The New Indoor-Outdoor Rugs

Do you have a highly trafficked mudroom or entryway that needs a rug but you’re worried about getting it dirty? Perhaps you are lucky enough to own a home with a covered porch that needs that extra something on the floor. Or maybe you want to add some punchy color to your kitchen, but never considered a rug for fear of all of the yucky stuff it would surely collect.

For these notoriously dirty spaces, you might consider an indoor/outdoor type of rug. These are generally made of acrylic, polypropylene, even recycled plastic materials that are easy to clean. Many of them are essentially hose-down-able, and a breeze to vacuum (in the case of crumbs, gravel, and whatever else may get tracked in to your home).

If you haven’t shopped for rugs in a while, you may not know that indoor/outdoor rugs have come a long way, and no longer look (or feel) like this:

Artificial Turf

 

They look like this:

Talavera Tile ColorSpree Rug

Talavera Tile ColorSpree Rug – Company C

Farrah Indoor/Outdoor Rug

Farrah Indoor/Outdoor Rug – Ballard Designs

Pali Recycled Yarn Kilim

Pali Recycled Yarn Kilim – Pottery Barn

Trans Ocean Tropez Plaid Seafoam Rug

Trans Ocean Tropez Plaid Seafoam Rug – Wayfair

Munjoy Indoor / Outdoor Rug

Munjoy Indoor / Outdoor Rug – Angela Adams

Indoor/Outdoor Concentric Diamond Rug

Concentric Diamond Rug – Shades of Light

Fair Isle Hooked Indoor-Outdoor Rug

Fair Isle Hooked Indoor-Outdoor Rug – Garnet Hill

Hand-Hooked Bliss Outdoor Rug

Hand-Hooked Bliss Outdoor Rug – Overstock.com

 

I am an especially big fan of the hooked indoor-outdoor rugs, as they are soft and cozy, and could easily be used as a more durable option in a busy family living space. Just one note – if you own a small dog or cat, their little claws can get caught in the loops and create snags and pulls.

 

P.S. If you need a truly hard core rug that will take a severe beating from muddy or snowy boots, dirty dogs and the like, I can tell you from experience that L.L. Bean’s Waterhog Mats will get the job done, and prevent damage to your floors. Are they stylish? Nah – just get a color that blends in best with your floor, and pass on the leaf pattern, too – these are purely functional pieces!

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Kelly Rogers

5 Comments

  1. deCamville Design on September 1, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    I like Bliss and Angela Adams.

  2. Stacey on September 12, 2012 at 11:42 AM

    I need to catch up with you! Love this post, as I bought an outdoor runner to use in my kitchen and had never bought one before. I LOVE IT! Talk about easy to keep clean and it always looks great. Ideal for the kitchen too because I have spilled things and you just rinse it off. They have come up with some really pretty designs that are making me consider them for other spaces.
    That Angela Adams one is so fine! (add to list).

    • Kelly R. - Interiors For Families on September 12, 2012 at 10:37 PM

      Thanks for stopping by, Stacey – we’ve missed you ;). I’m very excited about indoor-outdoor rugs – glad you have had a good experience with yours; thank you for sharing it!

  3. C K Polymers on February 8, 2013 at 6:51 AM

    Great article! Recyclnig is an important and needed in an expanding world. C K Polymers now offer recycling services in Hong Kong. , nice post

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