"Natural" Rugs: Seagrass, Sisal, Jute, Synthetic & Wool Rugs: The Low-Down

Washington Post Blogwatch October 1, 2009




I have (or have had) almost all of these rugs somewhere in my home with the exception of sisal. And there's definitely a time & place for each of them, depending upon the maintenance, kid, pet & softness factors. Here's a quick overview of my thoughts & experiences with the rugs.


1--- SEAGRASS--- In my family room/ office/hangout room, we installed wall-to-wall seagrass just like this (below) and we absolutely LOVE it:
And here's the lowdown on seagrass:

1) THE WAIVER: The company we bought it from made us sign a waiver saying that seams would be visible and that we understood it would fray and that there would be a smell. The seagrass we purchased also came with its own attached rug pad which would make for a quicker install.
2) THE SMELL: On the day of the install, the smell was SO BAD I was scared. I have a really sensitive nose & whatever glue they used when mixed with the straw-smell of the seagrass honestly smelled like animal urine. BUT a few days later, when all of the glue had dried, we were left with just the "hay smell" of segrass, which I love.     ...I have learned from my mistake and it's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you ask your installer to use a glue with little or no smell.  We used a different glue in our bedroom and the hay smell is all we have. :)

3) THE SEAMS: The seams are not visible. (we had a good installer & he did seal down the seams and all edges) But the rug is also connected so that the natural lines in the rug are in a row... It looks perfect and you can't even tell even when trying to find the seams.

4) THE FRAYING: So far, so good and we have a dog with long nails who runs all over it. I'm sure it will (and probably already has & I haven't noticed) pull up in places but it's pretty simple to just snip loose fibers with a pair of scissors. It's a natural rug & will get flaws, but they really aren't very noticeable.

5) THE CARE: A-mazing! It's recommended to vaccuum once a week (okay, okay, when things slow down I'll get to that) and you can even sweep these rugs clean! I hate to gross you all out (but want to give you the REAL scoop) --- My toddler had an accident on it last week and it all just pooled in one spot without soaking in and I was able to blot it up really easily. Then I sprayed it down with a natural cleaner (probably a no-no but I was grossed out) and wiped it up with towels. There's no mark, no smell and it looks just like the rest of the rug. Because the grass is from the water, it resists stains & water marks. You also really can't see dirt at all and when we have gotten mud on it, we just allowed it to dry and then swept up the dirt.

6) THE SOFTNESS FACTOR: Seagrass is actually pretty smooth and hard. It's actually more like a hard floor than a rug. It's just as fine for kids to crawl across as hardwood or any other hard surface but isn't ideal for play areas where they'll spend a lot of floor-time. BUT it's GORGEOUS with other rugs layered over it. In our family room in the TV/ play area, we layered an old wool rug over it, which is perfect for playing, lounging & wrestling... (I thought I'd let you see it in all its messy-primary-colored-toy-glory)   Many people complain that it hurts their feet and I have to admit that late at night and early in the morning when it was first installed, it hurt my feet, but now it doesn't bother me at all, even when I'm tired. 

7) EXTRA INFO: Since it's natural, its color changes over time. It starts out with more of a green tinge and eventually tans. If you are layering rugs, the area under the rug might stay green longer because the moisture is being protected under there so keep that in mind of you plan on moving rugs around seasonally. (Similar to sun discoloration on hardwoods) Eventually, after being exposed for long enough, the difference shouldn't be noticeable. Weels also work on this rug which is perfect for the wheely desk chairs in my office & also for Christian's scooter. Joni from Cote de Texas has a beautiful & information-packed post about seagrass which (if you haven't already read) you should definitely check out here.


2--- SISAL---- Sisal rugs are another gorgeous option for natural rugs. (For banding, I like colors that blend with the natural color of the rug vs. colors)


The LOWDOWN on sisal:
1) THE CARE: The maintenance is a bit higher for sisal than seagrass. Water can STAIN it although doesn't always.  It depends upon the specific rug. 
2) SOFTNESS FACTOR: It's rough & scratchy. It's not smooth like seagrass and has a rough, frayed rope-like texture. NOT good for baby & kid knees or lounging yourself, but again, is the perfect rug to use in a room you don't need to be on the floor in, or to layer under a softer rug.

3) USES: It is also beautiful installed wall to wall a living room or bedroom.
I love all of the gorgeous textured options available with sisal.  (Think Stark's Diamond sisal pattern!! :)
** I've gotten several comment from people who have had sisal for years & have had no staining issues!!! .. But have also heard from people who have had the staining issues so it seems there's some variance! ***
3---WOOL LOOK-ALIKES----- Because I love the look of sisal (above) but needed a softer rug, I chose a custom wool area rug for my living room that looks like sisal (below) and had it banded in cotton. (I wanted to go thicker & linen on the banding but the price jump was insane so I settled) You can have these made at carpet stores.

1) MAINTENANCE: Easy. Same as any other wool rug. We haven't gotten any spills other than water on it (which has been fine) but for any tough stains/ spills, I would just use some warm, slightly soapy water and a rag to blot/work out. The color & texture hides dirt too! yay!! And, because its wool, it'll last for years & wear really well.

2) SOFTNESS FACTOR: It's not super-plush or thick because it has that sisal look, but is very soft for kids & babies. My son is on it all the time and no raw knees. My husband has also taken naps on it with no complaints.

3) SEAMS: We didn't have to get any seams done but wouldn't have had to sign any waivers for this one, so I'm assuming they would be fine, especially with the striped texture. This carpet came 13 feet wide so I had to cheat a tiny bit in the entry/ book shelf area of the room. It is about 2" shorter in that one section (below on the left) than would have been perfect but isn't really noticeable in person and saved me about $1000.00 (We would have had to almost double the amount needed for those couple of inches because you have to buy the whole width and we also would have had to pay for seaming.)


3) STYLE FACTOR: Again, I love the look. It looks like a natural woven rug but is super-soft. I also love it layered with other rugs and plan on switching them in & out seasonally. Below you can see part of the hide rug I have under the coffee table right now:


And here's a (very blurry) close-up so you can see the texture. It's ribbed multi-tonal texture which is what make it look like a natural-fiber rug.

4---SYNTHETIC RUGS----- In our old townhome, we also had a wall-to-wall synthetic carpet installed that looked very much like sisal. It was by Shaw and is called "sisal touch." (Our color was "fawn" and it was just beautiful.) WE LOVED IT. Here it is below and I'm sorry there's not a close-up because it's actually ribbed & has a subtle two-tone striped pattern. (actually very similar to the rug above, but lighter colors.) This rug is the perfect alternative to the generic berber.



1) MAINENANCE: Synthetic so it cleans up amazingly well. We had some SERIOUS spills on this one- don't want to gross you out but think- getting sick, new baby, dog, ,ud, even wine. Everything came out with a mix of warm water & normal dish soap. (Read that in Real Simple & this easy mixture even gets blood out.) We also had it going up our stairs & it didn't show a thing.


2) SEAMS: We had seams & they weren't visible. The ribbed/ striped textured hid it all.


3) PETS: Like I said, all stains came up perfectly & her long toe nails didn't pull the fibrs/ loops up at all (although they told us they would.)


4) SOFTNESS: a dream. Again, not as soft as plush carpet, but like a berber. SO FAMILY-FRIENDLY.


5) STYLE: Just beautiful and had multiple people use it in their own homes after seeing it. It's gorgeous (and super-practical) going up the stairs with a NY roll (when they tuck it around the tread top instead of going straight down) too!





5--- JUTE RUGS-----



1) MAINTENANCE: laughable. I took the WORST care ever of our jute rugs & they looked fine. They kind of eat your dirt. You can just vacuum them. I've had ours in the kitchen & even spilled salsa (I know, gross!) in ours and just wiped it with a rag & then blotted it with a wet rag to get the stain out.




2)PETS: Great for pets. Like I said, these things eat your dirt so they just sort of suck up the hair & you can vacuum it off.
3) SOFTNESS FACTOR: There are a lot of jute-chenille blends that are actually very soft but full jute isn't as soft. Jute is thicker than sisal & seagrass and also softer, but still not super-soft unless it's a blend. Ours is full jute and it is more like a foot-massager (which I love to walk on) but I wouldn't recommend it for a kids' play area or somewhere that you want to hang out on the floor. All that being said, jute-chenille blends can be the perfect choice for a kid/ baby play area because they can be really soft, so just be sure to check out the specific sample & see what you think. (They vary widely)
4) STYLE FACTOR: I LOVE the look of jute. It's so chucky & warm-looking and adds so much texture to a room.

5) INTERESTING TIDBITS: The fibers in a jute rug sort of wear and underneath it (if you don't clean under your rugs often and I SO don't) you get this weird sort of dirt & fiber dust. (My poor mother-in-law was helping us clean & when she lifted the rug to sweep under it, got to see it in all its glory!) I'm not really bothered by the fiber dust under there but just thought you might want to know! ***I've also gotten some comments in about people bothered by the fibers sticking them them when they lay down on the rug--- mine didn't do this but apparently some do, so you might want to check these out in person if you plan on napping on them!

And that's all I can think of for now on these rugs... Anyway, let me know if you have any questions & I'll post answers at the end of the post! {I have to apologize also because I lost my sources for the bottom & top images in this post, so if anyone knows where they're from, let me know & I can add the sources in here!}

Also this place has some great options & prices & they deliver on-time & quickly: http://www.naturalarearugs.com/
xoxo,
lauren
Question: For either the wool-look alike or the seagrass...would you go to a carpet store to have a large rug cut? Answer- for the wool look-alike , yes, because it's not something I've seen a lot of ready-made, but for the seagrass, it would be cheaper to look around for ready-made online. Try here: http://www.naturalarearugs.com/seagrass_mountaingrass/
Question: I'm extremely anal about having fibers all over the place -- so which out of jute, jute blend and wool would have the least amount of dust generated from the rugs themselves? Answer: the jute is probably the worst for dust & fibers so I would go with the wool look-alike if I were you. Unfortunately, wool is also the most expensive. (But worth it to me!)
Question: Is Pottery Barn a good place to get the rugs, or is there a more affordable place? Answer: Check out that link above.. And also google in the rug you're looking for and see what comes up. Lots of internet stores have lower prices than Pottery Barn & I usually order from online unless I need custom. (The good thing about PB is you can check it out in the stores.)
Question: My concern is that I have a black sofa, mid-century modern medium-wood furniture, and a huge modern painting with reds and yellows and blacks. My friends say I need a black/grey/red rug - but I want to keep the floor light. Thoughts on using light natural fiber rugs with dark furnishings? Answer: I think you're fine to go with natural fiber rugs & dark furnishings. In fact, I think it's really gorgeous. I think the natural rugs give a modern room some texture & some more depth. I'm not one for thinking everything has to "match" perfectly & I'm sure a natural rug would work beautifully with your wood furniture. You can always add a fun zebra hide over it to pull in the black.
Question: I want a seagrass rug so badly. But I have new hardwood floors, and I have been told that the latex backing on the seagrass rugs interact with the chemicals in the finish on the floor, and the latex backing will stick to the hardwood and be impossible to remove, causing the floor to have to be refinished. So.......I'm looking for a seagrass rug without a latex backing. Then the rug will slip and I'll fall and bust my ***. What is a girl to do? Answer: I think you could add a rug pad (that's safe for wood floors of course) underneath of the seagrass/latex.

61 comments:

Sarah said...

Wow, great post, Lauren! I've been wondering about the difference between all these forever. Thanks for taking the time to share:)

Kristen said...

Thank you so much for this post! I have a jute rug that got oxy-cleaned by a well-intentioned husband. Needless to say it is finished:( SO, I have been researching and this is fantastic info. I am trying to get something soft for my daughter and future kiddos, yet one that would look fab with a zebra hide. For either the wool-look alike or the seagrass...would you go to a carpet store to have a large rug cut? I need at least a 9x12 and am trying to find some seriously budget friendly options. I love the look of the chunky jute w/o banding, BUT the fibers do get all over anyone who wants to sit on it. I did get a 6x9 at Worldmarket for under $100 if anyone is interested. Do you know anywhere that would carry a larger size without the larger price tag? Thanks for the wonderful blog...it's a daily read!

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

Great information!!
Janell

Re:Fresh Design Studio said...

Thanks for sharing all that information! I've been wondering about the differences between them. Now I know that I probably couldn't handle the smell of seagrass(even though I love the look) because I have such a sensitive nose!

bagfashionista said...

thanks so much for the post!! i'm trying to decide what kind and where to buy the rugs from...like Krisn'lil asked -- for the wool look-a-like --- are there any out there that I can just buy online, or does it have to be custom? I'm extremely anal about having fibers all over the place -- so which out of jute, jute blend and wool would have the least amount of dust generated from the rugs themselves?

is pottery barn a good place to get the rugs, or is there a more affordable place? i'm looking for a 9x12 at least

Thanks so much again!

Erin {House of Turquoise} said...

This was such fantastic information!!! I too had wondered the difference between all of them! Thanks a ton! :)

Anonymous said...

Great post!
I really want to do a natural fiber (jute or seagrass type) rug in my large living room because I've found them very pet-friendly. And less expensive for large rugs.

My concern is that I have a black sofa, mid-century modern medium-wood furniture, and a huge modern painting with reds and yellows and blacks. My friends say I need a black/grey/red rug - but I want to keep the floor light. Thoughts on using light natural fiber rugs with dark furnishings?

Merdena said...

I loved your article on natural floors. I want a seagrass rug so badly. But I have new hardwood floors, and I have been told that the latex backing on the seagrass rugs interact with the chemicals in the finish on the floor, and the latex backing will stick to the hardwood and be impossible to remove, causing the floor to have to be refinished. So.......I'm looking for a seagrass rug without a latex backing. Then the rug will slip and I'll fall and bust my ***. What is a girl to do? Sigh....

bagfashionista said...

for anyone who's interested, hsn is selling a 9'x12' seagrass rug by ballard designs for $89!! I scooped one up immediately! it's retailing on the ballard site for over $300.

Merdena -- oh no, i have hardwood floors too...i currently have a jute with latex backing on it, and yes, i do see the imprints on the floor when i roll the rug up....ah crud.

Michelle said...

Hi Lauren,

Great in depth post!! I think I have used a wool bound area rug in every project :) I agree, I like the binding to match the rug. Yours look great!

Best,
Michelle

vicki archer said...

What a great post...I love seagrass matting and it looks fabulous with the coloured borders, xv.

Anonymous said...

GREAT post! We hopefully will be replacing the off-white carpet in our living/dining/family rooms in the next couple months with hardwoods, so this has been on my mind. Thank you! Love your rooms, btw.

Design Esquire said...

Great post! I'm trying to select a new rug for my living room, and this has been really helpful!

Michelle Hughes said...

Thanks for all the info. I love our Jute rugs. I was wondering about that synthetic from Shaw. Is it extremely pricy? And, is it to the trade only? We need new carpet upstairs and it sounds perfect!

Thanks in Advance!
Michelle

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for posting all this great info! I really appreciate it!

Stevie Anna said...

I absolutely love this idea. It's simple and looks so natural.

Wonderful blog.


~ alifesmemory.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

WOW, what great info., so thorough! I love all of the natural fiber rugs, they really do look so beautiful with the white slipcovered furniture! Your home is gorgeous!!!

:) T

Living the life in The Little City said...

I have a rug in the family room that I'd like to replace with seagrass. Thanks for the timely information.

The Blushing Hostess said...

Oh, well done. I have been thinking about seagrass and was stuck on the scratchiness thing esp with young children always rolling around on the floor... I had not consdiered other options...

LindsB said...

I had no clue about all the differences in these three- thank you so much for all this amazing information!!

Tricia said...

I'm so glad you posted this because I've been thinking about getting a new rug for my living room. I thought about sisal, but now I'm leaning more towards jute because of the staining.

Thanks for the info! I really love your blog and design aesthetic, you have a great skill for design!

Brittany said...

Wow thanks for putting this all together! What a nice reference. It's always hard to tell what those rugs are going to feel like and how they'll wear, especially since I usually buy them online. Thanks so much! I'm linking this post to my blog. :)

Jess said...

This is such a great post - I have been wondering about my options for these rugs so thanks! You always seem to address all the questions I have!

Anonymous said...

Great job yet again. That is so helpful!

Annie Pazoo said...

Great post, Lauren! I have always loved, loved, loved sisal and seagrass rugs....and even the indoor-outdoor knockoffs. I also love the photos, and the last one has me thinking that maybe I should go all cream and white in my living room. Do you know where the pic is from? Thanks!

red ticking said...

brilliant post... just love the information... nice to know about seagrass and not on stairs... hope you are doing great.... x pam

nelya said...

Wow! That was an incredibly informative post. Thanks for sharing your expert knowledge!

MMW said...

Great Post. We just sold our Pottery Barn 9x13 Jute Rug on Craigslist. It was only half a year old but IT DIDN'T STOP SHEDDING. The fibers were everywhere. Anytime someone sat on the jute rug, they were covered with Jute-Hairs. And we don't have any pets! The shedding-factor has made us wary of any natural fibers (or Pottery Barn rugs) in the future.

Viera said...

Thanks so much for posting all this great informations!
I love and recommend all of them too.
X
V

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous post!

The first time I encountered sisal carpeting I was fifteen and HORRIFIED. It felt and looked so unpleasant, to my mind, but it slowly grew on me and I *love* it now. Our house has the original Victorian wooden floors throughout, but should I ever have a home that requires carpeting in any way, I would strongly consider sisal, I think.

Or rubber. Oh the luxury of rubber floors....

Linda in AZ * said...

*** PERRRFECT timing, Lauren (for me, at least)! We have 24" travertine squares t/o, & just had hardwood floors put in all the bedrooms, study, etc. I WANTED a sisal, seagrass or "whatever" on top, but was still not sure which is best for us~~~ your blog today HELPS IMMENSELY~~~ !!!

Many, many thanks, darling lil' wee one!!! That info helps me SO MUCH!!!

Blessings,
Linda in AZ *

Thomas said...

Very educational...I took notes! LOL.

Catherine said...

This is a great post! I learned a lot and just ordered some great jute rugs for our house. Love your blog ; ) Trina

Maria Killam said...

Wow that was a lesson and a 1/2, very valuable and I need to save it somewhere! Excellent post!

pixel girl said...

Thanks for this great post!

What do you think the cleaning would be like on a wool jute blend in a light color?

I loved hearing about your magic cleaning experiences with jute, but I'm wondering if wool would make things more difficult?

Thanks!

Things That Inspire said...

Great, great post! I knew a few of these things from constantly sending Joni questions when I was picking a new rug for my family room, but it is great to have it all here in one place.

I have a sisal rug in the front hall and in my family room. My dog has had accidents on both rugs, and I blotted them right away with water, then put a fan on them, and there is no stain. I actually think that it might have been water on my family room rug that one of my kids blamed on the dog - there was no urine odor with either 'accident'.

Congratulations on the blog watch - well deserved - love to see my blog friends on the list!

ennistbp said...

Thank you for your post. I have been thinking about seagrass but prefer the softer wool. Could you please share brand and name of the wool you ordered? Thank you.

for the love of a house said...

Informative post!
I've had 'real' sisal rugs for about ten years now. One was in a family room that received it's fair share of spilled drinks (think water, wine, beer...) and I have NEVER had a problem with staining. I sometimes think sisal is the marble of flooring and gets a bad rap;) I recently added a seagrass rug in my kitchen and find it to be tons coarser than my sisal which I actually find fairly soft underfoot.
Also, I had wall to wall real sisal laid in my master closet several months ago.... for a small amount of extra money I had them use a green/ low-VOC mat and glue for the room. I think overall it added an extra $150 to the total, well worth it. I didn't want to worry about the chemicals in a man-made carpet, pad or glue.

Jen said...

Very useful information. Thanks for sharing the ways and woes of seagrass/jute & wool wears.

simply seleta said...

Well done, Lauren! Such an informative post.

Congrats on another nod from the Washington Post. Well deserved!!!

xoxo
Seleta

Cristin // Simplified Bee said...

Great post!!! Congrats to on the WA Post mention.

xo,
cristin

AnneHH said...

Congratulations on the Blog Watch selection. You so deserve it!! I loved this post and want to say thank you for sharing this knowledge with all of us--so very valuable. Your house looks fantastic; I loved seeing the latest fabulousness that is the family room/office. You have such a wonderful eye.

Velvet and Linen said...

Awesome post, Lauren.
So glad the WP noticed as well!
Congratulations on the very well deserved recognition.

xo
Brooke

Adrienne, Clark and Ford said...

Thank you so much for this post! It's by far the most helpful post on rugs I've come across. I've already sent it to my friends and family. I really enjoy reading your blog daily.

Sarah said...

Hey Lauren,
This is fantastic info and I've already referenced it a couple of times. I'm still up in the air about seagrass. Do you think a cat would pull up the fibers on seagrass? This is gross but important-how does dog vomit clean up on seagrass. I'm considering the seagrass rug at Ballard Designs. I just finished a short stint with an indoor/outdoor rug from PB that is supposed to just hose off. Well it developed a smell that I can't get out and I'm pretty sure its done. I'm totally weary about rugs. I have the triple threat in my home, big dog, cat & toddler and I'm rug weary. So far Flor has stood the test the longest.

Lauren said...

Hi Sarah,

I'm just not sure about a cat pulling up the rugs. I think some would & probably others wouldn't. I know that's no help- sorry!! We don't have a kitty & the one I grew up with was de-clawed (I know, so bad.) so I'm not sure what they would be attracted to. Maybe check a pet website about what types of materials cats like to scratch at??

Good luck & I hope you find the answer!!!! Sorry I couldn't be mroe help!!

Catherine said...

Hi Lauren, I re-read this post of yours because we're looking for a rug for our living room. Your information is so very helpful! Also, I LOVE your Lee Industries couch! It's exactly what I wanted for a couch...my ideal style...but we just couldn't afford the price. You got a great deal - and the green velvet looks absolutely gorgeous! So beautiful! xoTrina

Catherine said...

Hi Lauren, I'm considering a wool (sisal looking) rug for our living room. Do you mind me asking what company you went with and the color you chose? It looks great! xoTrina

Unknown said...

Hello! I just had to throw out 2 jute rugs last night - an 8x10 and a 4x6 - because my 18 month old threw up all over them and there was no way I was ever going to be able to get it out without soaking the rugs. My absolute favorite kind of rug is seagrass, but would I have the same problem if there were another "incident"? What would you recommend, given that seagrass is the look I'm going for? Thank you so much for your suggestions! Jennifer

Anonymous said...

This was just the info I was looking for, as I have a toddler and we recently replaced the carpet with laminate wood flooring. I want her to have a decently soft surface to play on- so thanks for this posting. Very informative. Thanks, Michele

Amy said...

The sea grasss is def my favorite!! I have it in my den!

furniture stores in Los Angeles said...

Great read. I enjoyed reading your post. I also like the images you’ve shared. Keep it up! furniture stores in Los Angeles

Rugs said...

Great blog post rugs and provides very good information about different types of rugs.Keep it up.

Abby said...

Lauren - thank you for this very informative post. I am currently in the process of getting prices for wall to wall seagrass and am not sure what a fair price is. The only quote I have so far is
$15-$20/sq. yard. Does that sound about right? I appreciate any guidance you can give me!

Brett H said...

Check out this site for Stark's Natura (aka Diamond Sisal). They offer standard sizes and free shipping in the USA. http://hemphillsrugs.com/natural-fiber/stark-natura-sisal-rug

Patty said...

Have you ever tried to attach 2 jute rugs together? I got a great deal on 2 smaller sized rugs and am thinking of attaching somehow (needle and thread?? or tape on the back??). There is no "border" so it looks like it should be rather easy. Would appreciate any advice!

Unknown said...

I know you wrote this post AGES ago... and what's so great is that the information is still being used! THANK YOU for helping me decide on a texture! (I went with jute from Overstock.com) I am sooo giddy to get it now... and I seriously cannot say THANK YOU enough for the breakdown!!!!! :)
L♥VE your blog!!!

Tammy @ A Walk in the Countryside said...

I found your blog while goggling info on rugs! I'm so glad I found it! I'm a new follower and thank you so much for the great info!

Brandy@MAKE+MODEL said...

Hi Lauren, I know I'm replying to a very old post but I'm investigating wall to wall sisal/seagrass/or jute for our den area. Do you know the brand and color that you have used? Would you recommend it? I'm so nervous about this decision b/c I need to get it right first time around. Thanks - Brandy@ChateauÀGogo

Angela said...

Hello, Lauren.

I know you wrote this post forever ago but I'd love to find out the name of the pattern and/or manufacturer of the wool look-alike rug you used. (I live in a small town and have had a hard time locating a decent wool carpet that looks like a natural-fiber rug.)

Thank you in advance!

Angela

JaneAlexandra said...

OMG this is the first place that has mentioned the Jute "fallout." We are returning our West Elm blue Jute rug because it was creating such a filthy mess on the hardwood floor, which by the way, has left faint imprints of the its texture. The dust/fibers are so fine that it is practically a silt. I was concerned that this silt was also from the dye . . . not keen on breathing that for the next 20 years. Going Seagrass or Wool.