Explore Our Vintage Rugs
Passerine is Washington D.C.’s premier vintage rug shop and offers a thoughtful array of hand-woven vintage rugs. Our vintage rugs are sourced from quality-focused rug merchants around the world, and have been organized into common size categories for your ease of reference. Here are the collections of vintage rugs that we have in our store:
Runner Rugs
If you need long, narrow rugs to warm your hallways and hug your kitchen islands, start with our vintage runner rugs. We source a variety of runner widths and lengths, focusing on rugs well-suited for high traffic, everyday living. Long runners or twin sets can be installed on staircases for a one-of-a-kind vintage staircase runner. Smaller runners may also be considered for bathrooms.
Our runner rugs are predominantly made with wool pile, cut to low pile lengths. These styles are easy to clean and maintain. As with all wool products, the wool fibers in our runner rugs are naturally stain-resistant. Pair with a custom-sized rug pad and weekly vacuuming to prolong the rug’s life.
Large Vintage Rugs
Passerine classifies any rug with dimensions larger than a 6x9 as a ‘large rug’. Large vintage rugs are excellent candidates for living room, dining room, family room and bedroom spaces and can provide a grounding color palette for the overall space. Our large vintage rugs are loved by designers and homeowners alike for their mix of subdued color palettes and eye-catching designs.
Passerine’s large rug inventory offers a mix of all-over designs, medallion designs, and tribal motifs. We intentionally source a mix of dark and moody and neutral color palettes to have irresistible options for any design objective. Regardless of your color and design preferences, you can rest assured that the craftsmanship in each Passerine-sourced large rug will make your selection a valuable addition to any home. The rugs can last for decades and will only become more lustrous and beautiful as it continues to patina and age in place.
We often encounter hesitancy from families with young kids about investing in vintage pieces, and encourage customers to reframe vintage rugs (whether large or small) as wonderful, sustainable family options. Our large vintage rugs were made with high-quality and hard-wearing materials (wool, cotton, and vegetable-based dyes) that were chosen to withstand daily wear. They are as kid and pet-friendly as a wool blanket, and are well suited to areas with high foot traffic. They are not only tough and resistant to stains, but they are also easy to clean through regular vacuuming.
Medium Vintage Rugs
Passerine classifies any rug with dimensions larger than a 4x6 and smaller than a 7x10 as a ‘medium rug’. Prices for our medium vintage rugs vary by size, style, and origin, but reflect excellent value at any budget. Vintage and semi-antique rugs of this size are often narrower than newer rugs of these length, and it is easy to find nonstandard, unusual sizes for your home’s tight, odd spaces (4x9’s, 6x10’s, no problem)!. Medium rugs are ideal for studies, smaller bedrooms, mudrooms, and smaller living rooms. Find a beautiful medium rug that you love, but it is too small for the space you have in mind? Simply layer it on a larger jute rug. We love our medium vintage rug collection for its ultimate versatility and variety.
Consider investing in a vintage rug from our Medium Rugs collection as part of a sustainable lifestyle choice. We bring the world to you, so you can carry its story and craftsmanship into your home.
Small Vintage Rugs
Passerine classifies any rug with dimensions smaller than a 5x7 as a ‘small rug’ or scatter rug. Our selection of small vintage rugs features hand-woven rugs that are uniquely selected for their beauty and appeal for the modern home. Common spaces for small vintage rugs include entryways, mud rooms, laundry rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. When measuring to determine which small vintage rug may be best for a given size, we recommend keeping at least 2” of clearance on all sides of a rug in a given space so it doesn’t feel too cramped.
As is a common refrain at Passerine, vintage rugs of any size can be as kid and pet-friendly as a wool blanket, and are well suited to areas with high foot traffic. They are not only tough and resistant to stains, but they are also easy to clean through regular vacuuming.
Distressed Rugs
Designer trade partners often tell us that “new spaces need old things” to feel their most authentic and livable. Our distressed rugs are uniquely selected to offer this mix of age, beauty, and grit. We define distressed rugs as rugs with obvious signs of wear. This may include uneven rug pile heights, exposed cotton foundations, and repaired (but not necessarily re-piled) patches. Usually, these signs of wear and repair are aesthetic in nature, and rugs remain highly resilient and appropriate for daily wear and tear in high-traffic areas in the home (such as the dining room, living room, kitchen, and hallways). On occasion, we source distressed rugs that may retain more delicate foundations and are best suited for lower-traffic spaces away from children and pets. In those cases, rug descriptions will be clearly marked and best suited for low-traffic.
The worn, weathered vintage rugs Passerine sources are a favorite among designers and homeowners across the country. These distressed rugs blend beautifully with the home and can be styled in traditional bohemian, contemporary, or transitional fashions. Whether heavily distressed or in pristine condition, rest assured that vintage rugs are a great way to incorporate the look of heirloom pieces into any modern space, thanks to their modern elements and centuries of old motifs that they blend.
Muted Rugs
Sometimes, a room’s design may need a rug that can take a backseat to other eye-catching centerpieces. Or perhaps you are looking for a rug that ties in colors elsewhere in the home, rather than asserting a dominant color palette. If that is the case, make your home cozier with muted rugs from Passerine. We have a huge collection of vintage and antique muted rugs suitable for traditional, modern, and transitional styles. The rugs are selected to bring comfort and style to your living spaces without dominating the color palette. Some muted rugs have been acid-washed, a process which lifts the majority of the rug’s original colors to leave a softer, neutral backdrop to any room. Other rugs may still retain their original dyes, and colors have been muted by time, or by a soft antique washing application.
Our handmade muted rugs can change the atmosphere of your room and also protect hardwood floors. Available in different sizes and patterns, our muted rugs are specially selected to suit a broad range of decor styles and spaces.
Area Rugs
Seeking a rug for a large room or section of a bigger space? Consider this broad category of area rugs as the right place to start. Passerine’s selection offers a variety of palettes and styles, ready to be the foundation of any room of your home, and easily organized into two broad size categories: medium and large. Add a touch of bohemian whimsy, neutral texture, or ornate flare – you choose! Our rugs feature a mix of eye-catching accents, opulent oriental patterns, and over-dyed simple color palettes that will inject texture and character into your interior décor and make it come alive in a unique way.