Design Post | Natural Area Rugs In Jute, Sisal, and Seagrass
Go ahead and begin with the rug.
Despite all that’s happening in life, and the world, and your home that seems complicated, the area rug doesn’t have to be. What a relief.
You can place a natural fiber anchor piece on your floor and feel confident that you’ve made a sustainable choice that will immediately improve your room no matter what else might be happening with the decor around it. Sure, painting a fresh white on the ceiling and walls (Benjamin Moore Simply White or Sherwin Williams Pure White are good ones) always helps, too, but do have the rug ready to roll out as soon as the paint dries.
I suggest a rug made from plant fibers like jute, seagrass, or sisal. They give a room an approachable humility, a quiet welcome. They’re comfortable, unpretentious, and hard wearing. And they help swallow the echoes.
In case you’re wondering what, exactly, these natural fibers are, jute is a bast fiber from the stem of the corchorus plant. Sisal is woven from the long leaves of the agave plant. Seagrass is made from grass that grows near or in the sea. Other fibers in this category are coir, made from coconut husks, and abaca, made from the leaves of the banana plant.
Rugs woven from these fibers are forgiving of anomalies both in life and decorating, true ambassadors of peace, right underfoot. If your furniture feels like it’s floating in the room, a plant fiber area rug will anchor it. If your furniture is other than your dream, it’ll help to elevate it (or calm it down). It will delineate space and bring visual texture that makes a room feel interesting. For correct size, choose one that all the furniture will fit on completely. If you have a beautiful patterned rug that’s too small for the room, layering it over a natural fiber rug in the right size will give you an especially pleasing situation. And should you one day decide to upgrade or refresh your furniture, your area rug will already be in place.
I think they call this winning.
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My personal notes on jute, seagrass, and sisal: Quality made rugs in these fibers are all long wearing, but seagrass and sisal stand up to strong traffic the best. The seagrass area rug in our living room has held up well to pet claws and the general rambunctiousness of teenage boys. That said, I also appreciate the softer feel of jute and have enjoyed it in my kitchen in the past. I’ve also used rugs in these natural fibers for client projects over the years, with happy results. Although generally known as an economic solution in area rugs, as with anything, it’s good to remember that quality counts, even here. As always, well-made goods are least expensive in the long run. Here are some options should you be needing a plant fiber area rug in your home soon:
