What to Know Before Buying Jute Rugs
A totally honest review with the pros and cons for what to know before buying jute rugs along with where to buy them on a budget.
Affiliate links are provided in this post for convenience. For more information, see my full disclosure here.
Just so you know, Robert makes fun of my rug addiction.
He says one day, when we move out of this house, we’ll have to reserve a moving truck entirely for my huge collection of rugs because we have that many. Like, almost every room in the house that many. (So I guess he’s kind of right but don’t tell him that.)
But the reason I love them is because they’re that sixth wall. Walls are fun to decorate, ceiling features can add tons of wow factor to a room. But a rug… a rug says cozy up and stay a while.
My favorite of all of the bajillions of rugs out there though… jute. I get questions about ours pretty much every day, so I thought it would be a good idea to devote a post to them for any of y’all wondering.
The first one we ever got was this NuLOOM chunky loop jute rug that I picked up on clearance, and ever since it arrived, I’ve been hooked.
It’s definitely not as soft as a shag carpet of course, but in my opinion, they are very comfortable. They almost feel like a foot massage with those nubby knots when I step on them. (And who doesn’t love that, right?)
They don’t feel like walking on prickly grass or anything like that if that’s a concern. But they’re not something I’d want to lay down on and take a nap either.
This olive green herringbone jute rug I picked up for the office earlier this year came from World Market during their big 50% off rug sale. And I love that it works perfectly for the military look we have going on in here.
With Olivia and Lola, the-dog-who-thinks-she’s-human running around, keeping them clean is a big priority. I usually can just hit them with the vacuum and everything comes right up. For spills (or icky toddler tummy bugs) I just follow these steps in this tutorial, and it’s good as new.
I will say though, they sometimes shed. For me, it was mainly when we first bought them and now it’s not so bad anymore. But the fibers do vacuum up easily. Since we have carpet, what fibers are there aren’t really noticeable to begin with.
If you have dark tile or hardwood, you might be sweeping a bit more than you would other types of rugs.
They’re perfect for just about anywhere in your house with kids and pets running around though because they don’t show dirt at all.
This striped jute runner I picked up on sale at Target a few months ago is great for having in our kitchen because even though I might end up dropping crumbs on it while I’m cooking, I can hardly ever tell.
I just run the vacuum attachment over it (the wand piece with the brush on the end), and it’s good as new. Plus, it still gives me a little bit of cushion while I’m standing at the stove on our rock hard floor.
Jute rugs sometimes have a weird smell at first too. Not a totally awful smell, just an earthy scent for the first day or two after you open them from packaging almost like rope or burlap has. So if you have severe allergies with dust and grass, these may not be the best option. But the burlapy smell goes away quickly.
If you’re a fan of eco-friendly decor though, jute rugs are definitely it, so you don’t have to really worry about chemicals lurking in them like the synthetic kinds.
The biggest reason I love them so much though is they are so easy to decorate around and change the rest of the room as much as you want. I know neutral is “in” right now, but neutral is also timeless and practical and makes redecorating so inexpensive. If you decide to incorporate a new color in your decorating scheme, these rugs can adapt to anything.
And if you have a room feeling stark and bland, jute adds warmth and texture and instant coziness. If you have an addiction to woven baskets all over your house, jute rugs are like having that basket look on your floor.
Once I added this jute and denim loomed rug to our dining room the other week, our space that felt a little unfinished before instantly felt cozy and inviting.
Oh, Lola approves too, just in case you’re worried how she has adapted to them. 😉 She hides in our dining room when she’s tired of Olivia chasing her around.
Whew! Okay. So that’s the skinny on the jute rug situation. Whoever knew such a crazy long post could come from just talking about a bunch of braided grass? But lo and behold, there it is.
They’re definitely not for everyone, but we’re officially big fans around here.
Are you a jute rug lover at your house too? And maybe need a giant moving truck to handle your collection? Feel free to share your own experience with them in the comments.
So I am completely obsessed with your blog. We recently purchased a much larger house and I am so overwhelmed redecorating it. I am all about deals, diy and the farmhouse look so obviously I was hooked on your site. After reading and taking diligent notes on like every room I realized you are in Charlotte! We are in Asheville and my sister is in Charlotte so it is a small world 🙂 My question: where do you start when coming up with a design for a completely blank room? It is making that first big move that I am struggling with pulling the trigger.
Thank you, Rachael! That truly means a lot to me. 🙂 And yes! We love the Charlotte area. And my husband and I actually went to Asheville for our honeymoon at Biltmore years ago. We’ve always loved that town. As for where I start on a design, that’s a good question. I should probably write a post about it. 😉 But generally, I decide what our needs are for the space: how much storage we need, how much seating we need, and decide how to arrange the room to be functional. Then focus on the pretty stuff after the function is figured out: paint colors, curtains/pillows/rugs, etc. I think the biggest step is figuring out your style first and the rest gets easier. I wrote a post about finding your style if that helps: http://www.blesserhouse.com/2015/07/how-to-discover-your-decor-style.html
I have a big jute rug from Pottery Barn under my dining table and it drops dirt out of it still (after several years). I have to move it, vacuum/sweep and mop, replace…the rug pad is now grey instead of cream…I think I need to try washing the pad (not sure I’m supposed to)..all this despite my weekly vacuuming of the rug…I don’t know why it’s still dropping so much dirt out of it…..anyone else have that issue? It’s on wood floors in the dining room. I probably won’t buy another one even though I love it.
I have this issue, too. Not sure why they are full of dirt. Mine also still sheds. Like crazy. I have the fibers all over my house and on my wood floors. I LOVE the look of jute, but the fibers drive me mad.
I agree with you. I loved the look so I purchased 2 from World Market for my family room and under kitchen table. They are constantly shedding so I am constantly sweeping! You can even see the dust particles flying in the air when the sun shines in. Finally just bought a different rug for family room but have not changed it out yet because I just love the look of the jute rug!
I have a large jute rug under my kitchen table that I purchased from Pottery Barn. I have had it about 18 months. I love it but it seems to be unraveling in certain places. Not along the edges. Are there any suggestions on fixing these pulls?
Hi!! Great question. I found this great tutorial. http://www.humminghomebody.com/how-to-repair-a-looped-rug/ I am assuming you could use the direction on your rug as well. Let me know how it turns out. I am sure others would LOVE your feedback. 🙂
Oh no! That’s surprising from Pottery Barn! I haven’t had that big of an issue but maybe someone else will chime in if they found something that worked for them?
I recently bought two from Wayfair….love the look but I’m concerned with the discolor in of my dark laminate wood. Anyone have any suggestions?
I finally broke down and got one for under the dining table. I resisted because, little kids. But I’m so glad I got it because it was what the room was lacking and what instantly made it look finished (even though it still isn’t). The crumb issue hasn’t been that bad and the ones there don’t even really show. IKEA baby! The quality was good and I couldn’t beat the price.
Yeah! They’re so awesome! I’m definitely going to have to check out the IKEA ones next time I go. Clearly, I’ve been missing out.
Love your house and always look forward to your next post! The jute rugs in the house are very pretty. I may have to check some out for my own house! By the way, your dog is super adorable! What kind of dog is it?
Thanks, Tara! We’re not totally sure what breeds she has in her, but we think part Yorkie, part Schnauzer. She’s all snuggles though. 🙂
I’m absolutely a huge jute rug lover! Dining room, living room, and sisal in the entry hall and runners in the hallway. When I stayed with my friend in Switzerland for July I even converted her over and we went to Ikea (may or may not have been four different times) and she ended up with new jute rugs for her living and dining room too;)
Yes! I love yours in your house, Krista! You can rock those rugs. 🙂 Good for you converting friends to the jute side. Haha!