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Emily A. Clark

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Changing Out Our Jute Rug for a Sisal

September 24, 2019

I posted a picture on Instagram a few weeks ago of the sisal rug I recently bought to replace the jute one in our living room. So, this is my verdict on the new rug and why I’ll never buy a rug without a good backing again. . .

sisal-rug-living-room

I bought the jute rug a couple of years ago during the winter and loved the thick, chunky texture. I also liked all of the pattern–even once I brought in the blue and white sofa. What I didn’t love was that no matter what I did, the rug moved all over the place, changing shape like a crazy amoeba–or cheap sweater.

patterned-sofa-living-room

While part of that is the character of natural jute fibers, it didn’t help that there was no backing. We bought a good rug pad and even tried heavy duty carpet tape. It always moved, driving me crazy and resulting in me making my husband and son take all of the furniture off several times and try to shape it back into place. (It never lasted long and you can imagine how much they loved this job. . . ) There was also a lot of bunching around the furniture legs because of the thickness.

jute-rug

jute-rug-bunching

You live and learn. This time around, I opted for a sisal with more of a flat weave and a latex backing. It’s made all the difference. After doing a lot of online research, I ended up ordering this one made by Safavieh, which is actually a pretty good dupe of this pricier version.

diamond-sisal-rugsisa-rug-backingAs far as how it feels, I would say it’s not as soft as the jute but totally fine even if you’re barefoot. We’re past the season of babies rolling around on the floor and I haven’t heard any complaints from my family.

sisal-diamond-patterned-rug-blue-white-sofa

If you’re interested in the same rug . . . I found it online at both Overstock and Walmart so you can price compare. (I ordered the lighter beige in a 9×12 for our space.)

 

Also, some of you have asked if I still have the Pottery Barn chenille jute rug that I’ve mentioned on the blog several times. We bought it around 8 years ago for our last house and it’s currently in our home office/dining room. It’s still a favorite (I almost bought it again) and has held up pretty well though a move and lots of furniture rearranging. It’s a great look if you want texture without a lot of pattern. (It’s also a good rug to use as a base for layering.)

 

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Filed Under: floors, living room Tagged With: decorating, living room, rugs

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Comments

  1. Linda says

    September 24, 2019 at 4:45 pm

    I love the new rug. I have the chenille jute rug by Pottery Barn and have been somewhat disappointed because there are a number of loose ends which have popped out and I can’t seem to tuck them back in. Do you have any advice on how to deal with that issue? BTW, I particularly love how you’ve been able to combine so many soft patterns and make them work together beautifully!

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 25, 2019 at 10:39 am

      Thanks! I just snip the loose ends with scissors but haven’t had to do it too often. . .

      Reply
  2. Joanna says

    September 24, 2019 at 7:40 pm

    Strangely enough, I was researching sisal versus sea grass rugs this afternoon. From what I read seagrass can be cleaned but sisal can’t. Even water leaves a mark on sisal. I think the only downside to seagrass is it smells like hay when new. I’m not sure how long that would last. So my question is: have you looked into seagrass rugs and if so, why did you opt for sisal instead?

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 25, 2019 at 10:39 am

      I had my mind set on the diamond pattern and knew I didn’t want jute again. I also like the look of the flatter weave, which you don’t get with seagrass.

      Reply
      • Joanna says

        September 26, 2019 at 3:31 pm

        I love the texture that the diamond pattern adds. I’m just concerned about clean up of sisal.
        My daughter bought a jute rug and it’s a mess – all lumpy under furniture and crooked. Just as you described. I thought it might be a quality aspect so bringing up the backing on the sisal was a good point.

        Reply
  3. Sally says

    September 24, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    So glad you posted this! I have been admiring this rug for a while, seeing how beautiful it looks in your home I think I will have to bite the bullet!

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 25, 2019 at 10:37 am

      I hope you like it as much as I do!

      Reply
  4. Valerie Murphy says

    September 25, 2019 at 9:36 am

    I love the sofa. Where did it come from?

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 25, 2019 at 10:37 am

      One Kings Lane: https://emilyaclark.com/2019/05/i-bought-a-patterned-sofa.html

      Reply
  5. Katherine says

    September 25, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    What’s the name of your wall color in there, if you don’t mind sharing?

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 26, 2019 at 4:39 pm

      It’s Palace Pearl by Benjamin Moore.

      Reply
  6. Jess says

    September 26, 2019 at 10:21 pm

    Unsolicited advice – put down a rug pad! My latex-backed sisal rug left some nasty latex bits on my wood floor that were a beast to remove. E.g., https://betweennapsontheporch.net/how-to-remove-deteriorated-rugs-latex-rubber-backing-stuck-on-hardwood-flooring/

    Reply
  7. Sandra says

    September 27, 2019 at 9:43 am

    Love your rug! But what about the animal print dress you’re wearing in your sidebar? You look great! I have the shoes, but now I need the dress! Please.

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 27, 2019 at 10:00 am

      Thanks :) I bought it at H&M last year.

      Reply
  8. Ymama3 says

    September 30, 2019 at 2:17 pm

    I am dying laughing. I could have written this post. My husband calls all these natural fiber rugs “mulch” rugs. He hates them all. Anyway I switched our Pottery Barn chenille/jute one that had seen better days for the exact one you just bought. I loved it! It looked great! Our dog got into Easter candy and threw up on it in 2 spots. We could not get the stains out. The rug only lasted 4 months. I now have an indoor/outdoor rug that I can hose down. I hope your rug lasts longer. It really is very pretty.

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      September 30, 2019 at 6:15 pm

      Oh goodness. I feel your pain. I once put a new sisal rug in the girls’ room when they were little and one got explosive diarrhea the second day it was down. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Hoping we’re past that stage!

      Reply
  9. stephanie says

    October 1, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Loved the rug and bought the smallest size from Walmart. I wanted to test the color and texture. It doesn’t work where I wanted it. Apparently it’s not a Walmart product, but a dealer that sells through Walmart. No where on the product page does it say that it can’t be returned. So be careful buying from Walmart.

    Reply
  10. ALicia says

    November 1, 2019 at 11:58 am

    I love everything about this room and your post. Can you share the source for your coffee table? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Emily Clark says

      November 1, 2019 at 12:06 pm

      Thank you! I found that table at a thrift store several years ago. It’s big but still one of my favorite finds :)

      Reply

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