Vintage is in...

Everywhere you look people are buying vintage; vinyl records instead of cd’s, furniture from the flea market instead of from a catalog. Second-hand stores have re-branded to become “vintage boutiques,” and people are eating it up. It is comfortable to buy something that’s already been broken in, something with patina that has a little extra meaning. Not only does vintage have aesthetic appeal, but it has an environmental one too. In a day and age where green carries the day, you can feel good about up-cycling an item rather than purchasing new.

In the rug business, vintage has always been in. Rug dealers have long scoured antique shops and flea markets for gems of the past to restore and bring back to life. However, today’s market has widened the scope of what consumers are willing to purchase. A worn rug that might have previously been considered unfit for sale now has a happy home among vintage-loving customers.

So what exactly is a vintage rug? In the rug market, vintage is categorized by two criteria; age and condition. Any piece produced before 1930 is considered an antique, while anything produced in the past decade or so is considered new. Anything made in between that time (1940-1990’s generally) is what we call vintage. Vintage can also be code for worn rugs, a trend so popular that rug producers are distressing new rugs to simulate the look!

Vintage pieces come from all across the rug making world and the category is quite broad; stylistically speaking, a shaggy tribal rug falls into the same category as a worn, formal one. At Landry & Arcari, we’ve been beefing up our selection of vintage rug offerings, which now covers a lot of ground. Some of our favorites include our extensive collection of Moroccan and Turkish rugs and kilims, sourced directly from villages where these rugs were produced decades ago. Characterized by thick piles, bold geometric designs, and attention-grabbing color palettes, these pieces exude a causal hipness while tipping their hats to the timeless aesthetic of a tribal rug. We’ve also focused on curating a collection of distressed and over-dyed Persian rugs. Often found with more formal designs, these rugs tow a line between classic and contemporary. They can simultaneously evoke elegance and comfort in any room.

They may range in style and look, but these vintage rugs are tied together by the unique feeling they bring to a home. A feeling that the space has a past, a story. A feeling that you can only get from true vintage, not from imitations at the big box stores or online discounters. 

So feel free to contact me - I'd love to help you fine the perfect vintage rug for your client.

All the best,

Jeff