Green Rugs

Which rug traditions are known for green?

Chinese Art Deco rugs are the tradition most associated with strong green, and in our stock they make up 62 of the 231 green rugs on this page. Softer greens turn up in Turkish, Persian and European rugs, and India supplies most of our new green rugs. Here is how our green stock breaks down.

• Chinese Art Deco, 62 in green, including 49 by Walter Nichols. Jade, emerald, teal and acid green from the 1920s and 1930s, often as a whole field with floating flowers. Chrome dyes kept these greens saturated. See Chinese Art Deco rugs and the Walter Nichols story.
• Oushak, 14. Soft green and celadon with apricot and ivory on large, open drawing. See Oushak rugs.
• Persian rugs, 23. Green is more often an accent than a field in Persian weaving; Sultanabad carpets bring sage green alongside terracotta and sky blue. See Sultanabad rugs.
• European rugs. French Aubusson and Savonnerie rugs with leaf greens in their florals, English rugs, and Irish Donegal carpets of the Arts and Crafts period with olive and moss. See French rugs, English rugs and Donegal rugs.
• New rugs, 71. Mostly hand-knotted in India, 56 of them, where modern dyes make an even, stable green. See new rugs.

How is green made in a hand-knotted rug?

In most older rugs there is no single green dye. The dyer colored the wool twice, once with indigo for blue and once with a plant yellow, and the mix of the two gave anything from olive to emerald. That method explains most of what you see in an antique green.

• Greens drift toward blue. Plant yellows fade faster than indigo, so over the decades many antique greens have moved toward teal or blue green, especially on the side that faced the light.
• Patchy green is common. Because two dye steps had to line up, green areas in village rugs often show more abrash than other colors. This is natural and part of the character.
• Synthetic greens. Synthetic dyes arrived in most weaving areas in the late 19th century. The chrome dyes in 1920s Chinese Art Deco rugs are fast, which is why those greens still look strong. Our natural vs synthetic dyes guide explains how to tell.
• Check both sides. Compare the green on the front with the back. A back that is greener than the front shows fading, which is normal in an old rug. We can send close-ups or a condition report.

How does a green rug look in different light?

Green changes character with light more than you might expect, because it sits between warm yellow and cool blue.

• Warm bulbs push green toward olive and moss.
• North light brings out the blue in teal and jade and can make sage look gray.
• Garden views reflect green light into a room, so a green rug near large windows can look brighter by day than in the evening.
• Pile direction. Seen against the pile, green reads deeper; seen with it, lighter and more silvery.

How do you decorate with a green rug?

Use green where you want a fresh, living feel. It works in traditional rooms and suits the current taste for garden and botanical interiors.

• With wood floors. Mid-tone oak and walnut suit green well. On very dark floors, pick a lighter sage or celadon so the rug does not sink.
• With stone and terracotta. Green on terracotta tile or warm stone gives a Mediterranean feel; on cool marble it reads crisp.
• With walls. Warm white, blush plaster and soft terracotta walls flatter green. A green rug under deep green walls makes a tonal, enveloping room.
• With upholstery. Coral and pink are green's natural partners. Rust, camel, cream and brass also work. With red, let one color lead so the room does not read seasonal.
• Room by room. Soft green Oushaks suit bedrooms and living rooms; emerald Art Deco rugs make strong statements in dining rooms and entries; olive Arts and Crafts carpets suit libraries.
• Measure first. Our rug size guide explains how to measure, and every listing gives the measured size.

How do you care for a green rug?

Care for a green rug the way you would any fine wool rug: a good pad, rotation once or twice a year, gentle vacuuming without a beater bar, and professional washing every few years.

• Sun. Direct sun fades the yellow in natural greens first, so the rug shifts toward blue. Rotate the rug and use curtains or UV film in bright rooms.
• Spills. Blot at once with plain water, never rub, and ask a specialist before trying any home remedy.
• Professional washing. Our rug cleaning service in Manhattan washes hand-knotted rugs with a pH-balanced process.
• Moths. Deep Art Deco pile gives moth larvae plenty of cover. Our moth-proofing service washes the rug first and then treats the fibers.

Glossary of green rug and dye terms

These are the terms you will meet most often in our listings and guides for green rugs.

Overdyeing

Dyeing wool a second time over a first color. Blue overdyed with yellow is the traditional route to green.

Celadon

A pale gray green, named after the glaze on Chinese ceramics.

Sage

A soft, muted gray green, typical of Oushak and Sultanabad rugs.

Jade and emerald

Clear, saturated greens typical of Chinese Art Deco rugs. Shop Chinese Art Deco rugs.

Olive

A brownish yellow green, common in Arts and Crafts carpets and village rugs.

Chrome dye

A synthetic dye fixed with a chrome mordant, fast to light and washing.

Abrash

Soft bands of tonal variation within one color, from changes in dye batch. Often strong in natural greens.