Carpets, rugs and runners are a key element to achieving that cozy cabin look you’re after. They can be found in many different shapes, styles, quality and colors, but those that suit cabin decor best are high quality, high pile, and in natural fabrics and hues.
When you shop for your area rug, buy the best quality that fits your budget. Even if that budget is small you shouldn’t skimp on your carpeting as it is a fundamental piece of the comfort puzzle in decor. Quality products last longer, wear nicer, and will save you money in the long run.
By taking your time, when working on the cabin decor look of a room, and knowing what to look for, you won’t have any problems picking out an area rug for your cabin. Quality and durability are the keys to great carpeting so arm yourself with ample knowledge before shopping for a rug based on color alone.
Choosing an area rug for your mountain or cabin retreat starts with knowing about quality, density of fibers, and thickness of the pile. (As a general rule, the closer the fibers are to each other, the better the overall quality.) Pushing your fingers into the rub, bending a sample, or viewing enlarged photos allows you to observe the rug for quality. The less mesh you can feel or see, the better the quality.)
A final factor in quality is the twist level or number of twists in a one inch length of fiber. The more twists you see or that are written in the specifications, the better.
<i>Density</i> of pile affects carpet wear over time. The <i>cut</i> of the pile affects the look of the carpet. Plush cut area rugs for example look like a field of velvet with an even tone or color – not particularly suitable for cabin decor.
Alternatives to plush that are more suitable to cabin decor, are the saxony and berber cuts. The Saxony cut has irregular pile. Berber is a very nubby, twisted pile that has been known to wear well.
When you buy carpet, you shouldn’t ignore the carpet pad. Along with going for the best quality of carpet you can afford, you should also buy the best quality of pad as well. The padding will cut down on noise, and also help to act as a cushion so it’s very important – almost as important as the carpet.
Today a large percentage of carpets are made from nylon, polyester, or olefin. Nylon is the strongest material of the three and the most widely used. Even though nylon will never wear down to the treads, it can fade over time. The upside to this is that it cleans nicely and you can pre-treat your carpets, rugs, area rugs, and runners to prevent fading.
Natural fibers used in rugs and carpet are produced either by insects, animals, or plants. These fibers are known as protein fibers and vegetable fibers. Vegetable and protein fibers share the common disadvantage. They are both very absorbent and require an extended drying time when spot or steam cleaned. This can lead to mildew, shrinkage, and eventually dry rot.
Wool is considered to be a protein fiber as it is produced from the fleece of lambs or sheep. The ability of wool to stretch up to 40% of its original length and the fact that it can be bent back and forth more than 180,000 times without breaking makes it very resilient. Wool is considered by many to be the finest of all carpet material.
Silk is another protein fiber as it is produced by the larva of an insect – the silk worm. The silk is spun to produce cocoons. As a fiber, silk is naturally non flammable, strong, and not affected by static charge – even at low humidity.
Cellulose is produced by plants and is therefore a vegetable fiber. These are not normally used as face yarns, but they will show up as backing materials of tufted, as as well as woven carpets and rugs.
Cotton is another vegetable fiber made from seeds produced from the cotton plant. Cotton is resistant to alkaline solutions and becomes stronger when wet. Easy to wash, but the most absorbent of all fibers. Therefore cotton rugs and carpets require extended drying times after being water or steam cleaned.
Jute rugs are interesting in cabin styling. The fiber of jute is produced by the jute plant which grows in South America, Pakistan, and India. The stalk of the jute plant is where the longer coarse fibers are obtained, between the outer bark and the inner pulp of the plant.
Jute is usually seen across the width of a rug or in woven carpets as a backing material for tufted carpets. Jute, like any other vegetable or protein fiber is susceptable to dry rot, shrinkage, and mildew. For these reasons they are best used in accent rugs of cabin decor – by the door and easily washed, dried, and replaced.
Rayon and Sisal are the final two vegetable based fibers found in home decor rugs and carpets. Sisal is strong but has the same drawbacks as the others. Rayon is a
synthetic fiber that is produced from natural fibers via several chemical treatments.
As you’ve read, no rug or carpet fiber is trouble free. Each have advantages and disadvantages to home decorating and cabin decor.
Tags: cabin decor, cabin rugs, rug