Red Rugs

Red is the colour most people picture when they picture a Persian rug — and for good reason. The deep madder reds of Kashan, Tabriz and the Afghan tribal weaves are what the classical medallion was designed to sit on. This collection runs from burgundy and oxblood through true crimson to the brighter Afghan tribal reds, machine-woven in Türkiye at up to 1200 reeds so the fine border work stays sharp.

What is in this collection

• Red area rugs — burgundy medallions, Afghan tribal reds, and two-tone navy-and-burgundy designs, from about $110 for a small size up to 9×12 and 10×13.
• Red Afghan toshak covers and red and dark-red Arabic majlis floor-sofa sets, for floor seating. These are covers and sets, not area rugs — see Afghan Toshak and Arabic Majlis.

How to work with a red rug

Burgundy is the liveable red. True crimson is a statement and will drive the whole room; burgundy and oxblood behave much more like a warm dark neutral, and they sit comfortably under brown leather, walnut and dark green without a fight.

Red rewards a quiet wall. Warm white, cream, greige and soft putty all let the rug carry the room. If you want a richer scheme, deep green or a dark charcoal wall with a burgundy rug is a classic pairing that reads expensive rather than loud.

Watch what else in the room is already red. A red rug plus a red-brown cherry floor plus a terracotta cushion is three reds arguing. Pick the rug as the red, and let the other two go neutral.

Red is the most forgiving colour for a dining room. The pattern and depth hide the crumbs and the occasional spilled glass far better than cream ever will — which is exactly why so many dining rooms have worn a red Persian rug for two hundred years.

Popular sizes in red

8×10 under a dining table for six, 9×12 for eight to ten or for a sectional, 5×7 for a bedroom or study. Shop 8×10 · 9×12 · 5×7 · runners. If you are sizing for a dining table, add 24 inches on every side so the chairs stay on the rug when pulled out — the full logic is in our rug size guide.

Answering your questions about red rugs

Is a red rug too bold for a living room?

It depends which red. A burgundy or oxblood medallion with a cream border behaves like a warm neutral and is easy to live with for years. A bright crimson field is a deliberate statement — beautiful, but plan the rest of the room around it rather than adding it to a room that is already busy.

What colour sofa goes with a red rug?

Cream, oatmeal, camel and brown leather are the easy wins. Charcoal and deep green also work well. Avoid a red or maroon sofa, which flattens the rug, and be careful with bright orange or pink, which fight it.

Do red rugs show dirt?

Less than almost any other colour. A patterned red field is the most forgiving surface in the house for foot traffic, crumbs and pet marks, which is why red has always been the traditional dining-room and entry choice.

Are these hand-knotted Persian rugs?

No — machine-woven in Türkiye with fringes and edges finished by hand. “Persian,” “Kashan” and “Tabriz” describe the pattern, not the country of manufacture. Hand-knotted Afghan carpets are shown at our Sacramento showroom by appointment and are not listed online.

Will a red rug bleed colour if it gets wet?

No. The pile is solution-dyed synthetic — the colour is inside the fibre rather than sitting on it — so water does not lift the dye the way it can with an untreated natural-dye wool carpet.

Can I see the shade in person?

Yes. Most of the in-stock catalog is at our Sacramento showroom at 3423 Watt Avenue. Reds photograph differently on every screen, so if the exact shade matters, WhatsApp (916) 890-4077 and we will send a daylight photo.

Related

• By shade: Burgundy Oriental · Gold · Cream & Ivory · Blue
• By style: Persian · Turkish · Afghan · Oriental
• Why this construction: why machine-woven rugs

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