Natural-fiber rugs, a staple of home décor

The Washington Post 4/21/11 By Jura Koncius

Sisal rugs have become the jeans of home decor. You can dress them up, dress them down and layer them. And you can afford them.

Sisals, as well as cousins sea grass, jute and other natural-fiber rugs, have been around for centuries in tropical islands and country homes. In the 1980s, these crisp floor coverings showed up in America’s living rooms, stairways and foyers. They never left.

Alexandria designer Shazalyn Cavin-Winfrey is drawn to the cooler, grayer colors of natural fibers these days. She prefers the chunkier weaves. “They look updated,” she says. Right now, she’s having a greige thickly woven sisal installed wall-to-wall in her family room. (She is using the Sunshade color from the Sun Sisal collection at Sisal Rugs Direct).

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