Earth-Friendly Home Decor Loves Natural-Fiber Area Rugs

These days "going green" in home decor doesn't mean painting a house to look like a permanent St. Patrick's Day celebration. The global environmental movement has inspired many homeowners to "go green" in their dwellings by choosing furniture and furnishings from renewal natural fibers.

One of the easiest places to "go green" in a home is with area rugs, one of the quickest ways to change up a room's decor. Before changing rugs, however, it's a good idea to understand something of the various natural fibers used for area rugs and how to use them.

Sisal rugs are made from plant material from the Agave plant, which grows in subtropical regions worldwide. Most commercial manufacturers of sisal rugs get their material from plantations that grow the plants specifically for use as rugs, rope and upholstery. Most sisal plants live from seven to 10 year and their leaves can be harvested every six to 12 months.

Sisal fibers range in color from white to pale yellow. They can be woven into many patterns and dyed different colors. Area rugs made from this plant material insulate well against sound, don't create static electricity and last a long time because of their tough fibers. However, like most natural materials, sisal absorbs liquid and moisture readily, so it isn't a good choice for kitchens, bathrooms, pool areas or uncovered patios and terraces where water or humidity are always present. Instead sisal rugs are ideal for home offices, dens, bedrooms, living rooms or other dry areas.

Seagrass rugs are made from a salt marsh grass found in tidal areas and paddy fields in Southeast Asia, including China. When harvested, seagrass reeds are thick and rigid. The long strands of seagrass fibers are dried and then spun into yarn, which is woven into many designs. The results produce long-lasting area rugs that resemble smooth broadloom carpet. Seagrass comes only in an organic green color that is its natural hue. The green cast of seagrass fades with time, yet it is the fiber that resists stains best of all natural materials. The one drawback of seagrass is that it can develop mold and mildew under damp conditions. Consequently, like sisal, seagrass rugs should be used only in the driest rooms of a home or office.

The Asian symbol of long life, bamboo is rapidly becoming a natural fiber of choice in area rugs and other home furnishings. For instance, bamboo cloth is being used more and more often in accessories such as kitchen towels. Actually a woody grass, bamboo comes by its longevity symbolism naturally, as anyone who has a cluster of bamboo in their backyard can attest.

Bamboo has become such a favorite for environmentally friendly decor that it's being used in everything from wall coverings to area rugs. Because it comes in a variety of natural colors, bamboo rugs of any size often resemble hardwood flooring. What's more, bamboo can be bordered with cotton cloth to match it any color scheme.

Natural-fiber rugs also have one final benefit that no other area rugs can boast. Once their usefulness is done, they can be taken outside to become walkways in the yard or garden. Being biodegradable, they'll eventually decompose back into the earth that nurtured them.