This New Collection Reimagines the Classic Jute Rug, Making It Softer, More Stylish, and Way More Suited to a Modern Home
It's for those who crave fabulous form, but still want a hard-wearing and comfortable floor covering in their space
As much as I love the idea of a statement rug with a bold print underfoot, I have to be honest: I prefer solid colors and natural textures in my own home. Which isn't to say you can't still be stylish and characterful in your rug choice, just that you have to dig a little deeper to find the designs that elevate a classic or neutral style into something more fashionable. For instance, if you love the look of jute but want something slightly softer, LAYERED's new Barley collection reimagines the classic style for contemporary homes.
Jute rugs are one of the most timeless rug styles. They offer texture and a dependably neutral palette, but they are often associated with a coarse, rustic character that doesn't match every home. With Barley, LAYERED set out to shift that image toward a softer, more refined expression, perfect for the contemporary home. You can now confidently choose a more minimalist floor covering without sacrificing form or daily comfort. It's a seemingly perfect middle ground for people like me who can't commit to maximalist styles, but still want something interesting.
"We wanted to take jute's organic, full-bodied texture and combine it with the softness and warmth of wool," says LAYERED's founder and creative director, Malin Glemme. "It's in the meeting of the two materials that Barley finds its character — robust and grounded, yet soft and refined."
Each of the four colors in the collection grounds a room and brings a little coziness.
The Chestnut colorway is the most akin to traditional jute. It brings warmth and calls on the classic rustic nature of the jute style.
Bone White softens a space. This color would look particularly comforting in a bedroom or a living room with darker furniture to ground it.
Sage is another timeless color and makes a particularly grounding shade underfoot. Or you could go warmer and opt for the Barley Burgundy rug.
Malin explains that unlike sisal and seagrass, which can feel coarser underfoot, "jute fiber is extracted from the stem of the jute plant, making it soft and supple and giving the rug a thick, full-bodied texture. And as a natural fiber, jute grows quickly and almost entirely on rainfall, without artificial irrigation or chemical fertilizers."
However, this collection is a handwoven blend of jute and wool, making for an even softer floor covering. And the name 'Barley' refers to the grain — "a nod to the natural, golden tone of the jute threads that run through the rug," says Malin Glemme.
Malin Glemme is a Scandinavian designer with a background in fashion. Malin's desire to find a sustainably made designer rug of premium quality led her to creating her own brand, LAYERED, in 2015. Since then, Malin has stived for LAYERED to be at the forefront of global interior design by continuing to make authentic, hand knotted rugs.
Here you can really see how the different fibers interact and how the color blends with the natural jute hues.
Basically, the collection is built on blending natural, earthy color palettes, hard-wearing materials, and prioritizing comfort underfoot. These rugs will bring warmth and texture to more minimalist spaces or provide a grounding base for saturated schemes and more maximalist styles. It's all the dependability of traditional jute, with more exciting colorways and a softer tactile base.
And if you can't make it to LAYERED, there are a few other ways to capitalize on this contemporary jute blend. Below are three stylish and soft rugs that have the same rustic and natural style.
This piece from Etsy is made from a 100% wool and jute blend, and the modern geometric rug print is very much in line with current rug trends while keeping that natural colorway.
This rug adopts more of a classic style, with the weave being mostly wool and the base made of jute.
For something with more color, this fiery red wool and jute rug amps up the saturation, but again, still utilizes that natural colorway.
It's the little details like fibers, clever weaves, and cool colorways that elevate a floor covering. While we can all appreciate a fabulous patterned rug, sometimes a revamped version of the classics is the best way to go.
And if you need a little extra help finding the rug that's right for you, you can always reach out to the DesignLab by Livingetc Find service. And for even more inspiration, be sure to subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter.
