A Complete Guide to Rugs
Find the perfect, high-quality rug for each room in your home with our guide to materials, construction, and care.
By Material
Need more information on our rug materials? Here’s why we love each category of material, as well as their best uses.
WOOL / WOOL BLENDS
Wool is a highly durable all-natural fiber made from the protective coats of sheep. It is luxuriously soft underfoot and easy to clean with natural stain resistance. It is usually hand-knotted, handwoven, or hand-tufted, and is artfully crafted to last and grow with your home.
100% wool rugs are ideal choices for living spaces, bedrooms, and dining rooms for an added layer of warmth and comfort. Wool blends include a small percentage of synthetic fibers, giving them an added dose of durability for more highly trafficked spaces.
Hand-Knotted, Handwoven, Hand-Tufted, Vintage
JUTE & COIR
Both jute and coir are natural fiber rugs that are exceptionally durable. Jute is a sustainable, shiny vegetable fiber that is long wearing, making it durable even under heavy traffic. Jute is handwoven, so slight variations are expected between each piece. Coir is made from the fiber of coconut husk and is likewise very sturdy and usable in covered outdoor spaces.
Jute is ideal in living spaces and dining rooms while coir doormats are best used at the front door. Use jute natural fiber rugs alone to showcase their organic character or layered to create dimension, and style coir doormats atop indoor/outdoor rugs for a layered front-door look.
Handwoven
PET
100% recycled soft-yarn PET is known for its high resiliency and versatility, which is why it’s used to craft our indoor/outdoor rugs. Made from recycled plastic bottles, indoor/outdoor rugs are crafted to resist fading, mold, and mildew. Typically handwoven, this material is hard-wearing but soft underfoot, offering comfort to high-traffic or outdoor spaces while retaining its strength and durability.
PET is ideal for all outdoor spaces, covered or uncovered, as well as high-traffic spaces in the home like mudrooms and entryways.
Handwoven
POLYESTER & SYNTHETIC BLENDS
Synthetic blends of polyester and nylon combine performance elements with the look and feel of wool, making them cost-effective and highly durable. Relatively stain resistant and often with intricate, precise designs, they are beautiful and soft underfoot. Approachable in both design and price point, these blends last for upwards of one decade.
Polyester and synthetic blends are ideal for living spaces and kids’ rooms, thanks to their stain resistance and variety in pattern and colorway.
Loomed, Hand-Tufted
By Construction
The craftsmanship of rugs informs their pile height, softness, style, and longevity. Browse the drop-down menus for a breakdown of our most common constructions.
HAND-KNOTTED
Hand-knotted rugs are crafted on a large loom by a master weaver who carefully and intricately ties each knot by hand. Their detailed work makes for an incredibly durable, heirloom-quality rug with a high density of knots per square inch for a defined and intricate pattern. Hand-knotted rugs do not have a backing and no two are exactly alike.
Heirloom
none, low, medium, high
HAND-TUFTED
Made on a frame with hand-operated tools, hand-tufted rugs are constructed by meticulously looping (or tufting) yarn through canvas. These delicately crafted rugs often have a plush, high-pile construction, and each rug is finished with a solid backing. Crafted by hand, no two hand-tufted rugs are alike.
Decades to lifetime
none, low, medium, high
HANDWOVEN
Handwoven rugs are braided or woven directly on a loom by skilled artisans. With a flat or low profile, this handmade construction is also referred to as flatweave. Because of the weaving technique, these rugs don’t have a backing, which makes them reversible and allows you to extend their life by rotating and flipping them. Crafted by hand, no two handwoven rugs are alike.
Lifetime
none, low, medium, high
LOOMED
A hand-loomed rug is braided or woven directly on a loom, which produces a low-profile rug that is durable and long wearing. Some hand-loomed rugs may have a solid backing, but many are reversible, and no two are exactly alike due to their handcraftsmanship. Occasionally, rugs are power loomed by machine to create a more cost-effective piece.
Decades to lifetime
none, low, medium, high
VINTAGE
Vintage rugs are most commonly hand-knotted from 100% wool, showcasing the heirloom quality of this material and construction. Each authentic vintage rug in our collection is hand-selected for the beauty of its time-tested wear, adding an unmistakable sense of character and storytelling to the home.
Heirloom
none, low, medium, high
By Room
Layer warmth into your home with the addition of a rug. Browse by room for our tips on which construction types and materials work best for every space.
LIVING ROOM
Remember that rugs should help ground your furniture. We like to place at least the front two legs of larger furniture pieces on the rug, rather than seeing the furniture floating around the rug or completely on top of it.
Recommended Rugs:
Hand-Tufted or Hand-Knotted Wool, Vintage
BEDROOM
In the bedroom, you should be able to step onto the rug as soon as you get out of bed. Style the rug horizontally instead of vertically, with the top edge coming up 6-12 inches from the front of your nightstand.
Recommended Rugs: Hand-Tufted or Hand-Knotted Wool, or Synthetic Blends
KITCHEN
When adding a rug to the kitchen, treat it much like you would in other high-traffic areas (think entryways, mudrooms, and hallways). Incorporate a rug or runner that feels warm and inviting, but also stands up to heavier use and possible spills.
Recommended Rugs: Indoor/Outdoor, Vintage, Hand-Knotted or Handwoven Wool
DINING ROOM
Rugs in the dining space are all about framing the dining table and chairs. Look for rugs large enough to contain your furniture pieces and that can take a little wear, while also adding life to the scene through texture or pattern.
Recommended Rugs: Hand-Knotted Wool, Handwoven Jute, or Synthetic Blends
OUTDOORS
Indoor/Outdoor rugs make exterior spaces feel complete. Layer texture and pattern by incorporating a rug into outdoor vignettes, considering the same styling principles outlined for indoor dining rooms and living rooms.
Recommended Rugs: Indoor/Outdoor, Coir Doormats (in covered areas)
Recommended Rugs
Comprehensive Guide to Rug Care
Keep your space looking spotless with our guide for how to properly maintain and clean your rugs.
WOOL & WOOL BLENDS
Regular Care: Vacuum regularly, turning off any beater bar setting on the vacuum, and rotate the rug every so often to slow fading caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Clip loose ends with scissors to remove.
Addressing Spills & Stains: If spills occur, blog immediately with a clean, dry cloth and use a common wool cleaning detergent to remove any stains. If the spill or stain is substantial, we recommend professional cleaning.
JUTE & COIR
Regular Care: Keep jute away from high-moisture spaces and keep coir away from heavy moisture areas to prevent transfer or bleeding. Coir doormats should be placed under a sheltered area such as a covered porch.
Addressing Spills & Stains: If spills occur on jute, blot immediately with a clean, dry cloth. If the spill or stain is substantial, we suggest professional cleaning. For coir, shake or brush to remove dirt and debris.
PET
Regular Care: Avoid exposure to heavy rain or standing water and bring indoors during long periods of inclement weather (such as winter). Vacuum regularly on a low-power setting to remove dirt and debris. Clip loose ends with scissors to remove.
Addressing Spills & Stains: If spills occur, blot immediately with a clean, dry cloth and only use cleaning agents that are safe for synthetic fibers to remove stains.
Exposure to Water: If the rug gets wet, dry flat in the sunlight, flipping to thoroughly dry both sides before returning to its location.
POLYSTER & SYNTHETIC BLENDS
Regular Care: Vacuum regularly, turning off any beater bar setting on the vacuum, and rotate the rug every so often to slow fading caused by exposure to direct sunlight.
Addressing Spills & Stains: If spills occur, blot immediately with a clean, dry cloth and only use cleaning agents that are safe for synthetic fibers to remove stains. If the spill or stain is substantial, we recommend professional cleaning.
RUG PADS
Rug pads prolong your rug’s lifespan and keep it styled in place. Made from a blend of recycled fibers and foam with a latex non-slip side, our Premium Indoor Rug Pad provides a ¼-inch cushion for insulation that protects both your floors and rug. Use our rug pad on either hard or carpeted indoor surfaces.
