Guide
Jute and Wool Rugs
Four handmade rugs, two in jute, one in wool and one patterned and hand-woven, from a wine-red wool rug at €109 to a jute one at €289. Texture underfoot for a warm, layered room.
A bare floor makes a room echo, visually as well as literally. A rug is the thing that pulls a seating area together and gives your feet something warmer than boards. In this kind of room I want it textured and natural: jute or wool, not a flat synthetic print.
Jute and wool, together
The two do different jobs. Jute is coarse, flat and the colour of rope, a calm base that goes with any wood. Wool is soft, takes colour well, and can carry a deep red or a terracotta that jute never could.
Layering them is the trick I use most. A large jute rug fills the floor and a smaller wool one, angled on top, marks the spot where you actually sit. It also lets you bring in colour without committing the whole floor to it.
Shape and pattern
Not every rug has to be a rectangle. The round Sharmila sits well under a round table and softens a room full of straight furniture. And not every rug has to be plain: the Bashmira brings pattern and colour, so I would give it a floor of its own rather than layer it, and keep the furniture around it calm.
For sizes, placement and what to put underneath, read how to choose a rug.
Common questions
- Is jute comfortable underfoot?
- It is firmer and coarser than wool, closer to a natural matting than a soft carpet. Lovely barefoot in summer, a little rough to sit on. That is why I like to layer a smaller wool rug on top of it.
- What size do I need?
- Check the size of the exact rug you are looking at before you click, since the same design can come in more than one. In a living room, the front legs of the sofa and chairs should sit on the rug. There is more on that in my guide to choosing a rug.
- Will these ship to me?
- All four come from Westwing's Dutch shop, which delivers in the Netherlands. Each piece says where it ships before you click.