Guide · For the trade
Braided rugs: the construction, the pros and cons, and how to specify one
Braided rugs are made by plaiting three or more strands of fabric, yarn or fiber into a flat braid about 1 to 2 inches wide, then coiling and stitching the braid into an oval, a round, a rectangle or a runner. They are reversible, flat enough to sit under a door, and made in wool, cotton, jute, abaca and polypropylene; the oval braided rug of the New England tradition is the form most searched, and the flat natural-fiber braids in rectangles and oversize rounds are the ones designers specify now.
This guide is for the designer who has a braided rug in a coastal, farmhouse, cottage or quietly modern scheme and needs the construction facts before choosing one. It covers how the rug is built, the fibers and what each does, shapes and sizes, the honest pros and cons, pad and placement, and the questions clients ask.
How a braided rug is made
There are three ways to make the braid, and they produce different rugs. A cloth braid uses strips of woven fabric, traditionally wool suiting, folded and plaited; this is the heavy, soft, slightly lumpy rug of the colonial tradition and of the rag rug. A yarn braid plaits bundles of spun yarn, which gives a finer, more regular braid and a flatter rug; most wool and polypropylene braided rugs made today are yarn braids. A fiber braid plaits natural fibers in their spun or twisted state: jute, sisal, abaca and seagrass, which gives the crisp, ropey braid of a natural fiber rug. The braid is laid in a spiral or in parallel rows and laced through so the rug is reversible. There is no backing, pile or foundation; the braid is the whole rug.
Fibers, and what each gives the client
| Fiber | Look and hand | Wear and cleaning | Where to spec it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wool | Soft, matte, heathered colors; the classic braided wool rug | Decades of wear; resists soil; naturally flame resistant; professional cleaning | Living rooms, bedrooms, halls, stairs as a runner |
| Cotton | Flat, light, bright or pastel; the rag-rug and farmhouse look | Soft wear; many are machine washable at small sizes | Kitchens, baths, mudrooms, kids rooms |
| Abaca and jute | Ropey, crisp, natural tan to bleached ivory | Abaca is the strongest plant fiber used in rugs; jute softer and browns with moisture | Dining rooms, living rooms, entries, covered porches |
| Polypropylene | Solid or tweed colors, flat braid | Fade and moisture proof; hose off | Outdoor, pool, mudroom |
Our braided collection is 132 styles, hand-braided in India from abaca, in standard sizes of 6x9, 8x10, 9x12, 10x14 and 12x15 and in custom sizes. Abaca is the banana-family fiber that makes marine rope, and it braids firmer, more even and more stain resistant than jute at the same look; the natural fiber rugs guide compares the plant fibers in detail.
Shapes and sizes: oval, round, rectangle, runner
The oval is the traditional shape because a spiral braid grows into one, and oval braided rugs are still the most searched; they work under an oval dining table and in front of a hearth at 5x8, 6x9 and 8x10. Round braided rugs, 6 to 10 feet in diameter, are the current designer's shape: under a 48 to 60 inch round table a 8 foot round leaves the chairs on the rug, and a 10 foot round carries a 72 inch table. Rectangles are braided in parallel rows and are the right shape under a sofa or a bed. Runners are made the same way, 2 to 3 feet wide and any length. The oval rug for a dining table guide and the round rug for a dining table guide give the sizing by table.
Braided rug pros and cons, honestly
The case for: a braided rug is reversible, so a stain or a faded side is flipped; it is flat, under 1/2 inch, so doors clear it and it sits inside the ADA limit; it has no backing to crack; and a natural-fiber braid works in a dining room, where its texture hides crumbs and chair tracks. The case against: a cheaply laced rug opens at the outer rows; a cloth braid is lumpy under a dining chair; the edge of an oval curls without a pad; jute and cotton braids brown or shrink with water; and the heathered colonial oval carries a period association the client may not want. Judge the rug by its lacing and by whether it lies flat, from a sample of the braid, not a photo.
Are braided rugs in style?
The flat braided rug in a natural fiber or a solid wool is as current as any rug on the floor, because the texture reads as a weave rather than a pattern. What dates a scheme is the multicolor heathered oval with a contrasting border; it belongs in a cottage or a cabin and nowhere else. The specifier's version is a single-color or two-tone braid in ivory, oatmeal, charcoal or a bleached natural, in a rectangle or an oversize round. A braided abaca under a dining table with a linen slipcovered chair is a spec we write often.
Pad, placement and care to specify
A braided rug needs a thin pad, not a thick one. Specify a 1/8 to 1/4 inch felt-and-rubber pad cut 1 inch inside the edge; a thick pad under a reversible rug pushes the outer rows up and the edge curls. On a stair, a flat wool braid runner goes on a 1/4 inch dense pad with the braid rows running across the tread. Flip the rug every six months. Vacuum without the beater bar, which catches the braid. Send wool out for washing every three to five years; cotton under 6x9 can often be machine washed. Keep jute and cotton braids out of baths and off uncovered porches.
Questions designers ask
Are braided rugs in style?
Flat braided rugs in natural fibers or solid wool are, in coastal, modern farmhouse and quiet contemporary schemes; the oversize round and the rectangle are the current shapes. The multicolor colonial oval is a period piece and belongs only where the period is wanted.
What are the pros and cons of braided rugs?
Pros: reversible, flat, no backing, quiet, durable in wool and abaca, and forgiving under a dining table. Cons: the lacing can open on a cheap rug, cloth braids are lumpy under chairs, edges curl without a pad, and jute and cotton braids do not take water. Judge the rug by its stitching and lay it on a thin pad.
Are old braided rugs worth anything?
Hand-braided wool rugs from the 19th and early 20th centuries have a collector market and a place in a period house, but value depends on condition, and most old ovals have broken lacing and worn outer rows. For a project, a new hand-braided wool or abaca rug in the client's size is the reliable spec; a vintage piece is a find, not a plan.
Can a braided rug be made in a custom size or shape?
Yes. Because the rug is built row by row, a braided rug can be made to any oval, round, rectangle or runner dimension, and our abaca collection is offered in custom sizes as standard. Allow the mill's lead time, typically 8 to 16 weeks for a custom braided piece.
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