Choosing the right rug

You’ve decided you want to own a sheepskin rug. But which is the right rug for you? First of all, you need to be sure of quality of the rug you are buying. We’ve been making sheepskin rugs for over two hundred years and all our rugs are finished by hand, worked on by experienced craftsmen using traditional methods, so you can have the confidence that a rug you buy from us is designed for a long, long life.

You can buy a rug made from a single skin, or a rug that is made up of two, three, four, six, eight or even ten skins. A single skin rug measures approximately 63 x 95 cm, while a ten skin rug is a massive 190 x 182 cm. Remember that every sheepskin rug is individual, and these measurements may vary slightly.

When you are choosing the size of your rug, you need to consider how you are going to use it. It’s quite likely that you plan to put it on the floor, but have you considered using a sheepskin rug as a throw? Or as a dramatic wall hanging? Increasingly, interior designers are using sheepskin rugs in unconventional ways to introduce texture into a room. A rug thrown over a sofa or a chair should be big enough to stay in place when you curl up on it. If you are buying a sheepskin rug as a wall hanging, consider whether you want to entirely cover a large area, or whether you want to allow some clear space around it.

If your rug is going to go on the floor, think carefully about where you are going to position it. Do you want it next to your favourite chair, so you can warm your feet in it while you watch television? Or perhaps you want it to sit between two sofas, or in the centre of a group of chairs. Think about how your room works at the moment, and where you will get the maximum benefit from it. Naturally enough, most people choose to put their rug in a place where they can touch it when they’re relaxing, hence the traditional position of the sheepskin rug in front of the hearth, but you can also use sheepskin to create a visual highlight in a large room. You might also like to consider whether one sheepskin rug is enough for you! Two rugs can create symmetry in a room. More can create a sense of unbelievable luxury.

When you are deciding on size, you might also want to consider how you plan to care for your sheepskin rug. All our rugs can be dry cleaned, but our single and double skin rugs can also be washed in the machine. If your rug is going to get a lot of use, you might find the smaller sizes more convenient.

Now we come to the question of colour. Sheepskin rugs are available in a wide colour range. If you want a natural look, go for a muted colour like Vanilla or Butterscotch. For drama, pick Ivory White or Jet Black or one of the mouth watering jewel colours like Cerise Crush, Lilac Time or Passionate Pink. A small rug in a bright colour makes a big statement. A large rug is even more striking, but make sure you don’t overwhelm the other colours in your room. And have you considered custom rug design? You can mix your colours within a single rug. Click ‘Design your rug’ on the left hand menu and see where your imagination takes you. We will make up a rug to your specifications.

You can also choose a mosaic rug, made up of squares of the finest sheepskin. These soft rugs are perfect for children’s rooms, providing a comfy place on the floor to play or sit and read a book. The colours in our mosaic rugs are a subtle blend of creams, greys and browns. If this is the colour scheme of your living room, you might find that a mosaic rug would fit well there, too.

Spend some time choosing the sheepskin rug that is right for you. Choose a size and colour that you’re comfortable with, because it will be part of your life for many years to come.