Understanding the journey of each Vintage Persian rug is the key to uncovering just how extraordinary and rare they are.
There is skill and creativity, as well as error, involved in taking a traditional Persian rug and transforming it into a modern piece reworked. Understanding exactly how this is done is the key to uncovering just how extraordinary and rare our Vintage Persian rugs are - making them all the more special than you could have ever imagined.
It all begins with the careful selection and collection of hand-knotted rugs that are in truly great condition, this is imperative as only certain rugs can be restored. The provenance and quality of the rug is crucial in determining the final outcome. Kerman, Bhaktiari and Tabriz rugs are considered some of the most highly sort after rugs due their quality and are exactly what you will find within our Vintage Persian Collection.
Once rugs of the finest calibre have been plucked from history the journey to restoring them to their former glory can begin. The first stage of restoration is preparing the rug by cleaning and dusting it in order to get it ready for its first of three washes, which helps to remove any stains and debris that has amassed over time.
From here the next step is shearing the carpets to even out the pile and to help distress the rug without damaging it. Depending on the desired look and outcome, the ageing process can be accelerated using a number of methods, this is done during the second wash where the rugs are either salt washed or bleached and then laid under the sun in an effort to achieve more muted colourations. 
Another equally beautiful step of restoring these rugs from another time is the sustainable practice of over dyeing rugs that are unloved, worn and faded. Through the process of overdyeing these rugs we take part in the recycling movement, as this method helps to preserve these traditional rugs for future generations whilst acknowledging the skill and care taken to create them in the first place.
The overdyeing process is carried out on rugs that are classified vintage, heralding from the 1920s up to 1970, or classified as antique – meaning anything from before 1920. Once they have been sheared and washed these vintage and antique pieces undergo a series of processes to neutralise and remove some or all of the existing colour. This includes washing the carpets in a specialised solution, as well as natural sun bleaching. Through these methods the pattern is not removed but simply reduced to an outline which creates the perfect foundation ready to be re-imagined.
From there the next step is for the carpets to be dyed one colour, a stage that can be repeated several times, if necessary, to reach the desired levels of saturation and the perfect hue. The dye can be targeted to certain areas of the carpet, achieving either a lighter multi-tonal look or a solid colour throughout. Most overdyed rugs will display a number of different shades - which bring a certain vitality and life back to the rug – that is a direct result of the uneven surfaces and the rugs original pattern. It is then time for the third and final wash of these luxurious pieces of history.
Finally, once they are dried, any repairing or finishing touches, such as hand binding the edges, is completed, resulting in the once in a lifetime, one of a kind pieces that you will find in our highly curated Vintage Persian collection. At Tribe Home we take Vintage rugs seriously, to ensure the quality and provenance of each Vintage Persian rug, hand-selected by our Director Tina Richards, we are very fortunate to work with a master in the field of restoration and overdyeing, who is passionate about what he does, which is exemplified in the quality of his work.