Wool area rugs have incredible design power when defining a room’s style and environment. Made with natural, sustainable materials either by hand or machine, their soft corners and inviting texture can make your room feel complete. And there’s no reason to feel sheepish about designing with wool rugs. For as long as humans have raised sheep, wool rugs have been a reliable method of making a house feel like a home. Whether you love the rustic charm of a natural-looking wool rug, are looking for that perfect touch of style to complete your design, or simply want to roll out a soft rug for both kids and pets to play on, wool rugs have you covered.
What’s inside…
Warm up cold floors with a luxurious wool rug from Rugs USA. In this modern day and age, wool rugs have become a versatile go-to with the ability to withstand heavy traffic, messy pets, wild children, and more sophisticated messes, like parties or dinner guests. They can be easy to clean, easy to put away, and easy to roll out again, and thanks to modern solutions, quite affordable as a style option or a way to refresh a stale room decor. Wool area rugs can be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, depending on your needs.
A Brief History and Background of Wool Rugs
Early nomadic tribes in ancient civilization were considered the first to have rugs. Any tribe that raised sheep learned to use wool to insulate their homes. Members of the Persian and Indian empires learned how to weave these rugs using carpet knots, which served as the foundation for what we know to be Persian rugs and Indian rugs. These ancient rugs are considered works of art. Archeologists have found evidence of weaving and rugs in ancient Mesopotamia, Turkey, and Egypt as far back as 7000 BC. In ancient China, both nomadic herders and Chinese urban areas developed their own woven rugs made from wool. Indigenous tribes in the Americas also developed relying on wool. These tribes learned to use natural colors derived from plants and insects to decorate their homes.
In Europe, in the later centuries, merchants brought these intricate wool rugs from other parts of the world, which inspired these countries to make their own forms of wool rugs. Guilds rose up in parts of France and England to weave wool into carpets.
Each nation has its own traditional wool rug, from the Greek flokati that can be traced back to the time of Alexander the Great to the Scandinavian rya that can be traced back to the Vikings. Over time, with the rise of machine-powered looms and the globalization of patterns, modern wool rugs have reflected indigenous patterns, oriental patterns, Scandinavian patterns, and Asian patterns. They have formed key parts of many modern forms of design, including mid-century modern decor, contemporary decor, and traditional decor. These days, with the rise of eco-friendly and sustainable materials, wool rugs are organic, can be harvested from living animals without harming them, and last a long time, meaning you won’t have to replace them as often.
Counting Sheep: So Many Types of Wool Area Rugs Available
Thanks to the global influence on wool rugs, hundreds of patterns and styles are available to decorate your home. These wool area rug styles are known for their classic appeal, sturdy structure, and use of color.
Braided wool rugs: These rugs, a classic piece of Americana, bring their thick texture and high piles to living rooms and bedrooms. Sophisticated neutral colors or vibrant color patterns paired with a soft texture like the one found on this Veronica Wool Braided Area Rug in off-white can contrast with other textures in your room.
Moroccan shag rugs: These luxurious weaves make your floor look as soft and inviting as a bedroom in itself. Guests can recline on the rug in front of the fireplace or by the couch. With their simple, geometric designs, like the ones found on this Wool Moroccan Shag Area Rug in solid ivory, your floor can have a little personality of its own next to any other statement piece in your room.
Floral wool rugs: Beautiful, bright patterns dress up a wool rug and help it shine in any part of your space, whether by the front door or the rocking chair in your sitting area. Find a pattern like this Multi Wool Floral Area Rug that complements your hardwood floors for the ultimate pairing.
Contemporary rugs: Modern styles can develop some wild and wonderful styles to make your room stand out from the rest of the home. Catch everyone’s eye with a striking, unique design like this contemporary, Handmade Wool Pebbles Cobblestone area rug.
Wool oriental rugs: Traditional geometric and floral designs crafted with intricate borders and bright colors belong in any space, whether contemporary, eclectic, or transitional design. Pair a rug like this Wool Bordered Area Rug in navy with contemporary or farmhouse furniture for a unique look in your kitchen or living room.
Wool Area Rugs for Nearly All Spaces
Wool area rugs provide the finishing touches in any large space, especially in living rooms and large hallways. Lay out a large braided rug in your game room by a pool table, or underneath a hand-carved coffee table with a chessboard on top in your living room. For a dash of comfortable, versatile elegance, place a wool runner rug underneath your dining room hutch to contrast the wood finishing of your hutch and the dessert china you have on display on the hutch’s shelves. Washable wool rugs offer versatility and functionality in rooms like entryways, hallways, and mudrooms.
Where can you put a wool rug?
Living room rugs: Living rooms deserve a wool area rug to eliminate echoes if your ceiling is high, or to warm up the space in front of your couch. A nice wool rug can even double as extra seating for when you have friends or family over. (Find more living room carpet transformations.)
Office rugs: Your work-from-home space needs to be comfortable so that you can focus on what’s important. Make Zoom meetings and webinars fun and fuzzy with a soft wool area rug under your desk. (Get the scoop on how to pick the best home office rug.)
Kitchen rugs: Washable wool rugs belong in your kitchen, where stains and crumbs won’t bother them or ruin their style. Invest in two or three, so your floor is never bare when you have to wash one in the machine. (Explore runner rugs every kitchen needs.)
Wool runner rugs make for excellent bedside rugs in your bedroom or your child’s bedroom. Soft waves of wool lull you to sleep as you go to bed at night, and they help wake you up in the morning with a comfortable landing. Your pets can sleep on the wool rugs instead of crowding your bed with you. If you want to opt for a larger wool rug to lay under the bed completely, remember the sizing:
- For a king bed, choose a 9×12 rug.
- For a queen bed, choose an 8×10 rug.
- For a full bed, choose a 6×9 rug.
How to Clean and Care for Wool Rugs
Cleaning a wool rug no longer has to mean extra effort. Whether washable or traditional, wool rugs don’t have to suffer from impossible stains or short lifespans in your home.
Regular maintenance can keep any wool rug—whether a washable version or not—fresh and prolong its life. Vacuum your rug once a week to keep it fresh, and when you need to spot treat any wool rug, grab a bottle of wool-specific detergent and some warm water and remove just the stain.
With washable wool rugs, modern conveniences created a wool rug that can withstand all the spills, dirt, and messes from kids and pets. Simply roll these rugs up, throw them in the washing machine, and roll them out all over again when they dry. You won’t have to waste time, energy, or money on these washable wool rugs from Rugs USA.
Wool rugs tend to shed at times, so when you first get your wool rug, don’t worry if a few strands come undone here and there. Just vacuum these rugs with a brush every week. If your wool rug is not washable, simply spot-treat stains with gentle laundry detergent and warm water. Should your shag wool rug get dirty over time, take it outside and beat it with a long stick, preferably a broom handle or a rake.
Check Out Our Rugs USA Wool Rug Collection!
Whether you want a braided wool rug, a wool area rug, or a wool runner rug, Rugs USA has hundreds of styles and choices available for the designer on a budget.
