Using an Oriental Rug in a Bathroom

Oriental rugs, especially those made from wool, are actually the perfect addition to a bathroom. Sam Presnell, owner of The Rug Gallery, talks about which rugs would make the best fit in a bathroom and other things to consider. Listen or read more to find out about bathroom rugs.

John Maher: Welcome to The Rug Gallery with Sam Presnell. The Rug Gallery is an Oriental rug company and carpet store in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m John Maher, and I’m here with the owner of The Rug Gallery, Sam Presnell. Hi, Sam.

Sam Presnell: Hi, John.

John: Sam, we’re here to talk today about using a rug in a bathroom. Can Oriental rugs be used in a bathroom?

Sam: They sure can. In fact, that’s one of the big areas that we actually use rugs in, and the reason why is I think because the tile floors most of the time people have in their bathrooms are cold sometimes in the winter time, and a rug will help warm it up and make it feel better and softer and sound better and all kinds of nice little things that you can add a decorative look to a bathroom as well.

Design Benefits of an Oriental Rug in a Bathroom 

John: Some people would use just a bath mat, a typical thing that you might find at a home good store or something like that. What would make an Oriental rug better than that just because it’s just prettier and nicer looking?

Sam: No, that’s probably I think one of the main reasons, it’s going to be a lot more interesting because it’s not going to be plain, it’s not going to be fuzzy, it’s not going to look cheap. One of the good things about those mats you said you buy at the home stores is a lot of times you can wash those. Throw [it] in a washing machine and wash them, but not everybody does that very often. It’s so inexpensive most people throw them away. Rugs are nice because most rugs — as far as hand-woven rugs — are wool. They’re meant to . . . be out there in the fields and water doesn’t bother them.

Water won’t bother them as far as using them in a kitchen or in a bathroom or whatever you want to use it where it might wet. [It’s] a great product for the possibility of getting wet. You’re not going to have to really worry about this. Gets totally soaked as far as just catching drips as you get out of the shower, tap or whatever, it [would] be a great choice.

Best Designs and Sizes to Choose for a Bathroom 

John: What are some typical rug sizes and designs that might be used in a bathroom?

Sam: Most times they’re scatter rugs, or what I would call runners, just long skinny rugs. Most time they’re usually used, like I said, outside of the tub to stand on, when you’re getting out of the tub or out of a shower. The other place would be in front of the sink, you’ll see a little one in front of the sink as well. It really does add a nice decorative quality look to the space.

John: Depending on the size of your bathroom, you might have a couple of rugs, like you said, one in front of the bathtub or shower and then another one in front of the sink. Maybe if you have a smaller bathroom, you could size it so that you could just have one rug that covers both of those areas.

Sam: Yes, I’m not a big believer in there’s one rule for everything. I think everybody is different and likes to see it different ways. I’d say, from my past experience and from what I recommend is, I would usually use multiple rugs that are coordinated and look good together but different. It’s like art. Like I said, it’s always nice to mix and match them and to have things that look good together. I think having two rugs or if you want to do one big rug you could. I don’t usually see that as much; usually, it’s just a little three by five, a two by six, or a three by six in front of the sink.

Other Considerations for a Bathroom Rug 

John: You mentioned using wool, a traditional wool rug because that won’t get damaged if it gets wet. What are some of the other things that you might want to consider when you’re choosing a rug to go in a bathroom?

Sam: I think wool’s a good choice. I think also you could use some of the synthetic fibers out there, the polypropylene, the polyesters. They won’t absorb either. They’re pretty much inert and can’t absorb. They’re really nice. I think wool always just inherently feels better than any other product out there, so that’s why I prefer wool. It can absorb 30% of its weight in water and it won’t affect it. It’s a natural fabric and water doesn’t really harm it — unless you get it totally soaked — you don’t have to worry about it.

John: The bathroom is sometimes called the most dangerous room in the home because you can slip and fall, especially in the tub or the shower or getting out of the shower. Is that something that you need to worry about with a rug in a bathroom? How do you prevent a rug from slipping on the floor?

Sam: I think that’s a great point, John. I forgot all about that. The big thing is a rug does help you from sliding because most time on tile, or ceramic, or stone, or whatever it may be, marble, it’s very slippery when it’s wet. That’s where a lot of accidents happen and people fall, but a rug will take care of that. You do need a special pad, which we call a non-skid pad or a gripper pad which will hold that rug in place so it won’t move across the hard surface that you have. Other than that, that’s one of the great things about a rug. It really makes a bathroom a lot safer, that’s for sure.

John: All right, that’s great information, Sam, thanks again for speaking with me today.

Sam: You’re welcome, John.

John: For more information about Sam, The Rug Gallery and Oriental rugs and carpets, visit ruggallerycincy.com, that’s ruggalleryC-I-N-C-Y.com or call 513-793-9505. Make sure you catch the latest episodes by subscribing to this podcast on iTunes. If you could take the time to give us a review as well, I would appreciate that. I’m John Maher, see you next time on The Rug Gallery.