What's That Exotic Fiber In Karastan Area Rugs?


We've talked a lot on this blog about how karastan area rugs and carpets are an eco-friendly choice for home decorating. That's because it means a lot to us that our product is helping reduce the carbon footprint on our planet.

This week we thought we'd identify some of the natural, sustainable materials that might be found in your karastan area rugs. In addition to cotton and wool, there are some exotic plants that lend their fibers to protect the environment and your feet.

Bamboo is one of the best renewable resources, as it grows very quickly. Where an oak tree takes 120 years to grow to maturity, bamboo can be harvested in three.

Jute is a type of plant fiber grown in India, Bangladesh and China. The thread created from jute is quite strong, and it is among the cheapest of natural fibers available.

Seagrass is an entirely aquatic marine flowering plant. It grows in large meadows in areas of shallow water.

Sisal comes from a cactus plant called Agave sisalana that grows in Africa and Brazil.

Karastan area rugs are eco-friendly, hard-wearing, lost lasting, and now you know how exotic they just might be!

A Love Letter To Karastan Carpet



This is a love letter to Karastan carpet. It begins with a promise we made ourselves. When we bought our old house, our credo was that we would be present, appreciative of the past, mindful of tomorrow. We committed that every improvement we made would be responsible environmentally, even if it cost more or took us longer.

Well, it took a long time. Some parts of the process cost a lot of money. It was not always easy to appreciate, say, the previous owner's love for birds as pets, when all the scraping away of bird...eh, guano, still didn't eliminate the smell from the floorboards of what we planned to use as our nursery. By the time we were sure it was gone, the floorboards were pretty beat up, and so were we.

Then we discovered Karastan carpet. Made from a renewably sourced polymer, produced with readily available agricultural materials, not to mention beautiful--this was not the shag carpet of our childhood. Plus, we found it online at a pretty incredible discount.

Our feet are happy, too. There's a lot less crying over splinters with Karastan carpet in the house.

Decorate Your Home with Eco-Friendly Décor and Karastan Area Rugs

Green’s the buzz word of the moment, and it’s no secret that the greener, the better. If you’ve already gone green in lots of ways – you reject plastic bags, use energy efficient light bulbs, recycle your cans, use solar-powered water – consider going green with your home décor as well.

One of the most obvious ways to create a healthy and green environment is to get rid of any synthetic plants and flowers (which collect dust) and bring in real greenery, which can cleanse the air you breathe. Choose lilies, Chinese bamboo or rubber plants, which have glossy leaves that are easy to wipe clean.

Choose natural fabrics wherever possible to decorate your home. Many Karastan area rugs are made with recycled, sustainable and biodegradable materials such as corn-based polymers and carry the CRI Green Label Plus certificate. Wool carpeting is another environmentally friendly option.

For curtains, stay away from polyester and synthetic materials; choose thick organic cotton or 100% linen draperies. Wool plaids, silks and hemp also make good materials for draperies. In the bedroom, stick with cotton sheets or sheets made of bamboo – you’ll be amazed at how luxurious they feel!

When you need to clean your carpeting flooring, be kind to your health and the environment by using homemade cleaners such as vinegar or bi-carbonate of soda to remove stains, rather than toxic detergents.

Karastan Area Rugs for the Kitchen

Think rugs are only for libraries, sitting rooms, television rooms and bedrooms? Think again. Karastan area rugs are practical in all rooms of the house, including the kitchen.

Kitchen rugs can be rectangular, oval, circular or square-shaped and are an inexpensive way to add some color to one of the most-used spaces in your home.

Rugs are usually placed under the kitchen table or in the sink or dishwasher area to cushion your feet when you’re standing while cooking or sitting and dining. Kitchen rugs are useful in that they can prevent dent marks from appearing on cork or vinyl tile flooring if a knife or other sharp object is dropped and can soak up spills and prevent slips.

Always make sure kitchen rugs are made of a resilient and durable material since they’ll receive a lot of foot traffic; a rug made of polypropylene fibers is a good choice. Choose kitchen rugs that are machine washable so they can be easily washed if stains happen, and make sure rugs have a good rubber backing so that they stay firmly in place and don’t cause trips or falls.

Area rugs will collect dirt and dust, so make sure you vacuum them regularly or just give them a good beat and shake outside.