The Simple Joy Of Outdoor Rugs
Michelle September 8th, 2009
Outdoor rugs? Rugs for outdoors? Surely rugs are for indoors? Or at least indoor outdoor rugs? Why would I buy an outdoor rug? Well it’s an interesting and valid question but the answers are quite obvious. Yes, rugs are typically bought for use indoors – they are used aesthetically to add interest to the décor of a room but also practically to give your feet a warm place to rest and to keep them off sometimes dusty floors. So why not use a rug for the same reasons outside of your house. A rug can add comfort to an outdoor seating area, perhaps a patio or porch. Outdoor area rugs can also give your children a clean place to play in the sunshine.
As a child I spent many hours playing outside on my grandmother’s outdoor area rug. My grandparents lived on a farm with large gardens not too far from my childhood home and on a warm summers day my mother would take my brother and I out to play there. Always my grandmother would lay a rug out in front of the house, complete with an assortment of strange and wonderful toys from my father’s youth. It always seemed strange to me that she thought we would need a rug to sit on – surely that’s what grass is for, I thought. But then grass can cause stubborn stains on clothing. Of course some people are not so lucky as to have a plush lawn like my grandmother’s and may have to contend with dust and dirt on a dry day. It wasn’t until some years later that I discovered a nest of fire ants only yards away in the orchard (a very painful discovery as I remember) and realized the main reason for my grandmother’s insistence upon the rug.
Of course there are other reasons to use a rug outdoors, and it needn’t only be for the benefit of children. A rug can greatly enhance your enjoyment of sitting outside on a summers day, bringing a little bit of civilization and comfort to the great outdoors. What can be more relaxing than sitting in the sunshine with a glass of cool lemonade and your feet on a nice cozy rug?
Today, there are many rugs that are specially designed to be used both indoors and outdoors (when my grandmother’s rug was not being used outside it belonged in the kitchen, although whether it was specially designed for outdoor use I cannot say). If you are to use a rug outdoors it is highly recommended that you use a specially designed outdoor rug, any other rug might be so hardwearing and could be damaged by weather conditions. Outdoor rugs are weatherproof and resistant to mildew.
There are a surprising variety of rugs available for use outdoors, and most can function as an indoor outdoor rug. From bamboo rugs and mats to stunningly designed outdoor patio rugs and area rugs in both classic and contemporary styles. The world of indoor outdoor area rugs also includes outdoor doormats, which are available in equal variety of size, shape and design.