Evanston Rug Store: Handmade Rugs on Dempster St

Rugistan® Evanston is a handmade rug store at 600 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60202, open seven days a week. Two storefronts side by side on the Main-Dempster Mile, full of hand-knotted rugs, kilims, runners, vintage and antique rugs, modern rugs and custom-cut rug pads. Come in, unroll as many rugs as you like, and take one home to try.

Hours and address

Rugistan® Evanston
600 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60202
Get directions · 847-863-1249 · evanston@rugistan.com

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Every day: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Street parking out front on Dempster St.

Questions before you visit? Chat with us. We reply within the hour, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central.

Handmade rugs at fair prices, because we import them ourselves

Rugistan® was founded in 2021 as Kapisa Rugs by Shams Frough, who grew up in Afghanistan, where rugs are part of every home. He buys hand-knotted rugs and kilims in person, straight from the weavers and workshops, and brings them to our two showrooms with no importer, wholesaler or distributor in between. Our vintage, antique and modern rugs are chosen the same careful way.

That is why our prices are lower than you might expect. Not because the rugs are lesser: they are the same hand-knotted wool rugs sold elsewhere for far more. We simply don't pay middlemen, and we don't overcharge. Every rug has a fair, marked price, we match prices, and every handmade rug carries a lifetime guarantee of authenticity and quality.

A rug for every room and every budget

• Small kilims and mats from about $150, for entries, kitchens and bedsides.
• Hand-knotted area rugs in every common size, from 3x5 to 12x18.
• Runners for hallways and stairs.
• Vintage and antique rugs for collectors and old-house restorations.
• Modern and contemporary rugs, hand-knotted and hand-loomed, from India and other weaving countries.

Tell us your room size, colors and budget in chat and we will pull a few rugs before you come in.

What you will find in the Evanston showroom

• Hand-knotted rugs: traditional, tribal and transitional designs in every common size, from 2x3 mats to 12x18 room-size rugs.
• Kilims and flatweaves: handwoven kilims, many bought in person from the weavers.
• Modern rugs: contemporary hand-knotted and hand-loomed designs from India and other weaving countries.
• Runners for hallways and stairs, in lengths from 6 to 14 feet and more.
• Vintage rugs with soft, faded colors.
• Durahold Plus rug pads, cut to the size of your rug while you wait.

Browse online first: all rugs, kilims, runners and vintage rugs. Every rug online shows which store has it.

Services in Evanston

• Try at home: take a rug home on approval and see it with your floor, light and furniture.
• Free local delivery within 30 miles, including Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glenview, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Rogers Park and the North Shore.
• Rug cleaning: professional hand washing from $3 per sq ft. Rug cleaning and repair.
• Rug repair: fringe, edges, holes and moth damage.
• Written appraisals: $300 for the first rug. Rug appraisals.
• Store pickup: order online and pick up in Evanston, usually ready within 4 hours.

As seen in

Shams Frough and Rugistan® (formerly Kapisa Rugs) have been featured in TIME, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Can't make it in?

Shop every rug online with free U.S. shipping and 30-day returns. Each listing shows its exact measured size, colors and which store has it, and we send extra photos or a video in chat on request.

Evanston rug store FAQ

Where is Rugistan® in Evanston?

At 600 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60202, on the Main-Dempster Mile. The showroom is two storefronts side by side, at 600 and 602 Dempster.

Is the Evanston store open on Sundays?

Yes. We are open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Why are your rugs cheaper than other rug stores?

We buy our handmade rugs ourselves, in person, and skip the importers and wholesalers that add to the price. The rugs are the same quality; the markup is not.

Can I take a rug home before I buy it?

Yes. Ask in the store or chat with us to take a rug home on approval.

Do you clean rugs in Evanston?

Yes. Bring your rug to the showroom for professional hand washing from $3 per sq ft, or ask about pickup.

Is there a Rugistan® store in Chicago too?

Yes, in Lincoln Square at 4815 N Western Ave. See our Chicago rug store.