Red Blue Overdyed Rug
This red blue overdyed rug measures 386 x 294 cm, about 11.3 square metres, and is a vintage piece that has been over-dyed in blue. Its field is a soft turquoise with faded red and mauve showing through, framed by a navy and cream border and a reddish outer edge.
The design up close
A navy medallion sits at the centre, with a cream and tan core and pointed lobes at each end. Around it the turquoise field carries small cream and rose floral motifs, scattered rather than set in rows, so the ground looks busy without feeling crowded. Toward the corners the field softens into a mottled wash.
The border is the strongest part of the design. Navy panels with cream flower cartouches run along the long sides and across both ends, separated from the field by a narrow cream band. A reddish edge frames the whole rug, and it is the one place where red stands out clearly.
From across the room, this red blue overdyed rug reads as a clear navy medallion on blue, with the cream border doing most of the work. Up close, you can see where the surface has worn and the cream drawing shows through.
What over-dyeing does
Vintage rugs like this one are shaved so they have no pile, then over-dyed to intensify the design and patterns. The blue over-dye has brightened the field and sharpened the medallion, while the older red still shows through the worn areas, so the colour shifts from one part of the rug to the next.
Overdyed rugs of this kind show their colour changes most clearly in daylight, so check the turquoise by day and again by lamplight before you decide.
How it is made
Our records note hand double knotting, and the wool was tied by hand on a loom, one knot at a time. Shaving removes the top of the pile, so the rug is thinner and lies flatter than a new piece of the same size.
Sizing your red blue overdyed rug
At 386 x 294 cm the rug covers about 11.3 square metres, which suits a large lounge or dining room rather than a small bedroom. A 2.2 m three-seat sofa sits on it with about 83 cm of rug showing past each end, and two armchairs can sit on it around a coffee table.
In a dining room, a table of about 240 x 100 cm, which seats eight, leaves roughly 73 cm of rug at each end and 97 cm along each side, enough for the chairs to slide back. A red blue overdyed rug like this suits pale timber floors, white walls and neutral furniture, where the blue has room to stand out.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the knots. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly. Blot spills with a clean white cloth and cold water rather than rubbing them in. When it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand.
Put a good underlay beneath it. It stops the rug sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, such as the part of a rug under a sofa, so vacuum those areas often and lift the furniture now and then.
A shaved surface shows wear sooner than a full pile, so turn this rug on schedule.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this red blue overdyed rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Vintage, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about rugs and carpets.
