I am unsure on how to begin shopping for one.

One of the most asked questions we receive is: “I want to buy an antique oriental rug but don’t know where to start and what to look for”. So with that in mind we have decided to tackle this question head on!

First of all, one needs to understand that antique rugs and carpets are collectible items. They are sought after by collectors, dealers, interior designers and private clients. They are magnificent works of art and as the years go by they are becoming rarer.

So let’s start with the basics – in order for a rug to be considered “antique” it needs to be at least 80 years old. This is contrast to paintings or furniture which need to be over 100 years old.

What do I need to consider before beginning the physical search for the perfect rug?

Here are a few points that you would need to consider before embarking on your quest to find the perfect antique oriental rugs:

Budget: Where you buy and from whom are equally important factors. Antique rugs range tremendously in price – some of the reasons for this are as follows:

Quality – It takes longer to weave a new rug if it has more kpsi (knots per square inch) so naturally the finer a new rug is, the more expensive it will cost. Antique rugs are different as the KPSI will only impact the price if you are comparing the quality of two pieces that are pretty much identical in every other way (the finer rug MIGHT cost more in that instance).

Size – With new rugs – the cost / price is directly proportionate to the size. The bigger the rug is, the more expensive it will be (as long as you are comparing to pieces from the same exact production line). With antique rugs.

Condition – Please note that some repair and restoration should be expected when looking at antique rugs, but the general rule is that if the rug is in good condition it will cost more than if it were in poor condition.

Age – As a general rule – older pieces are generally more expense. The age of a rug is not the major factor when pricing a rug unless one is considering an early piece (from the 1800’s and earlier) and even then there are other factors that need to be taken into account.

Current Interior Design Trends – While beauty might be in the eyes of the beholder, there are trends, looks, colors and patterns that will determine if a rug is considered “hot” or “not”. America for example is a decorative market – this means that “we” in the USA are driven by colors and pattern more so than by quality or “how good” the piece is in its essence. While the Europeans demand is for somewhat opposite since they want an honest to goodness good piece and the colors / pattern are less of a factor. One example that exemplifies this point is the fact that antique carpets in America (not in Europe) a rug that has a central medallion motif will cost much less than the rug that has an allover designed.