Whenever someone talks about natural fibers, jute is always among the top mentions. Native to Eastern India and Bangladesh, the jute plant grows in the fertile land offered by the Ganges and the humidity supplied by the Monsoons. Jute is made from the skin fibers of the plant, as opposed to cotton, which is the seed, or boll, of the cotton plant.
Jute is spun in a variety of textile, but due to the thick fibers and coarse texture, it is rarely made into wearable fiber. This coarse nature and the strength of the fibers make it useful for non-wearable textile uses. So, it’s not uncommon to see jute being made into shopping bags, seat covers, and rugs.
Jute is a more sustainable product when compared to petroleum or coal-based synthetic alternatives like polyester. In some aspects, it is more sustainable than even cotton, in so that it requires considerably less water. It’s also a low maintenance crop and requires low to no use of pesticides and fertilizers.
When buying jute rugs, you should keep all the points about sustainability and coarseness in mind. However, high-quality rugs may be created from a mix of finer, softer threads, which give the carpets a smoother texture.
A proper jute rug, which is undyed, and woven in the traditional style, can be used to give your decor an eastern feel. A rug with more complex design, like a geometric weave, that alternates between white and gold are also available, in plenty, in the market. These are often made from a combination of jute, hemp, or sisal, combining properties of the fibers. This kind of rug, that is primarily white and brown/gold, goes well with a beige-grey or white decor.
Dyed jute rugs are colored in light values of grey, blue, or green. These are more versatile in sense of the kind of decor you can use them with. A grey rug will go perfectly in a postmodernist setting with white walls, drapes, and sofa covers. If the floor is in concrete, a rug that is a combination of golden jute and white sisal will work best.
One good thing about Jute rugs is that they come pretty cheap. This means that they’re easy on the budget, leaving you scope for spending more liberally on other decor items. This also means that if your budget allows for buying a pure wool based or a morocco-made rug, you can instead go for a couple of iterations of jute rug based looks, within a year, experimenting with different looks in different seasons.
