Which rug material should you choose?
Every rug begins with the right material. It's not only the look that matters, but also comfort, maintenance and longevity. Since each material has its own characteristics, no two rugs are exactly alike. That's why we'll walk you through the most common materials and their properties. You'll easily discover which rug suits you best. Whether you're looking for a living room rug or something for another space.
Wool rug: (un)woolly good!
To start with, pure and sustainable wool. The search for the most beautiful, strongest and highest-quality product begins with the sheep itself. Sheep that live high in the mountains produce a unique type of wool with a particular lustre. To stay warm, these sheep develop an extra layer of grease around their skin. This increases the lanoline content in their skin, making the wool less stiff and more glossy. Additionally, wool from sheep sheared in autumn is of the highest quality. The wool that grows around the neck also sets itself apart from the rest of the fleece and, thanks to its fine structure, is perfect for rugs with specific patterns and details.
Rain or shine One of wool's unique properties is that it regulates warmth when it's hot and keeps your feet cosy when it's cold. By laying a wool rug on your floor, you're always assured of a pleasant temperature underfoot. Beyond this temperature-regulating function, wool is extremely strong. Its natural purpose is to protect the sheep from outside elements. But in its second life, wool can take a knock. The fibres that make up wool are woven so tightly together that you can barely pull them apart. Dirt also gets very little room to settle between the fibres. In short, the material that comes from those lovely, fluffy creatures in the field (which happen to look a lot like Madonna's hairstyle from the late 1980s) is not to be underestimated. Incredibly strong, water-repellent, temperature-regulating and wonderfully soft to the touch. Properties that make wool exceptionally suitable for producing wool rugs.
The advantages and disadvantages of a wool rug
+ Incredibly strong
+ Water-repellent
+ Temperature-regulating
+ Soft
+ Dirt doesn't get into the fibres
+ Difficult to ignite
+ Self-cleaning
- May shed during the self-cleaning process
- May temporarily lose shape due to elasticity
Brute jute rugs
Another player in the natural materials world of rugs is jute. This material is made from solid threads spun from long, plant-based fibres. These fibres come from plants that grow in warm and humid regions, such as India or Bangladesh. After about four months, the plant stems are cut down and then sliced into long strips. The strips are then laid in the sun so they can soak up vitamin D. After that, the strips are ready to be woven into, for example, jute rugs, bringing a bit of sunshine into your home. This pure production method makes jute a very sustainable and environmentally friendly material.
Jute is rough and powerful Contrary to its environmental friendliness, jute's look is rough and authentic. The characteristic golden-brown colour brings a certain toughness that subtly fits into any interior. This sturdiness comes with incredible strength. Because the strips are woven tightly together, this material is virtually unbreakable. That's why maintenance is very easy. Just run a vacuum over it and you don't need to worry about damaging the rug. That's a real win! In the early twentieth century, jute was mainly used as packing material. Many foodstuffs, such as sugar and cocoa, were shipped in jute sacks because jute is strong, reusable and breathable.
The advantages and disadvantages of a jute rug
+ Incredibly strong
+ Easy to maintain
+ Sustainable
+ Biodegradable
+ Breathable
+ Easy to combine
- Doesn't handle excess moisture well
Go for cotton rugs!
Cotton. It's perhaps the most well-known plant-based fibre used to make countless products. Thousands of years ago, these fibres were used all over the world to produce fabrics with various purposes. Cotton comes from the cotton plant, which grows mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. When the flowers of this plant have finished blooming, they leave behind bolls containing seeds. When seeds have been in the bolls long enough, they develop little hairs. When there are too many seeds with hairs in the bolls, they burst open and you have a cotton boll. In the past, these bolls were picked by hand, but thankfully machines do this now. From the opened bolls, yarn and threads are spun, which eventually result in a soft, thin and breathable textile. The final products are woven from these. Cotton is mainly used for clothing, but also for items like towels, tablecloths, curtains, tea towels and cotton rugs.
The great thing about cotton is that it can be dyed or printed in any colour you can imagine. There are also lots of ways to play with textures and patterns, making rugs as artistic and original as possible. Moreover, cotton rugs are nice and airy, and they're easy to wash in the washing machine, provided they're not too large. Sounds like music to your ears, right?
The advantages and disadvantages of a cotton rug
+ Light and airy
+ Wide choice of colours, patterns and textures
+ Thin, but strong
+ Plant-based fibres
- Colours can fade
Triple 'S': stable, solid and synthetic rugs
Synthetic rugs are a newcomer to the rug world. Increasingly, rugs made from artificial materials are gracing Dutch floors. These artificial rugs are nowadays made in such a way that you can't see any difference from traditionally woven rugs. Synthetic rugs are often produced from polyester, polyamide (also called nylon) and/or polypropylene. A highly valued property of these materials is that they last for a long time. They don't fade and retain their shape for ages. When you invest in a synthetic rug, you know you'll have it for a while. People sometimes say 'a weed never dies'. Synthetic materials, just like Madonna, rarely make an early exit.
The advantages and disadvantages of a synthetic rug
+ Colour-fast
+ Shape-retaining
+ Easy to keep clean
+ Relatively affordable
- Plastic-based
Natural rugs
The type of rug material is what matters to many people, and a distinction can be made between natural and non-natural materials. Natural materials come directly from nature. Take jute rugs, for example, which come from a plant. The same applies to cotton. Natural rugs add something extra to your home. This is because nature can be good for us. With wool, we find that a wool rug has an antibacterial effect.
Alongside natural rugs, you can also consider something with an animal touch. The jute and cotton we mentioned come from plants, but wool comes from sheep. Then there are sheepskins, which have a positive effect on our interiors. These sheepskins are known for their super soft appearance, making them perfect to use as a cushion to lean against, but also as a rug to walk on. Besides sheepskins, there are also leather rugs. These leather rugs come from cowhide and sit sleekly on the floor.
In short: before you buy a rug, take time to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the material because finding a suitable raw material is the power of a good buy.
