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Wool interiors

The rugs for your home

Photography: Courtesy of Missoni
Illustration: Barry Allen Patenaude


Flokati

An ancient Greek handicraft, Flokati is a long-stranded style of wool rug that’s an important part of many Greek households. These glossy, high piled rugs are traditionally used on both the floor and on beds because of their excellent thermal properties. The long strands of wool that make the rug feel soft and spongy under foot while keeping a room warm and quiet.

Braided

Braided rugs provide a durable style of rug for use in a variety of areas. Braided rugs can be made from a range of materials including wool or cotton as well as synthetic fabrics or more course materials such as jute or sisal. When choosing a braided rug consider where it will be used when selecting the material it will be made from. Natural fibres like Merino wool will provide excellent heat and sound insulation and feel softer under bare feet while a jute or sisal will be more suited to an area where you are wearing shoes.

 

Sheepskin

Floor rugs can be made from whole sheepskins with a long pile that feels cosy and looks luxurious. The benefits of a genuine sheepskin over a synthetic version is that the elastic fibres of Merino wool will bounce back into shape and continue to look great for many years. The inherent protective outer layer on the wool fibres is also stain and fire resistant and won’t cause static, therefore attracting less dust than synthetic rugs. Sheepskins look great and add warmth to bedrooms or living rooms.

Woven rugs

Similar to braided rugs, woven rugs can be made from a variety of materials to achieve a wide range of looks. Woven patterns created using fabrics such as wool, silk, cotton, hemp, jute or sea-grass can be flat woven for a lower pile that’s easier to maintain. When selecting a rug for an indoor space, where you might walk without shoes or lie down on the floor, choose a woven rug made from a soft fibre such as wool.

Kids rugs

For children’s rooms it’s important to choose a rug that suits your child’s personality as well as being durable, hygienic, easy to care for and comfortable enough to be walked or crawled over without shoes. Choosing a material that’s non-allergenic, like Merino wool, is also a safe option in a child’s room so you can allow a child to lay or play on the floor.

Alexandra Brown grew up on a Merino sheep stud on Kangaroo Island, in South Australia. Having worked for Australian House & Garden, Living Etc and Vogue Australia, she is currently immersed in digital content creation as Vogue Living’s online editor.