Subscribe
The Inside Look
Thank you! You're now subscribed to the Inside Look.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
We independently select everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›
I seriously dread redecorating any room for one very specific and agitating reason — rug shopping. In short: High-quality, affordable rugs are hard to find.
Over the years it seems like it’s been getting more difficult than ever to find the perfect rug and truly get a feel for it before it arrives at your house. After trying and returning rug after rug, wasting weeks of time in the redecorating process, I was pleased to see Floyd offering a brand new option to solve my problems.
In line with Floyd’s simple and straightforward naming conventions, it’s new product, the Rug is made from natural materials, and available in five timeless colors and five versatile sizes — starting at $195.
Once you find a rug you love, you usually have one room taken care of. But with the extensive variety Floyd offers, different styles of this rug could outfit a whole house without any two rooms looking or feeling the same.
Here are the five color options currently available:
The Rug combines simple, versatile colors with a rich texture and subtle weaving pattern that’s crafted to go anywhere in your home and work with any design style.
Made from 60% New Zealand wool and 40% Indian cotton, the Rug's ultra-durable weave is designed to withstand the highest traffic areas of the home. And before launching, Floyd spent a long time barefoot testing the product (the next best thing when you have to online shop for a rug...at least someone gets to step on it first).
Floyd’s co-founder Alex O’Dell says, “This is a product category that we deem essential to any room in the house - and we’re really proud to be introducing a collection of high-quality textiles that we’ll stand by for years to come.”
“This is a product category that we deem essential to any room in the house - and we’re really proud to be introducing a collection of high-quality textiles that we’ll stand by for years to come.”
Opening the product was a bit alarming because it was wrapped in layers of plastic, unlike other brands I’ve used that deliver products in recyclable materials. However, it was well-protected in the shipping process which is essential.
One perk of this rug if that it was heavy enough to lay flight right out of the package, eliminating the need to roll the rug the opposite way to get the corners to calm down, or to go find my heaviest book to leave on it for 24 hours. It was ready to use right out of the package, though a rug pad feels like a total must with this rug, or you’ll be slipping and sliding through your foyer. (Floyd offers a Rug Pad for $55.)
I was instantly impressed by the quality of the rug fibers. It looks like it could be scratchy, but after stepping on it that’s far from the truth. The wool is thick and soft, but well-constructed so it doesn’t look like it will fray anytime soon (or ever). Plus I got to tell my kids the cool story of how New Zealand sheep live in super hilly homes that get cold and wet, so they have soft and bouncy wool which made our rug. The wool is meant to wick away moisture and dirt, so it will live in the kitchen or foyer forever, maybe a little of each.
The wool is thick and soft, but well-constructed so it doesn’t look like it will fray anytime soon (or ever).
I was stunned by pattern and detailing of our Anthracite selection. The Rug isn't a simple one color rug, but rather features grays, blacks and whites woven together. This will become a timeless rug in our home because the colors will match most rooms. I was also really pleased by the beautiful detail running down two sides which had thicker woven tufts. This elevated the rug from a basic everyday item to something more luxurious and fancy looking. In this way the rug can be “dressed up or down” based on the vibe of a variety of rooms. Not every rug can say this — some are too prissy and some are too laid back to be versatile.
There’s no question that this rug will last for years. And by years I mean possibly decades, maybe a lifetime. Though I must admit I’m slightly intimidated by a few of the suggestions for caring for the rug, but I'm certainly willing to put in the work to maintain its high quality performance over years. For example, it shouldn’t be vacuumed with a machine that has a beater bar, and shouldn’t be placed directly over other carpet as the color may bleed. Professional cleaning is recommended, but for the short term (like tomorrow when my kids introduce their first juice box to it, probably) it can be clotted with a clean dry, white sponge.
Founded in 2013, Detroit-based furniture brand Floyd launched on Kickstarter with a single product, The Floyd Leg and generated $256,273 from 1,395 backers. Since then Floyd, led by Detroit natives Alex O’Dell and Kyle Hoff, has evolved to offer a wide range of high-design furniture pieces aimed to simplify furniture shopping for modern consumers.
"With the growth of a few furniture companies (or just a select one) the cultural norm of how we consume furniture dramatically shifted,” says O’Dell, alluding to the rise of Ikea and disposable furniture. “The EPA estimates 9.8 million tons of furniture waste is thrown into landfills in the US every year. We launched Floyd because we thought that was crazy,” he adds.
Most companies have some sort of sustainability and ethical promise. Floyd has a five step plan to work towards its 2025 sustainability goals, and vision to keep furniture out of landfills, and we are here for it.
Floyd's five step plans include launching a resale and refurbishment program meant to extend the life of their furniture, which they want to last a lifetime and never end up in a landfill (furniture waste has grown 2.5 percent since 1960, they state). It also plans to ensure 70% of materials used in its products come from recycled or renewable sources — an example of moving towards this goal already is that you can purchase a recycled material rug pad with your rug.
Minimizing plastic packaging materials (as mentioned earlier on), moving towards 100% FSC certified wood across all products, and measuring, disclosing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are also a part of the brand's sustainability plans. In order to not end up in a landfill, Floyd's products are meant to be universally used throughout the home, meaning a couch is built to look and hold up just as well at the foot of your bed as in a living room...and you already know how many spaces I plan on using the rugs for.
Floyd has inspired me to buy higher quality products with very specific and attainable sustainability goals. While some companies pledge to follow these standards, they fail to communicate a specific plan, and where they are in the process, making Floyd the refreshing outlier here. I look forward to using this rug, and am signing off to go do dishes while enjoying its comfort and beauty underfoot.
About Living Cozy
Expert writers and contributors
