I've spent a lot of time this month searching for the coolest, stylish, most designer-looking rugs, and it's taught me one important lesson: not all rugs are made equal. Some are designed to offer a plush respite from hardwood floors, while others are lauded, namely for their durability. It often comes down to the tufted vs flat-woven rug debate — so, which do you choose?
Tufted and flat-woven rugs are two of the most popular styles, but they have significant differences in terms of construction, appearance, and durability. Tufted rugs have a higher pile height and are made by punching yarn through a backing material, while flat-woven rugs are woven with interlacing yarn and lay flat to the floor (hence the name flat-woven). Which are better? Well, it's down to opinion, but it's an opinion that Livingetc.com's editor Hugh Metcalf does hold strongly. "For a long time, I've been all about the minimalism of flat-woven rugs but, honestly, I think tufted ones are the way forward. They're more generous, comfortable, luxurious, but the battle is in finding ones that feel contemporary enough that they bring a cool factor to the space."
