flooring decisions

Its been about a month and half since we closed on the house and ripped up the second floor carpeting. We tackled the landing/hall immediately by scraping off paint and adding new thresholds (see this post) but the office, guest bedroom and stairs are still untouched. Our original plan was to do a stripe stair runner but after having the installer out, we determined the stairs are too uneven to risk the wavy lines. In the bedroom, we were disappointed to learn that the hardwoods were unsalvageable due to old water damage and lots of paint splatter. We thought we would paint the floor but as time has passed I am starting to think it might not be the right solution. Finally, in the office we just wanted something inexpensive as we plan to eventually turn it into a master bathroom. 

I have been to the carpet store quite a few times and brought home armloads of samples and I think we are finally getting closer to making a decision. The thought that has started to get us there is to use seagrass or mountain grass in both the office and the bedroom. I love the look of natural carpets but have had sisal rugs before and did not like how difficult they were to clean. Lets just say Booker had a particular affinity for getting sick on past rugs....Seagrass and mountain grass, however, are both (according to my online research) stain resistant as the yarns they are made of are non-porous. Seagrass is grown in the Asia-Pacific region in paddies which are flooded with sea water. The grass is harvested, dried and spun into yarn that is used to make the flooring. It is hard and smooth underfoot and typically has a bit of a green hue to it. Mountain grass also comes the Asia-Pacific region and is typically used in hemp rugs. Its natural color is warmer than seagrass with more of an amber tone. My plan would be to layer both with other rugs like a cotton dhurrie, cowhide or something vintage. I like this direction as it seems more like having hardwood than wall to wall carpet which I don't love. Also its cheap! I haven't gotten an exact bid but compared to some of the carpet we were looking at it is half the price!

For the stair runner, seagrass is not a good option as its too slippery. For this area, we have been looking at sisal look alike wool carpets and have a few contenders. Sort of making progress! Now we just need to prep the stairs for painting, paint the risers and treads, order the carpet and have it installed....

For more information on seagrass and other natural flooring materials, check out Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home review of natural flooring.

from top left - design by Courtney Giles Interiors - source unknown - design by LeSueur Interiors - design by LeSueur Interiors - design by Laura Liess - via Sketch42 - via Modern Parents Messy Kids - via Bungalow Classic Blog