Time to get a ‘smug rug’?
Forget carpet, Britain’s homes need a fresh approach to flooring. Jessica Doyle explains the new spring trend
Arug is not just for winter. With many modern interiors now boasting wooden, stone or tiled flooring, they have become a year-round necessity. Gone are the days when Britain was carpeted wall-to-wall; you only have to look at the struggle faced by Carpetright – which this week said it was axing about 300 jobs and closing another 81 shops – to see in which direction our heads have been turned.
A new rug does many jobs; from adding warmth to anchoring a room, not to mention offering colour and texture. And whether your taste is for a rich pattern or a pared-back Scandi aesthetic, there are numerous spring updates to bring your home’s rug offering up-to-date.
If you have been struggling to find the rug you desire, consider using a sourcing service – it might not be as expensive as it sounds. Lisa Mehydene, a self-confessed rug obsessive, and founder of online homeware store Edit 58 (edit58.com), sources rugs using her network of suppliers in Morocco, Turkey, Bulgaria and Sweden, which she flags up on her Instagram feed (@edit.58). Such is her following, that rugs have been known to sell seconds after she has posted pictures of them. Mehydene also offers a free sourcing service – you simply pay the cost of the rug once she’s found one you like. Prices are usually between £600-800, but can come in at £400.
A number of slots are available each month, and Mehydene begins by asking the customer some key questions: their budget, the size of rug they want, the room it is destined for, and some images from Instagram or Pinterest to give an idea of taste. For those who are really stumped, she can also offer advice on the size, style and colour of rug that might suit their space. She will then liaise with her suppliers until she has found a good match: often she’ll get it right first time, but if not, she repeats the process until the customer is happy. The rug is sent to her for quality control before being delivered to its new home, and the process generally takes about a month.
Her hot tips for spring are Azilal rugs from Morocco – similar to the everpopular Beni Ourain (white with a black diamond criss-cross pattern), but often with bright pops of colour that fit the current more-is-more aesthetic – and Oushak carpets from Turkey, which resemble traditional Persian designs but come in a softer, more contemporary palette that sits well in modern homes.
As the summer months approach, Mehydene also recommends inexpensive flatweave Swedish runners and Moroccan Boucherouite flatweaves and kilims, made from mixed textiles: “Lighter flatweaves are great for the summer, when the children are running in and out of the house, as they’re easy to clean and generally less valuable than a wool rug,” she says. “The fact that they don’t have a thick pile helps to lighten a room and they come in wonderful colours; the overall look is stunning. I always recommend them to go under dining tables, as they’re easy to shake out, and in summer you can almost hose them down and leave them to dry. The colours and patterns also make them very forgiving.”
She has also noticed that an increasing number of customers are buying rugs for the kitchen or bathroom – again, colourful and washable fabric rugs are the best choices here – and more of us are changing our rugs with the seasons. As long as you have the storage space, a thick wool rug that adds comfort and warmth during the winter can be rolled up and stored over the spring and summer, and replaced by thinner flatweaves in fresher colours that can be layered up for added interest. After all, you wouldn’t want your cosiest cashmere in warmer months – and the same goes for home textiles.
From floor to wall
One growing trend, says Mehydene, is for statement rugs that hang on the wall – Moroccan Boucherouites, with their mix of vintage textiles and prints, make good hangings. Elsewhere, brands such as Deirdre Dyson (deirdredyson.com) are tapping into this with rugs that resemble abstract art, while Christopher Farr (christopherfarr. com) and the Rug Company (therugcompany.com) collaborate with artists and fashion designers on cool and complex designs.
Build your own
If you know what you want but are having trouble finding it, try an online rug-building service. Crucial Trading (crucial-trading.com), which specialises in seagrass, sisal, jute and wool rugs, offers a “rug builder” service that allows you to specify the size, material and weave of your rug, and add a border in a choice of materials and colours. Similarly, Alternative Flooring’s “make me a rug” tool (alternativeflooring.com) offers its range of patterns, including designs by Ben Pentreath and Margo Selby, in bespoke sizes and a choice of colours and border styles.
Inside out
For the ultimate in seasonal flooring, several companies are producing indoor/outdoor rugs that can be left in the garden – a quick and easy way to spruce up a tired deck or lawn. The best, such as those by Gandia Blasco, available through Heal’s (heals.com), are made from artificial fibres processed to resemble soft wool, yet are weather-resistant and quick-drying. Weaver Green (weavergreen.com) repurposes old plastic bottles to make surprisingly soft and decorative outdoor rugs that are strong and washable, while on the budget end of the scale, Ikea’s new Sommar collection (ikea.com) comes in geometric patterns and bold colours, and starts from £10.