Rugs - Tips and Advice

Jason P

I'm looking for an area rug but have no idea where to buy a quality area rug and not get raked over the coals by paying some hipster markup for something they probably swindled for $3 in Turkey.  Does anyone know of reputable places to shop or have any tips?  I like vintage looks, such as ...

mace1229

My wife loves rugs. She gets them at tj maxx.  They seem like good quality, but I’m no rug expert. 

Why are rugs the one thing stores advertise being imported? I never got that.

Fifthelement

My only advice if you’re thinking of purchasing a Persian or Oriental carpet is to do your research.  What textiles do you want?  Silk? Wool? A blend of both? Etc.  Are you thinking family heirloom or just something for the next five years?  A quick google search can help immensely.  The first few points in this site can help.
 https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/iran/articles/8-tips-for-buying-the-perfect-persian-carpet/

Good luck!  We have five now.  The husband bought our first one when deployed to Bahrain.  He spent his downtime researching and then checking out the local shops.  Have a price in mind, haggle and be prepared to walk away.

This one measures ~14’ x 6’ and is a silk/wool blend.   I don’t recall exactly how much we paid, but I think it was around $3500-$4000 USD.

The other four are smaller, around 6’ x 4’.  Three are silk and one is a silk/wool blend.  We bought these in Israel when he was deployed there for just over $4000 CAD I think.

We love them all. We made some exceptional bargains.  Don’t lowball, but definitely be prepared to walk away.  All are hand-woven.   Definitely family heirlooms.

Good luck with your search.  Post a picture when you find something.

lastexitlondon

Jeff has a nice one

brianlux

Fifthelement said:

My only advice if you’re thinking of purchasing a Persian or Oriental carpet is to do your research.  What textiles do you want?  Silk? Wool? A blend of both? Etc.  Are you thinking family heirloom or just something for the next five years?  A quick google search can help immensely.  The first few points in this site can help.
 https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/iran/articles/8-tips-for-buying-the-perfect-persian-carpet/

Good luck!  We have five now.  The husband bought our first one when deployed to Bahrain.  He spent his downtime researching and then checking out the local shops.  Have a price in mind, haggle and be prepared to walk away.

This one measures ~14’ x 6’ and is a silk/wool blend.   I don’t recall exactly how much we paid, but I think it was around $3500-$4000 USD.

The other four are smaller, around 6’ x 4’.  Three are silk and one is a silk/wool blend.  We bought these in Israel when he was deployed there for just over $4000 CAD I think.

We love them all. We made some exceptional bargains.  Don’t lowball, but definitely be prepared to walk away.  All are hand-woven.   Definitely family heirlooms.

Good luck with your search.  Post a picture when you find something.

Ha!  I only paid about $4 US on eBay for mine!  Oh, but wait, mine is a mouse pad.

(Not my photo but it looks exactly like this:)

Fifthelement

^^^    . Sounds like a great deal.

darwinstheory

I prefer hardwood floors...

deadendp

Perhaps estate sales? 

F Me In The Brain

lastexitlondon said:

Jeff has a nice one

Hahaha.
It really tied the room together.

F Me In The Brain

darwinstheory said:

I prefer hardwood floors...

Yeah.  Or landing strips.

hedonist

F Me In The Brain said:

darwinstheory said:

I prefer hardwood floors...

Yeah.  Or landing strips.

Ha!  I knew it'd go there.

My family is big into Persian rugs - some brought over from Iran, some purchased here.  They're beautiful, even the worn out parts.  You wonder about who walked upon them, what foods or drinks were spilled on them, steps danced on them, tears of mourning.

(I muse in the same way with older cars.)

We have a couple that we bought on Amazon for around $60.  Nice looking, and the nap is perfect for our two kitties.

Jason P

FifthElement, thank you for the resources!  Yup, lots of stuff to learn.  My biggest obstacle is that the odds of making my way to the middle east to shop a bazaar is unlikely, although I would love to visit the region some day.  Any idea on how to go about searching while being relegated to north america?  Are there reputable importers that you know of?

Also, love the pics.  Poor little poochie looks like her paw got caught in the cookie jar.  

(love the colors in this one)

mickeyrat

I decided to just go ahead and do the bald spot.

HesCalledDyer

Make sure it matches the curtains.

darwinstheory

HesCalledDyer said:

Make sure it matches the curtains.

No way! Much prefer nicely cared for curtains with well manicured...I mean neat and clean hardwood flooring. 

Fifthelement

Jason P said:

FifthElement, thank you for the resources!  Yup, lots of stuff to learn.  My biggest obstacle is that the odds of making my way to the middle east to shop a bazaar is unlikely, although I would love to visit the region some day.  Any idea on how to go about searching while being relegated to north america?  Are there reputable importers that you know of?

Also, love the pics.  Poor little poochie looks like her paw got caught in the cookie jar.  

(love the colors in this one)

We have a local wholesale distributor where I live.  I checked their website and they have lots of great information.  They also ship worldwide.  

https://www.babaksorientalcarpets.com/pages/antique-carpets  They have a lot of images of what they sell too. I looked at the 6’ x 4’ ones and the prices seemed reasonable. Prices are in CAD.  Happy hunting.

JOEJOEJOE

I have a rug I need to reduce in size.....any good dancers here?

mickeyrat

 https://www.karugs.com/