Yes. I would.

what about this one?

I have to agree those are very pastel maybe better in bedrooms.

ST, do you have either of these rugs or are you looking to buy?

These articles might help,

Oriental rugs in midcentury living rooms, at the Retro Renovation blog

And from Apartment Therapy, A Winning Trifecta: Leather, Mid-Century Modern and Oriental Rugs

The only Oriental rug I would do with MCM would be a fine vintage or antique, or perhaps modern Tibetan or something. The cheap machine-loomed carpet with man-made fibers usually look exactly like what they are. The two carpets above look like they belong in Granny's bedroom at the farmhouse, sorry to say.

Of course, it is a classic look although the rugs posted are not my taste.

Do these rugs qualify as Persian? I think they look fabulous

The Collector's Condo · More Info

19th Street · More Info

Some hand-knotted Oushaks that could work:

Safavieh Oushak Collection OSH117 Rug, Medium Blue/Green, 10' X 14' · More Info

Rare 8'x10' Oushak Floral Blue/Ivory Oriental Hand Knotted Wool Area Rug · More Info

Oushak Collection Blue-Gray 8'x10' Oriental Hand Knotted Wool Area Rug H8746 · More Info

Bashian - Vintage HSA117 - 7ft 9in x 9ft 9in Slate · More Info

More:

Regal, Modern Relic, 29365, Brick, 3'x5' · More Info

Consigned Heriz Rug, 6'6"x9'6" · More Info

drdeb, yes they qualify.

I agree I would probably try to find something vintage and graphic. I think these rugs can be to the point of being threadbare and they still look good.

Of course maybe I think that because most of mine are threadbare.

groveraxle, both rugs are handmade and of very high quality from Nain, Isfahan. Weavers worked with natural and traditional colours and no synthetic dye.

ST, are these rugs for sale online anywhere?

I have a lot of oriental rugs with my more-or-less MCM decor. All of them, however, are tribal, so strong colors, simple geometric patterns. I agree that the two examples above are a bit too delicate to go well with the clean, powerful lines of MCM.

I think something more along these lines, myself:

Oak Street Residence · More Info

This is a kilim, but you get the idea.

Or this:

Dallas, TX: Sara & Rocky Garza · More Info

Another example:

Leicht · More Info

Another gorgeous room. But not a Persian rug so perhaps not really relevant.

Pied-a-Terre · More Info

OP - I did a google image search of the first of the rugs you listed, and although I'm not 100% sure, it seems to be a machine-made acrylic rug, not a hand-knotted wool or silk rug. If that's the case, skip it.

And don't necessarily limit yourself to Persian rugs, either: there are plenty of interesting rugs from other parts of the Middle East and Central Asia as well. Turkey, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, etc etc.

jmm nailed it. Strong colors and simple patterns go better with the clean, powerful lines of MCM.

Hi ST-

I am a fan of hand-knotted oriental rugs, preferably Persians, the higher quality the better, and they don't have to be antique or even vintage as long as they are high quality.

Whether or not the two you have shown us above will go with your particular interpretation of MCM really depends upon your particular interpretation of MCM, doesn't it?

Try to use Photoshop to picture your furniture on your chosen rugs.

If you have something bold in color and form like this Eero Aarnio chair, no way would it work on either of your rug choices.

Please look at this article to see how some light-colored orientals are used in design.

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/oriental-rugs-antiques-slideshow1/all

Fallingwater. I honestly don't know Persian from whatever, I tend to just say "Oriental style". And yes, it fits beautifully.

What you don't want to do is buy Iranian rugs manufactured in the last few years which are terrible in quality. Buy Oriental rugs from India, Pakistan, Turkey or China. I don't think blue rugs are good with MCM decor. It will make it look deadly cold unless there are enough other colors in there. Look into hand-knotted rugs on esalerugs, ebay, overstock, and make sure they are as large as your room can hold with still having a border of wood around the edge, unless you are layering them on top of other rugs. Kilims and tribal rugs can be very strong in color, so it all depends on your taste. I have one kilim which is softer in color and goes with almost any style.

The poster ST favors Nain rugs, and the Habibian Nains which are still being made are among the best and are still being made and are of extremely high quality.

As in all Persians, with genuine Nains (and Isfahans) what is important is the condition, the materials, the quality of the wool, the condition and thickness and density of the pile, clarity of design, and the colors should be true all the way down to the knot, and the higher knots per square inch (kpsi) the better.

With Nains, in addition to kpsi, they talk about lah, and it can be 12, 9, 6 or 4 lah. The lower the lah, the better the rug and more expensive. Lah ( sometimes pronounced layeh, a Farsi word meaning layer) refers to the number of layers of threads that have been wrapped around each warp thread in making the carpet.

The lower the numbers of layers of threads wrapped around the warp in making the knot, the higher the knots per square inch you can get, so a low lah is an indirect measure of a high kpsi, and good quality.

A 9 lah is considered good quality.

Before you plunk down your hard-earned money on a Persian of any type of rug, please educate yourself. A lot, a lot, a lot. Read every book on Persian carpets you can find, read every website, but trust the books more. Go to museums and galleries. Go to every high-end store and ask questions respectfully and don't be ashamed to say that you are in the market and are in the process of educating yourself.

If you dress decently and are respectful, the store-owners will consider you a prospective customer and will be happy to educate you a bit, especially if you know something already.

What you want the stores to tell you is why this or that rug is good quality and why this rug is better quality than that rug, what are the features that make it so. Is this a real Nain? Is this a Habibian? Is that signature real or a fake? Do this again and again and again to educate your eye and your hand.

And if none of this interests you at all, and you just want to buy something that looks Persian-ish with a Nain-like pattern, that's okay too.

There is no law that you have to buy the real McCoy, just don't spend $$$ thinking you are, to get a copy or something machine made.

I so agree with the comment above. While I have no expertise at all in Persian carpets, or high value oriental carpets in general, I have been in souks, bazaars and carpet shops in a lot of countries, and there is simply no substitute for educating oneself, and then for looking at the carpets in person, flipping them over to look at the knots, and just getting the "feel" for the carpet. And having a glass of tea with the shop owner in the meantime. I happen to like tribals, and kilims, so I'm not in the high end market, but the rugs I have speak to me. They're more than decorative items to match a color scheme. Good rugs, like good art, tell a story.

So funny, this post is from 3 years ago and I’m considering a nearly identical hand tied Tabriz rug to the OP’s first one shown in my MCM home. I can get it at auction for likely under $1000 for a large 10x13 size. My floors are very dark mesquite and cabinets are very light riff cut white oak with white marble counters. My current rug (super crappy machine made, but modern design) is light and I’m afraid those dark orientals would just disappear into my dark floors, plus the light rug will tie in nicely with my light cabinets. If I end up getting that light rug I’ll post a pic! Cheers!

I don't think a dark Oriental will necessarily disappear into a dark wood floor.

It depends on the colors in it.

If it has colors like red or blue or green it will positively glow.

It may even have cream which certainly not disappear.

Good luck!

You want something a lot bolder than what you posted—but yes Oriental rugs go with MCM, as do less formal designs from the Levant and eastward (my personal favorites, though I do appreciate a lovely Bokhara).

ebay is a fabulous source for rugs if you willing to be patient and flexible.