If you’re thinking of having a bespoke rug made, one of the first things to decide is what materials will be used for it. Choosing rug materials isn’t all that simple, though.
There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when choosing materials for a custom rug. Get one wrong and you could ruin the rug’s texture, function, durability, and so on.
To help prospective rug buyers out, we’ve put together a guide showing how to choose rug materials for a bespoke order. Check them out below!
Consider Where You Will Put the Rug
The chief consideration in rug material selection has to be function. Unless you intend to hang the rug on your wall and never set foot on it, it’s vital to select materials that will hold up to the use you intend. Generally, that’s dependent on where you plan to put the rug. Say you want to put the rug on the floor of your home’s entryway, for example. In that case, the rug is going to be subject to a lot of foot traffic. As such, you clearly need to choose materials that have high durability. Good examples would be sisal, jute, and wool. But bear in mind that traffic isn’t the only consideration — there are other factors to think of too! For instance, the entry to a bathroom is usually a high-traffic area. Yet it wouldn’t be wise to use wool for a rug you’re placing at that spot, even if wool is a tough material. You see, even if wool is highly durable, it absorbs moisture and isn’t recommended for damp areas. So be sure to consider where you’ll be placing your rug and what it’s primary use will be for when you’re picking out the threads you’d like it to be made of.
Set a Budget
Different rug materials have different costs. Sometimes, the variations in price are huge, as would often be the case between synthetics and silk. This doesn’t mean you can’t get a good-quality rug for a reasonable cost, of course. It just means you have more limited options. For example, the general rule is that natural-fibre rugs cost more than synthetic ones. But that’s not a hard and fast rule, so you can get very nice natural-fibre rugs even on a relatively tight budget. That’s because there are also affordable natural rug materials like cotton. In addition to that, you may want to consider whether or not you intend to treat the rug as something of an investment. Some people can get rather good prices off rug resale, after all. If you’re interested in that, you may want to plan for a rug that is likely to retain its value in the future, and that is durable enough not to suffer too much from normal degradation.
Think about the Look, Texture, and Design
While some rug materials can look fairly similar to each other, others have dramatically different aesthetics. Some materials are naturally shaggier, shinier, smoother, and so on. Texture is a big part of this, of course, and also has a role in the comfort of a rug. You should think about it at this point and try to imagine it in the room where you will place the rug. You should think too about whether or not the design you want your rug to have will look good in the material you’re choosing. Will the material’s texture bring out the design or muddle it? Will it interfere with what you intended to be clean geometric lines or enhance them?
Give a Thought to Hygiene and Upkeep
This is something people often forget when getting bespoke rugs, but it’s actually very important. Every rug needs to be cleaned at some point or other. That’s why it’s important to select rug materials you can clean or have cleaned easily. If you don’t have professional cleaners to hire in your area, for instance, you shouldn’t be too quick to select materials like viscose and silk. Those materials are typically cleaned only by professionals, as there’s a high chance of ruining the rug otherwise. On the other hand, rugs made of materials like cotton, seagrass, and nylon can be washed with relative ease. That’s why they may be better options if you don’t have pro cleaners in your area. A final word on this is that you may want to select rug materials that match specific health or hygiene needs in your home, by the way. For instance, if there are people at home who have a lot of allergies, consider options like jute and seagrass, which are allergen-friendly.
Getting Help Selecting Materials
If you still have difficulty picking materials for your bespoke rug after the tips above, don’t worry. It’s always possible to ask your rug maker to help you find the perfect material for your needs. You simply need to explain the latter to him. For instance, our clients often consult with us on materials first. They tell us what they plan to do with the rug, how it should look, and so on. Then, based on all of that information, we supply recommendations for them. If you need similar assistance choosing materials for your custom rug, reach out to us now! You can contact us at our website.
