I prefer shiny and new....hands down. I'll do the distressing myself. ;o)

There is a difference between something looking antique, with the concept of a quality item that has weathered through time and is still, as a result of its quality construction, usable and looks good and an item that looks bad, worn out and looks as if it needs to be replaced all a result of poor quality that someone wants to sell and does so as a distressed item. My opinion, and I'm sure its only mine, I would prefer a new quality item, not distressed, stained, damaged, etc. Life in general will do that character building to the rug, at no cost. Again, just my opinion.

I love Oriental rugs in the right setting, but any "distressing" should be from normal age and wear, not artificially added to a new rug for stylistic effect.

If it's distress from actual wear and tear, that's great. I hate fake aging or distressing of anything.

Yes! However; I also like rugs that do not crease and fold. These can become very dangerous for people when walking on them by tripping. So, my love and favorite type of rug is a heavier one that does not do this.

Love worn distressed looking rugs they look amazing -and add character and elegance

I do like these, but I'm not sure they work in my house. They feel a little too trendy.

Egad, these are trendy? I'm in style and didn't even know it!

Sally, the new overdyed ones made to look vintage are. I see them everywhere.

I like the look of a faded older carpet, but not the extreme wear and tear shown in the last two pictures. We had a few orientals that were over 100 years old and they were so worn, I gave them to my niece who was happy to use in her bedroom - but didn't want them in her living room. You could probably purchase some great antique rugs that have these features but come with a history - ours were passed down from a great grandmother and my husband remembers playing on one as a young child.

Thank you for your invaluable input, Maureen.

Thanks for all the input guys. These distressed rugs are not too different from musicians who prefer the look of a road worn Telecaster guitar that some favor over brand new. The best scenario is to have them aged naturally over time so they have that 'well loved' look and feel.

I vote no, the muted colors are nice but the worn spots are to much for me.

My grandparents 50+ year old used rugs had more quality than these - although sparsely used before retirement - I'd be embarrassed that everyone would assume I mistreated them so poorly. So I would never dare put down something that looks that way. Distressed is for furniture - to make it appear antique.

Musicians like owners of oreintal rugs - want "true" road worn use - not faked to look old and weathered - I can only assume you mean guitarist - and being the sister, daughter and granddaughter and great niece of many musicians - I can tell you that they would only appreciate it if it was in an old "used" musical instruments store - knowing it had been loved by the previous owner - or if they knew the story of it - or had passed down thru the family. My brother still owns his first used guitar (from a used instrument store) - and while he now has a collection of hundreds of new and classic guitars, it's still lovingly cared for and displayed. The collection he owns contains many used and worn looking - but that's because they're true classic guitars from the early days of Gibson and Fender guitars.

My grandmothers rugs never showed the kind of wear that those rugs show - and I know they were at least 15-20 years old when they retired to Mexico in 1965 - and still looked new when she passed in 1991. I don't know if that's a testament to the quality of Persian rugs bought while traveling abroad -- or to her - I'm sure, impeccable care of them. Her last home - she was in for about 30 years - and I know for certain exactly where they were the formal and only dining room - kitchen was reserved for servants - and the formal and only living area. Prior to retirement - they were kept in a seldom used formal living room and formal dining room (children not allowed) - later these were in her daily and formal areas - since they were one and the same. You didn't dare walk on them with dirty shoes - but you didn't dare walk on her terra cotta tiles in them either - wipe your shoes was a demand not request. But she wore her high heel pumps every day - all day - walking across them - the woman didn't own a pair of pants. And unless you sat outside on patio - you were in the living room or dining room all day every day.

To me - a rug better have a great history if I'd put out something that old and worn - it better truly be worn - and with the love of generations of your family - not sure I'd even want another families used rugs. Cuz to me - they are no longer quality Persian rugs - from an other person - they'd be used rugs - period. Faking the look of a family heirloom is just silly.

This is a trend. No one is trying to pass these off as heirlooms. Just like no one is trying to pass off their Queen Anne dining sets as real. I think they are fun and not to be overthought.

I'm all for distressed furniture in the right period for aging - but not one for trying to pass off brand new as a true treasure, and truly feel sorry for someone with a Queen Anne set who bought them for the prestigious of pretending it's real, rather than the love of the design. I guess I'll never understand - even the unspoken wish of someone mistaking my "antiqued" on purpose furniture - for my true antiques. I buy because I enjoy the design from the period - and you won't find a pie cabinet with hammered tin insert in new furniture - but you can find a new distressed looking one in a unique furniture and decor store. But - if anyone were to mistake it for real - I'd quickly make it clear it's anything but. My kitchen is full of true heirlooms - hand carved gourd scoup, vintage electrical appliances (blenders and such), etc., for which we're proud to diplay. To complete the room without having to match the modern cabinet - I went with the period look. But I'll be the first to tell you it's fake if you complimented me on them. Even tell you were I found them at a great bargain - I'm quite proud of my bargain shopping.

I bought what I thought was a cute, shrunken version of an antique heater and coffee pot - from an antiques and crafts store - only to find out it was real - but someone had actually taken away the age and changed it's appearance to not look like it's age. It's black to match my black cast iron wood burning stove. My husband had one - it's not a small version - it's the right size and is an actual kerosene heater - but should be tin in color - not black and certainly not with flowers on the door. The coffee pot too was a real antique that again, someone actually harmed by painting it to look like it was made of cast iron - and painted flowers on it - when the original would have again been tin - and would not have gone with the heater. He plans to actually restore them to their authentic look as reminders from his youth. They date back way before he was born, actually had probably been manufactured in the late 1800's - but his parents still used them - so to him - it's a childhood memory - in black - they're just junk to him.

It's ironic how things change with the times - my grandmother ruined antiques passed down to her from her parents - by painting them in a horrific white paint with gold gilded paint trim. I've been trying to restore each as I can afford to - since they're so ornately carved - it's a lot of work to strip off the gunk she put on it. A beautiful writing desk - or secretariat? - and a wonderful - unheard of today - telephone table (I always called it that) - where one would put their telephone on it - and sit in a beautifully upholstered wrap around chair. I adored it as a child - and while I've had the desk restored to it's original look - I'm still waiting for the right time to spend Lord knows how much to restore the telephone table - since the wood would be the easy part. It's upholstered around the table section - wrapped around the seat - than pin and tuck upholstered backing chair with thickly padded seat. I just to eliminate the horrid white and gold gild - painted the wood dark green and sponged the faded grungy former white fabric with a red dye (turned faded maroon) to hide the dirty old fabric. Nothing but a true upholstered restoration would do it justice. The writing desk was so ornate - restoration meant a toothbrush and tooth picks to get into the nicks and crannies. And took several months to get back.

I grew up without money and am proud of it - I think I'm better for it - and I had a snob of a grandmother - despite her humble upbringing - and snob of a father - when their only contribution to the wealth was her marrying a man who would eventually become wealthy - and my father being his "good for nothing lazy" son. My father never made even fraction of what his children did in our careers - never made enough to scratch to nickels together - but still put on airs as if he were wealthy - which eventually he was - until he blew it all just prior to dying - leaving enough to pay his burial and medical bills. Which is fine by us - we made our own careers - and lives - unlike him - we never counted on one day being rich off the back of another's hard work.

I guess their hypocritical attitude of being better than anyone with less than the husband/father had become - disgusted me - because it included her family and his grandparents! The only one who wasn't a snob was the one who made it!

So the thought of hoping people will believe a fake is real - is just sad to me. I would hope one would be proud of where they cam from and what they'd become and if not - work harder to achieve it. I certainly came from nothing (my parents divorced when I was 7 and I was raised by a working single mother - with a deadbeat ex and three mouths to feed. I'm proud of how she raised us - with a strong work ethic and the desire to carve out our own niche in the world.

I apologize for my tirade - I misread no one is trying to pass off .... no more than they're trying to pass off the Queen Anne as real - I mistakenly read it as if it was to be used to pass off the Queen Anne as real - if it's a period look - I would hope they would distress and fill the room with period style furniture - like my distressed old style cabinets - or to me - the desired appearance would be lost on visitors. As much as the true antiques painted with fresh cast iron look paint (I knew the cast iron wasn't aged) - made me certain I was buying a shrunken version of something that happened to look good with the wood burning stove. I had no idea my husband hated it due to it being ruined with the black - I had thought he didn't like the painted flowers. Sure enough though - if you look in side - it's the real thing - tin colored.

I can understand the desire to period date a room - so many do with the 50's style reproduction furniture and accessories. I haven't seen it done much outside of furniture for game rooms or family rooms - where you'd also likely find reproduction advertising signs and accessories. I'd love to get my husband a reproduction 50's coca cola cooler from his childhood - where you took out the bottle - popped the top - then dropped your nickel on the counter. Coke because we're in the home of Coke - metro Atlanta.

Overdyed (tone on tone) rugs have given life to old Persian rugs and they are once again in business. I remember when we processed first Persian rug there were clients who were really not happy to see them like this. However gradually they made their market. I personally like them.

http://alrug.com/

Like the distressed looked for bold colours like hot pink and blues, but fed up with the classic oriental rug. I like the ones which look like patchworks.

They are not for me, once a rug is that worn out, it needs to get tossed out!

although i work with them all the time and see where the lack of true design on them can be advantageous to a rooms design, on the whole I like mine to be a regular design and especially nothing originally designed to fool people.

LW - these are actually new rugs dyed to look distressed. Do you like the distressed look? Sounds like you prefer a new rug to look new (which makes sense)

I would not buy a new rug that was distressed on purpose. I like yo buy new rugs and wear them out myself.

yes, i agree, i like some modern where there is not a true pattern and i have always love orientals, but i don't like the artificial ones.

I hate the fake distressed rugs. Trying to find a regular new rug but to no avail.

I hate them!!!! I will be so glad when this trend ends! I hate them! Wait, did I already say that lol. I hate them.

I think distressed rugs are ugly! They look cheap! I prefer a classic oriental over the cheap, ugly, look of a distressed rug. Trend end pls!!!!!