Do you have fond memories of running your toes through tall-pile shag carpet from the 1970s — and want some of your very own flashback groove pad? Well today, we profile what looks to be a terrific source — Sansom Shag Rugs. This Austin Powers-approved find comes from the ever-dynamic duo Jackie and Todd of Furnish Me Vintage. They recently completed yet another amazing project, decorating their “Groovy Getaway“.
“We tracked down the only U.S. manufacturer of true shag rugs and ordered 2 tons of lime green and burnt orange carpet,” Jackie told me!
I called the company, and they confirmed that you can order rugs in standard sizes … or, get a custom size … or go for it with wall-to-wall. Any shape, too — and they can make the rugs very large, so don’t be afraid to ask.
The company also confirmed that all the rugs are made on-site in their Georgia location. All but the wool yarns are also Made in the USA.
I recently had a reader email me asking where to find shag rugs. I gave her this company. She replied back super-excited: They had just the yellow she was looking for, and she pounced on it. Score!
Jackie says that she and Todd also now carry the carpet at Furnish Me Vintage. “They are super nice!” Jackie said.
P.S. I need to send Jackie my shag rug rake — shown above. I bought one at an estate sale recently! A shag rug rake! The sales sticker is still on it — it was priced $3.88, and I think the logo is K-Mart. Will wonders never cease. Thank you again for this great find, Mr. and Mrs. FMV, as usual, you rock my world!
Carol says
A brand new apartment building across from our university had shag carpeting in different colors on every floor (1971) – hot pink, turquoise and lime green – it even covered the walls to about waist height like wainscoting – great to muffle sound! I had a few friends living there and we all thought it was pretty groovy at the time. It looked fabulous when it was brand new – can’t imagine how it survived with students living there…
Neil says
I don’t know about the ins-and-outs of living with a shag rug, but if you go to the website and scroll through the colors you can’t help but fall in love, and be horrified, all at the same time.
Some of the colorways there will scratch your eyes out, but others are simply too compelling to look away from.
The one call “Chrome” looks like it would be wonderfully ethereal in the right space (though maybe a little like walking on soft concrete before you’ve had your coffee….).
The one called “Haystack” is dreamy and I’ll bet it would make any mid-century room very inviting and calming.
The one called “Saphire Blue Mix” looks like a fright wig the morning after sleeping with it on all night, but something about it calls to me….
jivesnake says
Unfortunately I’ve got the green shag in my den and kitchen (KITCHEN!) right now. Underneath that is some kind of weird berber in brown with orange squares, which is probably groovier than the green.
My sister and I were “allowed to pick” the carpet color for our rooms in the mid 70s. My mom veto-ed everything except yellow shag. Ha ha. I guess she was right because we never got tired of it.
pam kueber says
I had multicolor shag — but not high-pile, as I recall. The first bedroom I ever was allowed to decorate myself; we built the house, a circa-1968 split level. I need to write about that house someday. We had some great houses growing up – very memorable. Certainly must have been defining for me.
RAnderson says
They were cool looking but they had their downsides…we had a new Burnt Orange area shag rug in our very first apt after marriage during in my senior yr of college, 1971. Unfortunately about 6 months later a visiting “friend” got 4 sheets to the wind on cheap Liebfraumilch and “christened” it… ever try to clean barf out of a shag rug? Yeeccch! It was never the same.
Madeline says
I cannot even begin to describe how much this has brightened my day… Real shag pile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what I want for Christmas!
pam kueber says
🙂 I’m really diggin’ it too. REALLY REALLY REALLY
Madeline says
Pam, when we buy our next house, maybe you can do an article on it? I will be renovating wherever we end up in a 1970’s fashion. (We just need to find the right house first!)
pam kueber says
Hi Madeline, sure, we’d love to consider it!
Debbie in Portland says
I had a shag rug in my bedroom, installed in about 1971, dark blue with some lighter blue mixed in. My love of that rug was surpassed only by my mother’s loathing of it. When I moved out, she was literally right behind me as I went out the door with my last packed box, yanking it up! I love that multi-color one at the bottom right.
michael says
I believe fiber technology has come a long way since the first synthetic shag carpets were one would likely not need a shag rake, although quite a cool find and conversation piece. I recall that at some point we had a mixed red white and blue shag in our home, indeed mom had a plastic rake, ,it was like brushing our or coming out a collie’s long fur. 1970 I was 7 and just trying to figure out life, but the memories of burt oranges, avocados , browns, golds all still have a place in my heart.
Rick S says
Pam,
Thanks for this story. It took me right back to 1970, 4th grade.
The classrooms all had a 8’x 8′ square of 2″ shag for reading areas. sitting on the rug with a book was great.
It was the first time I had ever seen that kind of carpet. WOW.
rick
Janet in ME says
Wow, bring me back! When I got out of college, I wanted to redo my bedroom and I got a shag rug in the colors of 1971, harvest gold, brown, avocado and burnt orange. I got lamps with daisies on them and put up pictures of mushrooms, both true hippy themes. I loved it but my mother hated it and tore the carpet out soon after I married and left home. I remember reading a gag at the time about someone visiting a friend in the southwest who had a concrete yard and all shag rugs. She said to her, only here do you vacuum the lawn and rake the rug! I love the color choices, especially the one with turquoise in it.
Dan says
Of all the groovy things from the 70’s I’d like to see again (Nehru jackets! Op Art wallpaper!) shag carpet is not on the list. I grew up with this stuff; it is impossible to keep clean (you can’t vacuum or shampoo it effectively), sheds, and mats down in no time. Maybe as an small throw rug in a little used area, but as a large area rug or wall-to-wall, I’d give it a pass.
PS Whatever happened to all those Nehru jackets?