FLOOR SHOW

Written by Emily Gedde

Photos by Chris Emeott

Retailer offers insight into finding the perfect vintage rug.

Impactful design comes with an anchor—an element upon which the entire space is created. Look around any room in your home. If you don’t see it, consider that you might be standing on the foundation of that particular space’s design aesthetic—the rug.

Excelsior’s Amanda Birnie knows a thing or two about how to make visions a reality. She is a portrait and interior photographer by trade. Through that creative lens, Birnie developed another career path—selling vintage rugs. “I believe that the perfect rug can make any room unique, inviting, stylish and warm,” she says. “A vintage rug will add an incredible statement piece to a room without having to renovate a thing.”

In 2020, Birnie opened Deephaven’s Curio Rugs as an e-commerce store out of her garage, offering vintage rugs for interior design enthusiasts and those wanting to elevate their home décor. Within two years, she secured a new space and, a few months later, wanted to expand the showroom to accommodate more inventory, including rugs with different styles, designs and colors. All of which provide customers with more options to execute their design visions.

How does one find the perfect rug? While a piece of furniture, artwork or architectural standouts typically serve as a room’s focal point, rugs can also stand on their own to make a statement. When designing a room, Birnie suggests starting with the rug and building the rest around it. “Start from the ground up,” she says. “Find a rug that speaks to you, and from there, add in the furniture and other pieces.”

Oftentimes, customers will have an inspiration photo of a rug and focus too much on finding that identical piece. “I ask people to be really open-minded when choosing a rug,” Birnie says. “I have customers who come with an exact rug in mind and that piece might be one-of-a-kind … Don’t get caught up in finding that same rug. Focusing too much on a certain color can also hinder finding the perfect piece,” she says. Tip: Birnie reminds us that matching paint color to a rug is easier than matching a rug to a paint color. Let’s talk size. The dimensions of a room should dictate the rug size—not furniture placement or décor staging. Birnie recommends that the size of the rug exceed the size of the largest piece of furniture in the room, such as a couch or bed. “For a typical-sized room, a good rule of note is at least one or two feet on the end passed your couch or bed,” she says. “When you get out of bed or off a couch, your feet should land on the rug.” If you find a rug that is smaller than what Birnie suggests, she was quick to note that layering is a popular trend in the industry. “You can get a large braided rug and put