Jute & Natural Rugs

What a jute rug brings to a room

Jute is a natural plant fibre, and most rugs on this page are made with it. In its natural state the fibre has a dry, grainy texture and a warm, earthy tone, so a jute rug sits easily on oak floors, painted boards, stone-effect tiles or a pale fitted carpet. It adds interest underfoot without competing with your furniture, which makes it a calm base to build a room around.

Its unfussy character suits a cottage sitting room as well as a pared-back city flat, and it lends itself to layering: a smaller patterned rug laid on top adds colour while the jute keeps the room grounded. Layering also lets you change the mood without replacing the jute underneath.

How a jute rug feels underfoot

Jute is firm rather than plush. It feels textured and a little coarse, with the slight irregularity you would expect from a plant fibre, and that grain is much of its appeal. It gives a relaxed, lived-in look, but it is not the rug to choose if you want deep cushioning for sitting or playing on the floor.

We stock flatweave designs, which have no raised pile and lie close to the floor. A flat weave is practical by a door or under dining chairs that are pulled in and out daily, though it is worth checking the rug's depth against the gap beneath any door that has to clear it.

Jute rugs blended with cotton or wool

Many of our jute rugs are blended with cotton. Cotton is a smooth, even fibre, so adding it changes the look and feel of the weave. Some include wool. Wool has natural give and holds warmth, which is welcome in a bedroom or anywhere you tend to walk barefoot.

A few bring in recycled leather, which adds a smooth contrast to the texture around it. Whatever the mix, the balance of fibres decides how a rug feels and wears, so read the product details before you order and choose the blend that suits your room and the way you use it.

Colour and pattern on natural rugs

We stock jute rugs in natural shades, and these are the easiest to live with. They sit happily beside oak, walnut, painted furniture, linen and cane, and they let a patterned sofa or bold walls take the lead. If you like to change your scheme from time to time, a natural shade will move with you.

We stock geometric designs too, for a floor with a little more going on. Some are striped, a simple way to bring rhythm to a plain room. Some come in blue, a calm partner for white walls and pale floors. A few are multicoloured, picking up colours already in your cushions, curtains or artwork.

Where to put a jute rug

In a living room, a jute rug brings texture to the middle of the seating. Choose a size large enough for at least the front legs of the sofa and armchairs to rest on it, so the furniture feels anchored rather than floating. In a bedroom, let it reach out beyond either side of the bed, giving you something pleasant to step onto in the morning.

Under a dining table, the rug should run far enough past the edge that chairs stay on it when pulled out, and spills should be blotted as soon as they land. In a hallway or on a landing, a runner is the shape to look for. Jute is happiest somewhere dry, so keep it out of bathrooms and any room that tends to be damp.

Choosing the size and shape of a jute rug

We stock rectangular rugs and runners. Rectangles suit sofas, beds and dining tables, while a runner follows a narrow space, such as the strip of floor beside a bed. Some are round. A round rug works under a round table, in a reading corner or anywhere you want to break up straight lines.

Before you order, measure the space and mark the outline on the floor with masking tape. Leave it for a day or so and check how much bare floor shows around the edges, as a border of floor gives a rug room to breathe. Then compare your measurements with the size given on the product page.

Cleaning and caring for a jute rug

Jute asks for nothing more than routine care and a dry home. Shake a smaller rug out now and then, and vacuum regularly on suction only, with the beater bar or brush roll switched off, so the fibres are not tugged loose. If something spills, blot it straight away with a clean, dry cloth, working from the edge of the spill inwards, and never rub.

Avoid soaking, shampooing or steam cleaning, since jute is a plant fibre that should stay dry. On wooden or tiled floors, a non-slip underlay keeps the rug flat and in place, and turning it round occasionally spreads wear evenly, especially in a busy room or under a dining table.