When to Choose Synthetic Rugs Over Wool

It’s easy to fall in love with a wool rug that makes the perfect fashion statement in a model home or designer showroom. But before investing the hundreds, even thousands of dollars, to repeat the look on your own, ask yourself:

• Does the space have high traffic?
• Will the space be used often for entertaining?
• Does anyone in my home have allergies?
• Will I need the rug to look as fresh in five years as it does now?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider indoor/outdoor polypropylene rugs.

Jeff Akseizer, principal of Akseizer Design Group (ADG), depends on them to complete upscale interior designs for both himself and his clients. (ADG is responsible for designing some of the leading hospitality, commercial and residential properties along the East Coast and across North America.)

“Synthetic sisal rugs can look as expensive, as authentic, as luxurious, and as amazing as any rug you can find in a high-brand retail design center,” he enthuses. “I’ve put this rug in show homes that are worth millions of dollars. Without a doubt everybody asks, ‘Where is that great rug from? How much is that?’ And when you tell them roughly the cost, their eyeballs pop out. So, from that perspective, indoor/outdoor rugs are a really nice homeowner tool. They give you a nice designer element without breaking the bank.”

Jeff especially appreciates these rugs stand up to wear and tear.

“One of the challenges we face is how to make a hotel room look as good on day 10,000 as on day 1,” says Jeff. “With typical mushy hotel carpets, a maid can pass over them with a vacuum a few times, or a wet towel is left on the floor, and they’ll quickly show wear. In contrast, Sisal Rugs Direct indoor/outdoor rugs will look brilliant from the moment you install them to several years later.”

They can even survive spills. It’s why Jeff uses indoor/outdoor rugs in his own home when he entertains.

“If someone spills red wine, it’s no big deal,” he explains, “I can just grab some paper towels, soak it up and move on with the evening. I’m not scrubbing some rare Alpaca-based wool rug worth $20,000. It takes the pressure off both the guests and myself.”

Finally, if you have allergies, indoor/outdoor polypropylene rugs are the safest bet because they repel allergens thanks to their flat weave and inorganic fibers. Mold has nothing to consume and pollen dries out. In contrast, allergens and mold thrive in wool; the thicker the pile, the more hospitable the environment.

If you want durable, hypoallergenic floor covering at a value, check out our selection of 49 indoor/outdoor sisal rug types that come in a variety of shades and textures. You can even match them online to your floor. Plus, you can customize them with more than 8 binding materials in dozens of colors. Have a little fun and play with our online tool to create the perfect custom design.