Sustainable Consumer’s Guide to Shopping for Antique Rugs from L.A.

As an eco-friendly consumer, there are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind when making purchases. You will need to look long and hard for products that have a low carbon footprint.

This includes buying antique rugs from Los Angeles. You may think that it isn’t possible to be an eco-friendly consumer by purchasing antique products, since they were produced before sustainable production processes became more common. But nothing could be further from the truth!

Why Can Buying Antique Rugs Be an Eco-Friendly Decision?

There are a lot of factors that you should keep in mind when you are trying to be a sustainable consumer. You may think that the best and only way to be a sustainable consumer is to purchase products that were made in the eco-friendliest manner.

However, it is actually better for the environment if you purchase products that have already been used. These products have already been produced, so you will leave a smaller environmental footprint by using them again rather than having a company produce new ones.

Therefore, it is a good idea for environmentally-conscious consumers to buy used or antique rugs. If you want the best, then L.A. can be the perfect place to get them.

L.A. is a Great Place for Eco-Conscious Consumers to Buy Antique Rugs

Los Angeles is a city world-renowned for both its architecture and furnishings. As home to many celebrities who often prize their homes, making them actual castles. One can think back to William Randolph Hearst, the not-so-subtly implied subject of Citizen Kane, luxuriating in privacy in the Hearst Castle outside San Simeon. Inside the city itself, there are just as many castles.

And, often, these castles are richly decorated with gorgeous, vintage rugs. If you’re in the market for antique rugs from Lawrence of La Brea, you should look into your heritage and see if you’re of the right bloodline. 23 and Me is helpful there, but antique rugs were not woven for commercial consumption.

Rather, they were custom-designed for noblemen and noblewomen. So, what you’re looking for is not antique, but vintage: vintage, vintage, vintage. A brilliant rug, particularly one from the glory days of old, can transform even the most drab, unpleasant room into a wholly different experience for visitors.

The key distinction between antique rugs and vintage is that antique is a term applied to items over 100 years old. Vintage usually is used for things that are 20 years old. Neither can be considered “used”, just old and still of the same quality from their time.

A vintage rug is the affordable, and available, option for most people. They’re also much more environmentally-friendly, and priced about the same as what IKEA has to offer.

But vintage rugs have their own language to go with them. Here are some terms you need to know.

Oushak

This thin rug has subtle coloring and a 60s plush look. They often contain a medallion in the center, surrounded by a lovely patterned border.  It’s the kind of rug that might have once adorned the floor of a chambermaid in an Abbey.

What worked for maid service then works well for everyday life now, as this is one resilient rug. They are more coarse than Turkish rugs, so they’ll last a long time.

Overdyed

You’ve probably seen these single-colored rugs with just a vague hint of some pattern underneath. The dyeing process is what creates that washed out depth, which can be ideal for the minimalist.

Agra

Agra, India is home to the Taj Mahal, hence the name. And the city is well known for producing some fine rugs. Weavers from the city were known for their careful attention to detail and dyeing process that gave off an aired out, faded look. It was a tradition that dates back to the 16th century. 

Swedish

Swedish rugs started becoming trendy in the early 20th century. They have an interesting blend of traditional oriental looks with some of their own heritage blended in. Most of the Swedish influence comes in patterns that take on geometric shapes. They’ve been received positively in the math and architecture worlds, with the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright speaking highly of them.

Eco-Friendly Consumers Can Buy Great Antique Rugs from L.A.

As an environmentally friendly consumer, you need to consider the merits of buying used products. This includes buying antique rugs when you are in the market for new ones. There are a lot of great antique rugs in L.A. You should consider buying them to lower your environmental footprint.