Antique carpets and vintage rugs are often not only lovely but are also a piece of history. This is why so many antique rug dealers and collectors seek out specific designs or types, such as antique Oushak rugs for their collections. However, antique rugs can be rather expensive and are often difficult to find, especially when searching for one with particular qualities. If a vintage rug cannot be found to suit the space, designers should consider looking for antique rug designs in new carpets.

More and more new flooring designers are turning to vintage designs and colors to incorporate into new carpets. Many designers have a talent for combining aspects from old designs into modern rug art. Materials also play a part in carpet design. There has been a resurgence in the use of natural fibers, such as wool and hemp, in the manufacturing of high quality floor mats. With the use of traditional materials, designers are enjoying a renaissance of antique rug designs.

Many Carini Lang silk rugs are reminiscent of vintage Asian rug designs. Featuring Asian art-inspired trees and clouds and floral patterns, Carini Lang plays with color to modernize these more traditional designs. Incorporating bold, modern colors with vintage design elements creates quality new rugs that appeal to more modern decorating trends but that will become antique rugs in their own time.

Likewise, Emma Gardner designs rugs that reflect her Japanese heritage combined with a retro vintage look. Soft, curving, Asian inspired rivers flow freely under flocks of butterflies styled after the aesthetics of the 1960's and 70's. These new floor coverings are made in much the same way as many antique rugs. Village artisans enrolled in fair trade programs still hand knot and hand tuft wool and silk rugs to create unique designs using methods handed down through generations.

Antique rug historian John Kurtz brings his passion for antique carpets to life with his modern line of hand knotted wool carpets. New Moon rug company features designs of all sorts and colors to appeal to those who love a classic look but need to incorporate it into a contemporary setting. One hundred percent hand spun Tibetan wool is woven by rug artists in Nepal to create these works of art in floor coverings.

When a suitable antique carpet cannot be found, designers should consider looking to new rug designs that incorporate design elements and colors, as well as weaving methods that have been taught down through generations of antique rugs. Eventually, new carpets will become tomorrow's antiques.