Cowhide rugs are elegant and stylish accent pieces and they often contribute to a more inviting and casual atmosphere without compromising on elegance. A beautiful cowhide rug can be a very beautiful focal point in a living room and also a very chic detail for the décor. Let’s take a look at a few interiors that feature such accents. If you’ve always thought a cowhide rug just isn’t for you, think again. These chic, one-of-a-kind layering pieces have proven to be a natural fit in a surprisingly wide variety of interiors. The organic shape and texture of a cowhide rug can soften the lines in a room, yet there’s a certain rugged quality to it as well. And since the hide’s natural oils resist staining, it’s a great choice for high-traffic areas or homes with small children or even pets. So put aside your doubts and take a look at some of the ways you can decorate with a cowhide rug in your home.

Your Cowhide Rug will best suit to these places

Captivating Kitchen

If the living room is the heart of a home, then the kitchen is definitely the soul. It’s supposed to be nice, cozy and welcoming - and nothing does that better than an attractive cowhide rug. You won’t have to worry about stains or food spilling onto the rugs and getting them dirty – cowhide rugs are easy to clean.

Bedazzle Your Bedroom

The bedroom is one the area in the house that absolutely be the most comfortable – after all, it’s where you take long naps during the day and go to sleep at night. The coziness factor should be at an all-time high here, so adding a cowhide rug to match your bedspread definitely makes sense.

Put It Before the Patio

If you have a household filled with active people, then they’re probably coming through the back and side doors often, leaving debris and dirt from outside onto your floor. Place a sturdy cowhide rug on the ground near one of these doors and let it collect the dust and dirt before it hits the main areas of the house.

A wide variety of Cowhide Rugs attributes

Natural

There are so many different natural patterns, colors and hair lengths, and The Cowhide Store is the place to find them all! Our most popular types are Holstein (large spots and splotches of black and white), Hereford (Brown and white with white strips in the middle and sides), Longhorn (randomly speckled patterns), brindle (exotic intertwined stripe patterns in combinations of browns, greys, and blacks), brown and white (like Holstein pattern but with various shades of brown instead of black), salt and pepper (speckled and dotted patterns on white), tri-colored (various patterns with shades of black or grey, brown, and white), and mahogany (deep browns highlighted by touches of black and tan). Natural solid colors are also quite popular, such as solid white and off-white colors (cream, light beige, and champagne), gray, palomino (rich blondes and yellowish tans), tan, brown, chocolate, and black.

Dyed

For the eclectic palate, we have our Deco dyed collection. Premium solid white and Holstein patterns are given vibrant hues and earthy tones using colorfast dyes. Choose from fun, bold colors like pink, fuchsia, red, and tomato, orange, yellow, lime green, khaki, sky blue, blue, navy, purple, cappuccino and mustard. Deep shades of black and chocolate brown are also available, as well as dyed zebra patterns.

Stenciled

How does a cow become a zebra? The magic happens when our premium cowhides are stenciled with amazingly realistic zebra stripes. Colorfast dyes are used to embed stripes or spots on natural cowhides to create amazingly realistic safari animal patterns. Choose from zebra, tiger, jaguar, cheetah, leopard, and giraffe print hides. You can also get psychedelic with our safari printed dyed hides in bright colors.

Devore, Etched & Embossed

Our devore hides will blow your mind. Natural cowhides are treated to create a splatter effect where random bare spots on the leather are finished with metallic colors like bronze, gold, copper or silver. Our etched hides undergo a similar process, whereby distinct patterns are etched into the hair of the cowhide. Our embossed selections are created by stamping patterns, like alligator skin, directly into the leather. All of these techniques can be applied to natural and dyed cowhides.

Patchwork Rugs

Our patchwork rugs are crafted from pieces of our premium hair-on cowhides that are sewn together in amazing patterns to create some of the most unique area rugs you've ever seen. These can be custom made in practically any size, design, and colors imaginable. Find out more in our Patchwork Rug Buying Guide.

Best way to maintain

Method First

Keeping up with Regular Cleaning

1. Vacuum the rug. Include the rug in part of your regular cleaning routine. It's safe to vacuum your cowhide rug as you would any other rug in your home. Vacuuming the rug can help keep it clean and prevent dirt or stains from building up in the first place. It's easiest and safest to use the hose attachments on your cowhide rug. Always vacuum in the direction of the hair. Make sure the brushes are not spinning on your vacuum.

2. Shake the rug off. It can be a good idea to take the rug outside and shake it off once in a while. Although your vacuum may get a lot of dirt and dust out of the rug, shaking it off outside can knock loose anything that might have been stuck deeper in the rug. Shaking the rug off is a simple method that you can use to keep your cowhide rug clean and lasting longer.Try to avoid beating the rug to break dirt loose. Shake the rug with only enough force to remove dirt.

3. Rotate the rug. If your cowhide rug is placed on the floor, it will be subjected to gradual wear and tear over time. If you never change its position on the floor, it may wear unevenly. This can cause your rug to look off-balance or make it look more worn out than it should be. Always remember to reposition the rug to keep any wearing spread out and even.
4. Brush the rug. Your cowhide rug can benefit from regular brushing, helping to keep it clean and looking great. Brushing can be a good method of removing dirt from all areas of the cowhide rug, cleaning places that a vacuum might miss. Try to include brushing your cowhide rug in your regular cleaning routine to help keep it looking its best. You can use a brush or broom with hard plastic bristles. Try to brush with the direction of the hair, instead of against it.

5. Do not get your cowhide rug wet. Although you may use a slight amount of water to steam clean the cowhide rug, you should never get it wet. If your cowhide rug is ever soaked in water, it may be severely damaged. Always keep exposure to water at a minimum when cleaning your cowhide rug to help keep it in great condition,Sun or air dry your rug if it does get soaked in water. Never put your cowhide rug into a drying machine.

Method Second

Removing Liquid Stains

1. Clean up spills quickly. If you have just spilled something on your cowhide rug, you should act quickly to clean it up. Leaving any liquid to soak into the rug will result in stains that are much more difficult to remove. Take these actions as soon as you notice a spill on your cowhide rug to help reduce the staining: Soak the spill up with a towel or sponge. Don t wipe the spill away, as this will only spread it. Try to use only a dabbing motion while absorbing the spill.

2. Scrape away dried matter. You may find that some areas of the spill have dried and left solid material behind. These can be scraped away with the blunt edge of a knife. Use the knife's blunt edge to gently break up and remove any areas of dried material until only the stain is left. Scrape with the direction of the hair. Do not use the sharp edge of the knife. You might also try using a hard bristled brush or spoon. Don't scrape or press too hard. Apply only enough pressure to remove the dried material.

3. Use shampoo and water to remove liquid stains. If there is a small stain on your cowhide rug from a spill, you can try using shampoo and water to remove it. The water and mild soapy solution will help to break up the stain and restore your cowhide. Use a damp cloth or sponge to apply the soapy water to the cowhide rug. You can scrub and rub in any direction. Make sure the sponge or towel isn't soaking wet. Don't use any alkaline soaps or shampoos.

4. Finish cleaning the cowhide rug. After you've scrubbed the rug, you will want to remove any soapy residue from it. Take a new cloth and dampen it with only water. Use this damp cloth to gently wipe away any soap or remaining stain. Allow your rug time to dry before placing it back in your room. If the stain is still there, you can try cleaning the rug again to remove what's left. If you can't seem to remove the stain yourself, you may need to have it professionally cleaned.

5. Do not use dry-cleaning or machine washing. Although it may be tempting, using a washing machine or dry-cleaning chemicals will damage your cowhide rug. All stains and spills should be removed by gentle hand washing only. Never use washing machine or dry-cleaning kits on your cowhide rug to remove stains.

Method Third

Removing Food or Grease Stains

1. Scrape away solid matter. If food or grease has fallen on your cowhide rug, remove what you can immediately. However, there is likely to be something left behind that will have stained the rug. Wait for this material to dry before gently scraping it away with the blunt edge of a knife. Don't use the sharp edge of the knife. Remember to scrape with the direction of the hair. You can also use a spoon or hard bristled brush. Don't scrape too forcefully. Use just enough pressure to break the solid material away from the rug.

2. Dab the area in eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus oil is thought to break down food or grease stains, allowing you to fully clean the stained area. Gently apply a small amount of eucalyptus oil to the stained area using a cloth. It's important that you only apply a small amount of eucalyptus oil and only apply it to the stained area. Try to gently push the eucalyptus oil into the stain. Avoid scrubbing too forcefully
3. Wipe with a damp sponge. After you've dabbed the stained area with eucalyptus oil, you can finish cleaning the stain. Scrub the area with a clean, damp cloth to remove what's left of the stain and the eucalyptus oil. Allow the area to dry and check to see if the stain was removed successfully. Use a damp cloth only. Let your cowhide rug air dry. If the stain wasn't removed, you may need to have the rug professionally cleaned.

Amazing Applications

Decorating

There are many uses of cowhide for decorating. Many people use cowhides as throw rugs under dining tables, coffee tables, or grand pianos, or as an entry rug in the foyer. They can be placed on carpet or directly on a wood or tile floor. Hides look great draped over a sofa table, chair or couch. When displayed on a wall, they create a natural art piece while enhancing room acoustics.

Upholstery

All of our hair-on cowhides are great for upholstery. They make perfect leather seats for dining or occasional chairs. Our cowhides have also been used to upholster everything from cornices, pillars, mirror frames, benches, and entire living room sets, to car interiors and motorcycle seats.