Rugs are particularly great for open-plan living to create different ‘zones’ and can soften hard-wood or tiled areas. If you are sizing up your room for a new rug, ensure all your furniture will fit within the boundary of the rug’s dimensions, for a ‘room within a room’ effect.
Think about how your use your room and tailor your rug to suit; runners in front of a stove or sink can bring warmth to a kitchen floor; pick the right material and they can be super-hard wearing, too. A Moroccan Boucherouite rug, for example, is made of 100 per cent cotton and can be washed, while a wool kilim is naturally stain-resistant. Shaggy sheepskins by the side of a bed give a luxurious feel, while a seagrass or jute runner in a hallway is a great option for high-traffic areas.
And why stop at the back door? Outdoor rugs are hugely popular for finishing off a terrace and creating an outdoor living space. Waterproof and sun-resistant, they are hardy yet create a cosy ‘outdoor room’ to enjoy entertaining, al fresco.
Whichever space you are shopping for within your home, we have the rug to suit. Here’s our round-up of twelve great websites to purchase rugs.
Main image: Tate & Darby
Cox & Cox
Cox & Cox has a wide range of 100 per cent natural sheepskins in both super soft long-haired and textural curly designs. There are single and double skins, all in a palette of soft, muted pastels for a dreamy, tactile addition to a bedroom or nursery. Shop them here.
Tate and Darby
Tate and Darby’s edit of vintage Moroccan rugs is a treasure trove of textile history. Expect to find everything from huge three-metre plus Beni Ourain wool rugs, as well as colourful Boucherouite designs. Expertly sourced, they will bring an immediate sense of wanderlust to any home. Shop them here.
Francesca Gentilli
Zig-zagging across the globe on her metaphorical flying carpet, Francesca Gentilli seeks out the best rugs and artisan weavers from Dhurries in India to Central Asian Suzanis and Peruvian Frazadas. Looking for something specific to fit your home? Francesca can either source on your criteria before, or even have a rug woven to order, to your exact colour scheme and dimensions. Shop them here.
Benuta
Benuta has a great range of 370 exterior rugs to place under your outdoor dining table or to create a living room feel around your firepit. Choose from clever designs that mimic traditional indoor tufted rugs, or bold botanical patterns to blend in with your garden design. Shop them here.
Heal’s
Heal’s range of rugs have a beautifully painterly quality to them, making them almost like adding a piece of artwork to your floor. There are abstract, watercolour designs as well as bold, geometric patterns to choose from to create drama or calm, whichever you seek. Shop them here.
Doing Goods
A fun addition to a children’s room, Doing Goods’ faux animal rugs are full of personality and charm. Hand-tufted by a family-run business in India, they are perfect for animal-mad kids – turning a practical floor-covering into an imaginative play space. Shop them here.
Podevache
Designed and created in Podevache’s French studio, these wipe-clean vinyl mats are a great, practical alternative to a woven rug to add colour to your floor. Choose from faux animal skins, hypnotic mandalas and tropical print designs. Great for outside, as well as under highchairs in busy family kitchens. Shop them here.
Floorstory
Floorstory’s collection of design-led rugs have a luxury hotel feel about them, immediately bringing a sense of cool calm to a space. The brand champions young, emerging textile artists, as well as established names, alongside their own in-house designs at its Shoreditch showroom. Proudly Goodweave certified, you can invest in one of these designs knowing it has been ethically hand-woven. Shop them here.
Hide Rugs
These 100 per cent ethically created rugs are made from the by-products of the meat industry. Hide Rugs has a range of cow and reindeer floor coverings as well as traditional sheepskin rugs. They can be used as floor coverings for textural warmth, as well as wall hangings and to soften benches, or drape over chairs. Shop them here.
Marks and Spencer
M&S is often overlooked for its home furnishings in favour of its food and clothing. Yet its range of rugs offer great designs at affordable, high-street prices. There’s a look for every home, with neutral, Persian-inspired designs to bold colour-block rugs and geometric patterns. Shop them here.
John Lewis
Another strong high-street option for rugs is John Lewis, with 500-plus designs to choose from, including jute mats, Kilims, sheepskins and more. Overwhelmed? Book in with one of JL’s virtual design stylists and let them guide you on the best rug for your home. Shop them here.
By Lydia Mansi
May 2021
READ MORE
The Return of The Garden Get Together
Inside Scoop: Interiors Round Up Of The Week
Let There Be Light: 15 Lovely Lampshades
