Our Story
Our story begins in 1966 with founder Emmert Elsea who discovered his passion for hand-knotted rugs while traveling through Europe, the Middle East, and India.
By 1976, Emmert had become a respected importer and retailer of artisan-made rugs known for his commitment to quality craftsmanship, fair pricing and direct sourcing. In 2018, he launched Rugnet to bring his curated collection of vintage and hand-knotted rugs online.
Today, Rugnet remains a family-owned rug business led by Lisa Colburn Stewart, Emmert's sister-in-law. With a background in art history and design and more than two decades of experience learning alongside Emmert, Lisa brings a collector's eye and deep respect for traditional rug-making techniques.
Rugnet continues to work with skilled artisans and small workshops to source hand-knotted rugs that reflect heritage, authenticity, and lasting value, rugs that are meant to be loved, lived with, and passed down to future generations.
Our Rugs Are
Celebrate Culture and Tradition
We believe in the importance off preserving culture and traditions. We do not sell rugs purposely damaged or faded to suit a passing trend. Can you imagine spending a year making a rug only to have it purposely ruined and bleached?
Our rugs were hand-knotted by artisans who intended to pass the rug down to future generations.
Our colors may sometimes be muted by time but they retain a vibrancy created by use of vegetable dyes and traditional techniques. No white washing, no bleach. Just true color and quality.
Pure love and respect.
Imperfection by Design
No two hand-knotted rugs are ever the same. Every piece is one of a kind, crafted knot by knot with subtle differences that make each rug distinct.
Look at the back of a rug and you will see imperfect knotting. This is not due to lack of skill. It’s because the creators of these rugs do not believe in perfection.
It’s imperfection by design.
Now look at a rug's coloration. Made using natural vegetable dyes, these rugs often show gentle shifts in shade across the design. This effect, known as abrash, isn’t a flaw — it’s a hallmark of authentic rug craftsmanship and another opportunity to depict imperfection. Sometimes a batch of dyed wool needs to replenished and another batch of wool is dyed but it is never exactly the same.
These variations give each rug a lived-in and timeless character — the kind you can’t replicate. They’re part of what makes a vintage rug truly valuable.
Every Rug Tells a Story
Antique Qashqai Rug
This 5'2 x 8.2 wool rug is a beautiful example of a village weaving. It is crafted entirely of wool by nomadic weavers. Birds, stars and snowflakes make this a one-of-a-kind narrative of the weaver's life.
Turkoman Rug
A 4'4 x 6'5 wool vintage Turkoman area rug with a gentle sheen and velvety texture. Beautifully woven, the ornamental medallions, or "guls," are woven to represent the weaver's own nomadic Turkmen tribe.
