Ariel Kaye, founder of Parachute and parent of a four-year-old and a two-year-old, believes that texture and warmth are key components in a nursery. “When shopping for the right rug, consider fabrications that will make the nursery soft, livable, and playful,” she says.
Natural fibers
Natural fibers such as 100% wool, cotton, or hemp, are prime materials for area rugs that will last a long time. For kids who suffer from asthma or allergies like dust and pollen, wool and jute are especially sought after for keeping bacteria and germs at bay thanks to their thickly woven surfaces that trap air inside of the rug and prevent germs from multiplying.
Jute rugs may be less plush and soft to sit on, but they are another recognizably safe option for kids with allergies—especially dust allergies—as jute naturally repels dust mites. Tightly woven, strong fibers with low pile heights (thinner) also shed less, another boon for little crawlers with allergies. The super-durable, easy to clean material makes sense for highly trafficked areas of the house and the neutral colorway looks great long after your kiddo has grown out of it.
Cheerful patterns
Phoebe Sung, cofounder of Cold Picnic, has built an entire homeware brand around the bright colors and unconventional patterns. With two children of her own, she’s witnessed the appeal of punchy patterns and bold imagery in rugs firsthand. She installed a version of her brand's Crocodile rug on the stairs of her home because their kids love crocodiles so much.
Phoebe also recommends tufted rugs for durability, especially in highly trafficked areas: “We like to use the hand-tufted rugs for playrooms since they’re plush and better for falls,” she says. “But woven rugs are ideal for heavier traffic or snack areas since they’re durable, easy to clean and—in case of disastrous mess—reversible.”
Machine-washable designs
The amount of fluids newborns excrete is very impressive: Spit-up, snot, bottle spills, diaper explosions, the list goes on and on! So, it’s safe to assume that anything and everything that your baby comes into contact with will eventually get stained. This is what leads most parents to explore the world of machine washable rugs, as in ones that you can pop in the washing machine whenever they have experienced an epic spill. We’ve tested several modern nursery rugs you can pop in the washer, but if you’re looking for reviews of more brands (like Ruggable and Tumble Living), we’d recommend checking out this article.
