8 Ways to Transform Your Home with Animal Skin Rugs

Are you looking to add some dazzle to your interior design? Animal skins have been in fashion for millennia and they aren’t going anywhere soon.

According to NYNow, Nordic design is one of the hottest trends for 2018 among design celebs and home decor influencers. A key element of this style is the use of animal skin rugs.

It doesn’t end with cowhide rugs either. Alpaca, buffalo, calf, goat and axis deer hides are all right on trend.

Clever use of the varied tones of animal skins can add impact and pizazz to every room in your house.

If you think there is no room in your home for an animal skin, read on.  You will be surprised how you can use these luxury design features to inject sophistication into your living spaces.

Using Rugs to Best Effect

Adding one or two rugs to a room shows that you care about the finer details.

Carefully chosen animal skin rugs can add that final touch of sophistication to a beautiful room, or liven up a dull design.

Be sure to consider the following when choosing an animal skin rug for your home:

• Does the coat pattern of the hide compliment the look you are trying to achieve?
• Will it fit in to the space it is intended for, without overpowering other elements?
• Is the animal skin of a high quality, properly cured, soft and pliable?

An animal skin rug can be a costly investment and will last a long time. Make sure you choose the perfect specimen. Brazilian skins are regarded as the best quality, but also come with the heftiest price tag.

A good quality animal skin rug is durable, dirt-resistant and easy to clean.

Here are just 8 ways that an animal hide rug can add an upmarket feel to your home.

1. Animal Skin Rugs Add Impact

Even a muted understated color scheme can benefit from the addition of an animal skin rug.

Cow and goat hides come in as many colors as there are cows and goats. You are not restricted to the classic black and white blotches of the dairy cow when you make use of animal skin hides.

If you want to add a black and white rug, why not try out a zebra skin? Zebra hides are not restricted to African-themed rooms, just like cow hides are not only suited to a Western-style decor.

The irregular shapes of animal skin rugs are perfect for when a round or square rug just doesn’t suit your ideals.

2. Clever Conversation Pieces

Animal skin rugs can be used for more than just floor coverings.

Drape one over a plain colored sofa for an instant lift or hang one from the wall to create a dramatic focal point.

You could even use a pair of scissors and a staple gun to reupholster a stool, or use a small hide as a centerpiece over a table cloth.

3. Improving Small Spaces

Animal skins add an unexpected touch to any space in the home. The elegant detail provided by an animal skin rug adds eye-catching appeal to any awkward little corner.

Nobody likes a small, cold and uninviting bathroom. Add warmth and interest to the littlest room in the house with a cow hide rug.

4. Create a Cozy Comfort Zone

Create a reading nook by placing a warm animal skin mat beneath a reading chair or go the classic route with a large skin spread before your fireplace.

The bedroom is an obvious choice for a warm, furry animal skin rug to warm your feet as you climb out of bed.

How about extending the luxury to your nursery.  Animal skin rugs can stand up to the rigors of childhood spills and provide a soft landing place for toddlers learning to walk.

5. Contrast or Compliment

Does the overall design of your home have a minimalist Scandinavian feel?  Add a pop of color with animal skin rugs dyed in the shade of your choice.  They are even available in metallic shades and leopard-print.

The contrast in texture itself adds interest to an otherwise understated look.

A totally white animal skin rug looks gorgeous on a solid wood floor. A hide dappled in brown and white adds an instant masculine touch to your man-cave’s design.

An animal skin is a good way to add another element in a similar shade to your main color scheme without being boring.

To show off your rug’s variegated patterns, place it underneath a glass coffee table, instead of hiding it under a solid wooden one.

6. Sometimes More is More

A dramatically patterned animal skin rug can add impact to the floor space of a room which is bursting with other design elements such as bold prints and busy wallpaper.

With a little creativity, all these different elements will come together into one aesthetically pleasing whole.

7. Adding Informal Elements

Animal skin rugs can add a modern element to a very formal stuffy setting. The textural differences of a patterned cow skin creates a pleasant contrast to synthetic fabrics such as velvet or leather.

If you simply must have a traditional rectangular, round or square rug, that can be arranged. Alternatively, you could place your irregular-shaped animal skin rug over your desired shape.

8. Luxury Underfoot and Elsewhere

Some types of animal skins such as alpaca are incredibly soft and luxurious. Perfect for decorating a bedroom or reading nook.

You can even use alpaca skin to craft a luxurious comforter for your bed. A cowskin placed under your kitchen table is a relief from the early morning chill and right on trend.

Animal skins can also be made into gorgeous soft cushions, stylish ottomans, and other accessories to compliment your decor.

Show Your Individuality

There are few limits when it comes to interior design using animal skins.

Take a look around your home to see where you can implement this enduring trend.

Speak to us about our range of animal skin rugs.

We stock a huge variety of zebra, cow, calf, alpaca and axis deer hides. We would love to help you choose the latest fashion accessory for your home.