Dear AT,
I'm moving soon and plan on purchasing a new rug for the new digs. However, I have a black labrador who sheds like no other, so fancy wool rugs in light colors are a no go. Sisal, on the other hand, is appealing because it's neutral and durable.
My question is can you paint one to look like some of the nicer wool rugs out there (like the Overlapping Squares at West Elm, shown here)? I'm worried that painting may make it crusty or the lines may bleed and it will be a mess. Any help from you and your readers is appreciated!
-Catherine
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Dear Catherine,
Our first thought, as you said: Crusty; it will be a mess. But then we stopped our quick judgment to scope things out a bit. We really think that almost any DIY project is worth a try, especially if you know your needs and your wants, and those elements just aren't quite meshing in any products on the market.
We found this on the DIY network online: Host Nancy Golden reminds readers that because of the woven-in textural stripe of the sisal, painting straight lines is actually quite easy. And rather than bleeding, paint absorbs quickly into sisal, so you have to make sure you apply it thickly. Read all of her guidelines and feedback here.
Anyone else have experience with this type of project?
Good luck, Catherine, and be sure to send us some photos if you decide to go for it. We'd love to see the results!
We have a welsh corgi that sheds in fur storms almost every day. We have wood floors and rugs. The only recommendation I have is splurge on a very good vacuum, like a Miele. It is well worth its high price.
view paperpusher's profile
You could try spray-painting it through a stencil, as Martha does here to a coir doormat.
view Anne in Chicago's profile
Hey, where'd my link go? Is href not working?
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.0e0eb51a2e6b5ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=1200d0f19132f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=welcome%20mat&rsc=ns2006_m1
view Anne in Chicago's profile
i would probably avoid sisal with a big dog. we have/had sisal and while yes, it's durable, it's not easy to clean up after infrequent yet inevitable "accidents." our guy's were limited to vomit, which left a gross yellow stain on the rug. after blotting, any attempts to use water or liquid cleaners left the sisal sort of warped.
view jens's profile
Years ago Debbie Travis did a show with faux-sisal. She used old wall to wall carpet remnants that she flipped over and then painted. It's not exactly the same, but it does have the rough texture.
view rappy's profile
Thanks for your comments everyone! Jens, your comment about "accidents" caught my eye because our dog is prone to the same type...did you ever come up with a design-friendly rug solution that stood up to rigorous cleaning? Anyone?
view cdi9c's profile
An alternative to painted sisal would be vinyl rugs. Sounds weird, but look: http://kokotrends.com/floormats/index.html
(Ps I have them in the kitchen and bathroom and love them)
view Shannon in SF's profile
I'm with Shannon on woven vinyl rugs --very durable and easy to clean. True sisal is extremely absorbant; one accident and the rug is toast.
But for softness and design/pattern/color---"Fancy wool rugs" are actually a good choice for durability. Wool is resiliant, easy to clean and long-lasting. Just don't use any grocery store cleaners on them, frequent vacuuming (without the beater bar) is a wool rugs best friend. Professional cleaning every few years. The higher quality the wool rug, the longer it will last of course.
Wool is very green and pet-friendly too. See www.woolsofnewzealand.com for good info.
view modkatie's profile
p.s. And no matter the rug, use a high-quality, dense rug pad. Like a padded hanger for your best jacket, it adds life to the rug--and with an active pet, it keeps it in place (especially important for thinner flat-weave styles like your West Elm choice).
view modkatie's profile
Maxwell just recommended Bolon, a vinyl sisal to someone today over on ATNY. It sounds like it's just what you're looking for.
It's available at Curranonline.com and Sisalcarpet.com.
view Doug's profile
i would agree about the artificial sisal variants, they sell them all over as outdoor rugs, either plain or patterned. probably cannot paint them, though!
we've had mixed results with wool. we have a bunch of old wool rugs that have some patterns that disguise accidents.
for cleaning, we bought some kit at crate and barrel, i think it's on their website too.
good luck!
view jens's profile