Naturally Green

“Sink your toes into something green!”– Judy, The Green Girl

Hand braided, vintage-inspired cotton rag rug.

Updated, heirloom-inspired, hand-hooked cotton rug.

It's easy to be green when choosing a fabulous and eco-friendly rug for your home because rugs with natural fibers are by their very nature ecological. Rugs are the anchors that pull an entire space together and often are the very first pieces selected in the design process. Wall colors are chosen from striking threads that wind their way throughout a gorgeous rug, while fabrics and furnishings are selected to complement and enhance the entire look. Needless to say, finding a great rug can be the start of something wonderful.

Wool area rugs are one of the top choices when looking for a healthy option. Produced without the use of harsh chemicals, wool rugs are odor-free, fire-resistant, durable, strong and easily cleaned. “Beautiful rugs become heirlooms,” says Marilyn Tenenbaum, of the family-owned Volume Carpet in Brentwood. “They get passed down from generation to generation. That in itself is the epitome of being recyclable.” Marilyn is quick to point out that wool rugs can also save you money on your energy bill. “Their innate ecological properties help to keep a room warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer,” she says.

Soumak rugs, the “original Persian rugs,” have been around for centuries and are still very popular. These long-lasting, reversible flat-woven rugs exhibit detailed geometric patterns, often with tribal motifs. Available in soft wool and smooth, shiny silk, soumak rugs can be used beautifully in traditional, contemporary and modern décors.

Exquisite in design and always admired, needlepoint rugs create a stunning statement in any home. With the same renewable properties as wool, though not reversible, handcrafted needlepoint rugs are indeed “art for the floor.”

Hooked organic cotton rugs are a great option for today's décor. Soft underfoot and available in a wide variety of luxurious styles, sculpted patterns and vibrant colors, cotton rugs are constructed by hand to last for decades, are super easy to clean and are gentle on the environment. Some of the simplest cotton rugs include the rag and braided versions of yesteryear.

Jute, bamboo, hemp, sisal, sea grass and cork are other organic materials used to create beautiful rugs that hug your floors and the planet, too. Synthetic fibers, such as nylon, though traditionally not eco-friendly at all, are beginning to feel the eco-conscious trend, too. “There are processing plants that actually collect old synthetic rugs and make them new again by reusing the fibers instead of disposing of the rugs altogether,” explains Marilyn. “Recycling, reusing and repurposing are all important aspects of being ecologically conscientious today.”

Matthew Bay, president and owner of Ageless Rug Treasures in Webster Groves, agrees that “green” is the way to go. “Nothing could be more green than a hand-woven rug,” he says. Composed of wool, silk or a combination of the two, both are natural fibers and thus biodegradable. In some rugs, even the dyestuffs used are natural (madder root producing red, indigo producing blue, saffron producing yellow, etc.)

“Rugs are one of the oldest forms of art,” says Marilyn. “Rugs made from natural materials didn't have to change over the years. They've never been offensive to the environment.”