9 Vintage Runners That Are Charming and Wallet-Friendly (2025)

Many New York City apartments feature some kind of structural oddity that remains after renovations past—a triangulated bedroom, no bathroom sink, or a strangely placed beam propping up the ceiling. Mine happens to be a very long hallway. In an attempt to make it look intentional, I’ve been scouring the internet for a runner that looks vintage, the kind that has a pre-distressed, kilim-like style, sourced from somewhere far more interesting abroad.

A gorgeous vintage rug will usually set you back hundreds or thousands of dollars, not to mention landing on a design that speaks to you among all the many woven patterns out there, so I’ve been documenting my search to save you some of the frustration of shopping for a similar design classic—one that will make your hallway look as chic and worldly as any AD celebrity home tour you’ve ever browsed.

If you have access to a vehicle and a vacant Saturday to poke around upstate, or rural America for truly vintage runners (I particularly love this option), I’d recommend starting there. If you’re Manhattan-locked, though, and at the mercy of its temperamental transportation systems and Greenpoint boutiques with 400% markups on vintage Turkish runners, stick around: Online shopping is likely the best option for you. Below are nine runners that caught my eye for their quality, material, price point, and the uniqueness of their design—and though not all of them are vintage textiles, all of them embody that same historic character.

This runner is a perfect hybrid of an antique and farmhouse style, one that I could see gracing the living room or foyer of a Shea McGee design project. The white-washed undyed look on this impression of a Persian style gives it a cozy, rustic vibe.

Nicky Kehoe is a brand for whom I’ll bend the budget. This is the real deal—an 18th-century hand-woven Belouch rug from Persia. If I had a long hallway inside a Colonial style home on an island in Maine, this is exactly what I would purchase. It’s a classic piece, perfect for an entryway that sets the tone for great taste throughout the house.

CB2 nailed the design with this flat-weave wool runner. Though it’s not actually vintage, it looks authentic enough with its hand knotted design and charming motif that gives it a dramatic, heirloom feel. It would bring incredible depth to a simple white hallway, or along terra-cotta tile leading to the backyard.

This design takes the cake for me, despite it being completely different than what I set out for. It’s both distinctive enough to stand out from other mass-market rugs and also subtle enough to warm up your cold floors without being too loud, employing an unexpected colorscape for a vintage runner that eschews the traditional neutrals and red tones of other Persians and Turkish rugs.

Amazon is where I’d think to browse for rug pads before shopping actual rugs themselves, so finding a runner that looks authentic to the sarouk rug styles I’m after was a joy. This one costs a mere $70 and with some surrounding antique decorations—maybe a Colonial-style entryway table—your guests would have no idea this was from a warehouse in Pennsylvania, and not Ankara.

And the winner for longest runner—and the only one that can actually run the length of my insane hallway—goes to this 1950s Persian Heriz style. The taupe, brown, and various pinks make a stylish statement by reiterating classic patterns in an unexpected colorway.

This pick from Citizenry also deviates slightly from the heavy reds and browns typical of a Persian or Turkish rug, but the neutrals, blush pink, and light greens feel welcoming and bright in a dim entryway. As for authenticity, this 100% wool rug is hand-crafted in India.

If the sarouk style gives a little too much color or intensity for what you’re after, a handwoven Moroccan runner is worth a search. These neutrals are patterns, which complement more modern interior design—light woods, lacquered surfaces—where Anatolian styles often work better with dark woods. The high pile quality gives an interesting textural component missing from a flatweave.

Perhaps the least true-to-style on the list, this hand-knotted runner, made in India, takes the classic vintage runner look into the present with a more abstract take on the typical medallion-style. I’m also very partial to this as a full area rug, as I think it can turn a room without direction into a colorful shrine.