How to Choose a Durable Sheepskin Entryway Rug

The entrance way to your home is the first welcome any visitors get. It's the sight you get every night after a long day at the office. It's a signal to your brain that you're home, it's time to relax.

Entrance ways are easily forgotten in the design process. They can be dark, and lack personal flair. With a little bit of design know-how you can create a light, warm, welcoming space add visual interest, and wow your guests from the moment they enter your home.

Should I put an area rug in my entryway?

There are many reasons to add a sheepskin to your entryway

• They are cozy and can make an area immediately feel homely
• They bring nature indoors and improve indoor outdoor flow
• You can showcase your personal style
• Sheepskin gives off a modern look and goes well with any architectural design
• They are easy to clean and maintain!
• They bring a pop of colour to an otherwise purpose build indoor space
• You can use an entryway rug to draw the eye to a pattern you love or highlight living features like house plants.
• One sheepskin will last a lifetime with the right care

The choice is yours!

How do I choose an entryway rug?

This depends on your decor. For a larger light coloured entryway with lots of whites, light greys, and minimal patterns a dark black sheepskin can act as a statement piece. A light coloured sheepskin rug can add texture and warmth to a space that would otherwise look sterile and characterless, without being the focus of the room. The biggest considerations are size, shape and colour. If this sounds like too many decision to be made, utilise the everyday tools available to you. Do your research by searching images of rugs in similar spaces. Visit a concept store similar to the Wilson and Dorset concept lounge for inspiration, or even chat with an interior designer.

What is the best rug for high traffic?

A short pile height rug (a rug with shorter length fibres) with high density wool is the easiest and best choice. Sheepskin is naturally dirt resistant and anti-bacterial due to the lanolin that coats the fibres, and having a denser shorter sheepskin will assist in avoiding unwanted things being caught in the fibres of your wool (autumnal leaves for example). If the extra height of a long shaggy rug is what you're after than ensure it's a good quality sheepskin with a good loft and density to achieve the same affect as the density helps the wool to maintain its loft when being regularly pushed downward by foot traffic.

How do you choose an entryway rug size?

Consider your entryway. Is it rectangular? Is it a large space? Are there other items such as stairs or patterned wallpaper that draw the eye? How tall are your ceilings?

A large rug in an entrance way with high ceilings can remove the visual echo that a space can have and bring the portal to your home together in a comforting way.

If your entryway has a long hall, play with rug shape and place an eye catching rectangular rug at the entry to the hall as a 'run way' to invite people down the hall to the rest of the house.

A good rule of thumb with any rug is that you do not want the rug any closer to the walls than 40cm, especially if you want to maintain the style and grandeur of a larger entryway.

How do I keep it from sliding when people step on it?

There are a couple of options here. The first is placing a simple rug pad underneath. These thin grippy pads simply get placed under the rug and grip simultaneously to the underside of your rug and your floor. Rug pads are a great option for hardwood floors, however for carpeted areas some carpet specific rug tape placed around the edges of your rug will serve you better.

How do you keep an entryway rug clean?

Sheepskin rugs are naturally odour and stain resistant, due to the natural oil found in wool. This oil makes them easy to clean, and low maintenance. The ideal way to maintain a perfect rug is to shake it out and vacuum it once a week. Keep your sheepskin out of UV to avoid sun damage affecting the fibres, and keep it fade resistant. Avoid trampling mud through the rug by having an exterior mat to wipe shoes on and taking off your shoes before you walk over the rug. This will this prolong the life of your rug, and you also get that beautiful soft greeting under your feet to welcome you home!

How do I keep it clean in the winter?

The most damaging thing for a rug in winter is moisture. In damp or wet conditions your pelt can deteriorate which will shorten the lifespan of your rug. Place a discrete dehumidifier in the room to remove extra moisture, and utilise an outdoor or indoor mat for guests to wipe their shoes on. Remove wet shoes or items of clothing before treading on the rug if you can to avoid dirt getting into the fibres and moisture getting into the pelt.

What's the best way to clean an entryway rug?

If you have put in place a regular maintenance routine for your entryway rugs with vacuuming, shaking and the occasional brushing you often won't have to do any more cleaning than that- talk about easy to clean! Should you feel the need to spruce up your rug further there are a few key rules.

• All dyed rugs should be a dry cleaned
• Take care of any accidental spills as soon as possible
• Contain the stain! Dab at the area, never rub the area as the will cause the dirt to spread.

The natural oils protect dirt getting into the fibres for a time, so if you are swift in your spot cleaning and are regular in your protection routines you can stop any dirt from permeating and avoid a trip to the dry cleaners!

Should I use a rug protector?

Sheepskin comes with it's own natural protector built in, so there's no need to be spraying extra protective layers on your product to protect it. These protectors create an unnecessary extra film on the sheepskin and can make the fibres feel less plush and supple.