It didn’t take long after we moved in to realize a rug was going to have to be one of our first purchases. (Have you ever experienced the acoustics in a house with wood floors and three kids under the age of 7?) We ended up selling most of our area rugs with the old house (yes, even the navy chain link rug) but truth be told, I just looked at it as an opportunity to completely change the look of new place and phase most of the navy out.
Since I’m going for a neutral/relaxed feel, I decided a natural rug was the way to go. I am so drawn to the texture and casualness they bring to a room:
When I started to decide which material I wanted, I remembered this post that Lauren wrote a couple of years ago about her experience with the different types of natural rugs. (Her post is a great resource to bookmark.) Why did I end up deciding to go with jute? It was this quote from Lauren herself:
“MAINTENANCE: laughable. I took the WORST care ever of our jute rugs & they looked fine. They kind of eat your dirt. You can just vacuum them. I've had ours in the kitchen & even spilled salsa (I know, gross!) in ours and just wiped it with a rag & then blotted it with a wet rag to get the stain out. “
Jute “eats your dirt”? I’m SOLD :)
I quickly narrowed my search to the “Braided Jute” rug from Ballard Designs . . .
And, this diamond-patterned rug from Natural Area Rugs (which got great reviews):
Although I sometimes make these decisions on impulse, I decided to first order a sample of the Ballard braided rug. I’m so glad I did. While I didn’t expect it to feel like silk, it was completely scratchy (and a little thicker than I expected.) It would’ve worked fine in foyer, but not in a family room. . .
After receiving this sample, I resolved to not buy anything I couldn’t walk on in person. I also decided that a jute/chenille blend would be a better option. Softer—and would hopefully still eat our dirt!
Next stop? Pottery Barn.
I was actually shopping for something else when I saw this:
I loved the look of their “Heathered Chenille Jute” rug and liked it even better after I took my shoes off and walked around on it.
Maybe not my best deal ever, but I felt like this was important enough to spend the money on since it was the base of our room. (And, we got a little house-warming gift. Thanks, Mom & Dad!)
We just got a few days ago, and I couldn’t be happier with it. I’ll let you know how it wears, of course.
Do you have a natural rug in your home? What’s been your experience?
