Seagrass rugs are a versatile design element that have long been a staple in both stately homes and humble abodes. Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s beautiful home on Martha’s Vineyard highlights wall-to-wall seagrass in the common room. Seagrass blends with the calming hues of coastal cottages and can warm up modern or contemporary styles. The beauty of a seagrass natural fiber rug is the neutral landscape it presents, ready and waiting for your final edits or additions.

COMFORTABLE? Seagrass is definitely NOT as soft and comfy as a regular carpet. However, we’ve had natural fiber rugs in our homes for years and we don’t mind the texture, even on bare feet.

Sisal natural runners add a luxury element to any room of your home. They’re a durable material, so they may feel rough to the touch, but will soften over time. Its versatility and high performance fibres also makes Sisal runners the ideal fit for commercial spaces. This was the first runner I ever installed myself and so there was a bit of a learning curve. I worked my way up from the bottom, and the first couple of steps are a little looser than the rest. Seagrass needs to breath, so don’t install it in a basement or on a concrete slab. If you chose an area rug, routinely air it out. And don’t cover seagrass with plastic mats (think clear mats that office chairs roll on) as this traps moisture and can lead to mold and mildew growth. Not only are Seagrass rugs visually appealing, but they are also highly durable, making them suitable for high-traffic areas. Their stain-resistant nature ensures that they can withstand the demands of daily use while maintaining their natural beauty. The resilience of Seagrass fibers makes them an excellent choice for households with pets and children. This popular natural fiber flooring is made from seagrass, a perennial plant that grows in low-lying meadows of the Asia-Pacific region. These grass-like leaves are durable, and when woven together, create the texturally rich rugs and carpet that designers and homeowners love. tropics calypso cyprus arrowhead

The big take-away from my installation experience was to staple under the top edge of the treads after installing the runner all the way up. That way you have a nice, tight installation on each tread. (The step-by-step tutorial is linked at the end of this post.) Step 6: Paint Staircase with 2 coats of semi-gloss latex paint. It looks so nice and fresh I almost left it as is, but I know that with 4 kids, those white steps wouldn’t stay white for long. Seagrass’s grass-like fibers are susceptible to mold and mildew growth with prolonged exposure to humidity or moisture. To avoid this undesirable outcome, make sure that you only install wall-to-wall in a dry, climate-controlled setting. Those in humid environments will need proper air conditioning to keep mold at bay. A straw- or hay-like smell is common in new seagrass products. Many seagrass rug owners report that this odor dissipates within a few weeks and is replaced by a more subtle smell that many find refreshing. Humidity can increase the smell, so expect a strong scent if you are returning to your home or vacation hideaway that has been sealed up for weeks or months. Pro Tip: The adhesives used in wall-to-wall seagrass installation can contribute to a strong smell. For those who are sensitive to odors, ask your installer to use an adhesive that has little to no smell.Seagrass rugs require the same maintenance that most floor coverings do: vacuum regularly and attend to any spills right away. We recommend that you vacuum one to three times per week, depending on the activity level in your home. Here is a closeup of the basketweave seagrass stair runner. The beauty of using seagrass is that staples arenot visible! It waseasy tohide them within the weave. In my experience with natural fiber area rugs in other parts of our home, if food or something solid (like play-do for instance) is on the rug, it’s best to let it dry, and then scrape it up and vacuum out the bits that are left. Stay tuned for some tips on cleaning natural fiber rugs in the near future.