Keywords to Use When Searching for Large Vintage Rugs
I’d consider myself an expert when it comes to vintage rug shopping… after all, it has become a big part of my job over the years- especially with the shop. We offer curated rugs at Tuesday Made and I’ll let you in on a secret… we’ve got a big haul of 20+ rugs coming later this month (hop on our email list for first dibs & 15% off). However, if you’re someone who enjoys the thrill of the hunt, or is searching for a great deal on larger area rugs, I wanted to share some of my go-to keywords or search terms for scoring the BIG ones with deep discounts from places like Ebay and Etsy. Click through for my best tips for snagging those antique and vintage area rugs with a really great price tags.
Emmett had two requests for our basement renovation design plan: a reclining sofa and lots of rugs. One I wasn’t initially stoked about, the other I immediately approved. Since that conversation, I’ve been on the hunt for large area rugs for our basement. Our Stuga hardwood floors are in (more on that process soon), we’re about to uncover our new reclining Homebody sectional, and I’m nearly ready to start styling. My vintage ski prints are dusted and ready for reinstall! Before I can pull everything back together, I would like to lay the literal foundation for the room… area rugs. Per usual, a vintage rug made the most sense for this space from both a design and durability standpoint. At this point, I’ve devoted entirely too much time to the search and just need to choose my favorites, which is why I wanted to share my tips and top picks with you today! First, here’s how I search…
Keywords To Use
Whether you know a lot about rugs or not, it’s a good idea to use keywords to your advantage. Eventually you’ll catch on to what each keyword means and looks like. They’re typically associated with a specific rug style or origin. You can quickly see the aesthetic of each, by clicking through my list below. Depending on the look you’re going for, give some of these a try.
I’d also recommend pairing the stylistic keyword with the age or color you’re looking for, which will resulted in a narrowed search. Some good examples… “vintage Tabriz carpet” or “red Kurdish rug” will yield specific results. Hot tip though- if you’ve got time to spend mindlessly scrolling, searching with wider search terms can result in uncovered gems, as many are mislabeled. If that’s the case, just search “shiraz rug” and keep it basic.
Vintage vs Antique Rugs
Age is another determining factor that can be included in your keyword search. Words like “old”, “vintage”, and “antique” usually render good results. What’s the difference between those? Antique refers to 100 years or more, vintage is older (20+ years old), and you never know what you’ll get using “old” as your age defining keyword. There are also plenty of new handwoven options within the stylistic categories, if secondhand carpets aren’t your thing.
Carpet vs Rug Search Term
Don’t box yourself in by solely using the term “rug”, as many are labeled “carpet”… just another keyword tidbit to keep in mind, if you’re really digging! You can also leave off carpet and / or rug entirely for an even wider search result… just be prepared to sort or filter.
Places to Shop for Inexpensive Vintage Rugs
Now that you’ve got all these search terms to try, where should you use them? I’ll link my top resources for large and budget rugs for you below…
- Ebay
- Etsy
- Facebook Marketplace (though specific rug search terms can be a miss there)
- Online Auctions
FAQ
Always! Here’s why you shouldn’t skip the rug pad.
They’re difficult for us to ship, and truthfully- out of budget for most. We do carry a few larger options (10′-11′), but since they’re more expensive… our inventory doesn’t move very quickly and they take up quite a bit of space in our small Tuesday Made office. Small & medium rugs and runners are really our speciality! They all come professionally cleaned, ready to style, and of course- they’re all picked out and vetted by me (classic design & high quality).
Super durable! Most vintage rugs are handwoven from wool or cotton, meaning they’re antimicrobial, great for wet-rated and high traffic areas, as well as in the bathroom. Check out this specific design discussion on using wool rugs in the bathroom!
No- I work with rug dealers who have small family businesses for wholesalers like myself. They’re scattered across the world, from Turkey & Iran to New York and the Carolinas, I choose rugs based on aesthetic, quality, and price point specifically for the shop. For myself and our home, if I’m searching for a larger or budget friendly oversized area rug… it’s easier to use my keywords and links I shared in this post, then I ship it directly to our house. Logistics!
That’s a loaded question, but this blog post should give you some good insight, or at least a starting point: designer trick- selecting the right rug.
I hope this post was helpful! I grabbed that cute image above from Jordan, if you recognized cute Margo (vintage rugs are pet friendly, too!). I’m still searching for the right rugs for our basement, so if you see any navy, blue, or dark red options- send them my way, please. I’m also happy to answer any of your rug questions in the comment section below. I’ll drop some I’ve been pondering in a slider, too. In unrelated news, who else is struggling with routine re-entry post holidays? Oof, it’s always rough getting back to work! I’ve yet to adjust and have been taking things slow. Anyone else?
