How To Choose The Right Textural Rug For Your Home

A luxurious rug has the power to transform any room, and picking the right one for your space really comes down to its texture.

It’s easy to forget that every handmade rug is the result of painstaking craftsmanship and countless hours, touched by a team of of skilled artisans who oversee the production from start to end.

Rugs come in such a huge variety of styles, drawing on techniques that have been around for hundreds of years. And it’s this detailed process that gives each rug a unique appearance.

Here’s our guide to three rug textures we love and where to style them in your home.

Pebbled

If you like the look of a jute rug but are looking for something softer, then you might consider a rug with a ‘pebbled’ texture. These rugs often feature uncut pile (meaning the fibres are not trimmed or cut after the rug is woven) to create this bubbly, layered surface.

From Armadillo’s new Panorama collection, both the Mason and Tempest rugs utilise a loom weaving technique with an exaggerated ‘loop’, and uncut pile, giving them a distinctive pebble-like effect designed to transport you to far-flung vistas among the great outdoors. They’re also made from premium wool, so that eye-catching texture has a cosy feeling underfoot.

Since these rugs are less structured and have a bumpy surface, they’re best placed in a living room or bedroom where they can sit comfortably below larger pieces of furniture, rather than a busy dining space.

Rippled

When you think of patterned rugs, images of bright and bold shapes might spring to mind. But you don’t always have to lean on colour to bring pattern into a room — instead, ripples in the rug’s texture can provide a more subtle impact. This style would be a perfect addition for a coastal beach house, or rustic interior spaces.

Take Armadillo’s Crest range for example. Luscious wool is carded, spun and knotted by hand into a compelling contrast of high pile and low weave that reveals a classic herringbone design.

Similarly, the new Genoa design is made from a minimalistic mix of of light and dark threads, reminiscent of rippling marks of rock formations. An artisanal technique of working linen and wool yarns around thin rods results in a cosy yet elevated weave of varying stripe widths, finished by a loose fringe for a more bohemian aesthetic.

In addition to styling them in a bedroom, living room or dining room, rippled-looking rugs can help spruce up smaller spaces like hallways without becoming overwhelming.

Velvety

There’s something so comforting about feeling a velvety and smooth rug underfoot. Imagine the classic kind of rugs you’d see in an elegant period home, or as the sophisticated base for a room that already plays with texture and colour in its styling.

That’s why we love the look of Armadillo’s Thatch rug. This simple but striking design features a light pile of precise Persian knots, similar to the traditional patterned Persian rugs that are known around the world for their plush texture. Available in four mineral tones (including Pink Salt or Concrete), Thatch will bring a sense of calm to any space — whether that’s a cosy bedroom, or your family’s living room.

Shop the full Panorama collection online or in Armadillo’s Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane showrooms.