Affordable Cow Hide Rugs For Your Living Room

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Like art, a cow hide rug is unique, and no two are alike. Since they make great decorative pieces, there’s no denying that they can instantly add beauty and character to your living room. If you ever need to redecorate your space, consider buying a cow hide rug to dress up your floors.

What is a Cow Hide Rug?

As its name, a cow hide rug is a type of leather made from cow skin. By and large, cow hide rugs are by-products of the meat and dairy industry. Though some consider it cruel, many still favor such rugs when styling their living spaces and offices. One can last for several years, or even decades, with proper care.

Besides having remarkable versatility, a cow hide rug in your living room is often a symbol of luxury when paired with the right furniture. They help tie the whole place together. Best of all, they seamlessly fit into modern farmhouse or minimalist spaces.

Before making the purchase, it’s important to note the difference between a real and fake cow hide rug. This is because redecorating your living room with a cow hide rug might fail if it doesn’t match up to your needs and preferences.

Real vs. Fake Cow Hide Rugs

Real Cow Hide Rug

Like wool rugs, a real cow hide rug is 100 percent genuine and a hundred folds better than a fake one. Without a doubt, it gives flat-out smoothness and warmth to your feet and home, literally and figuratively, respectively.

Aside from that, it’s super durable and long-lasting. It can even outlive most furniture items in your living room. With weekly vacuuming and yearly deep steam cleanings, you can maintain genuine a cow hide rug’s natural shine and color for decades to come.

Understandably, authentic rugs are naturally expensive. It requires a lot of effort to source the cow hide and a lot of money and hard work to manufacture it. Depending on the uniqueness of the pattern, a single piece can range anywhere between $300 to $1,000. After all, durability and quality often come with a high price tag.

Fake Cow Hide Rug

You can tell that a cow hide rug is fake when the fur is unrealistically too soft to the touch. Manufacturers use a variety of chemicals to mimic the suppleness of fur from genuine cow hide rugs. However, synthetic rugs tend to lose their willowy texture after a few years. Since frequent cleaning can wear down chemicals that keep bristles soft, they will become patchy and feel stiff like plastic.

Subsequently, fake cow hide rugs trap allergens and pathogens longer than real cow hide rugs. Since the former has thicker mats of fiber, the latter is best for those looking for a hypoallergenic option. One can quickly shake off the dust and dirt buildup from genuine cow hide rugs without losing fur quality.

Despite this, there are also significant advantages to note when using fake cow hide rugs, and one is that these rugs are a vegan-friendly way to decorate your space. The vegan community has been growing tremendously, and they, too, have a say when it comes to using ethical interior design ideas.

Above all, you can get fake cow hide rugs at a very affordable price. You can also purchase an identical one for your bedroom since they’re entirely manufactured. At the end of the day, the decision of whether to get a real or a fake cow hide rug lies where your needs and budget meet.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Cow Hide Rug

Versatility

Nothing can match the versatility of a real cow hide rug. Meaning, they’re not only friends with the floor since they can be hung like a tapestry or used to drape the back of your couch. This adds texture and comfort that your family and guests will genuinely appreciate. Besides, its power to transform a room from cozy to luxurious can’t be beaten, even when you have expensive furniture at hand.

Durability

Living rooms are your greatest visiting cards for entertaining guests. Hence, this place is the busiest. As mentioned, genuine cow hide rugs are known for durability, so they’re the perfect rugs to put under coffee tables or sofas. You don’t need to worry about occasional spills because such rugs repel liquid stains. Plus, they can endure heavy foot traffic and daily wear and tear, so they’ll never frazzle even when people sit or step on them.

Color

If you thought cow hide rugs only come in brown and white, then you’re not entirely correct. Cow hide rugs come in light to dark brown colors, with some even purely white or black. There are also cow hide rug options that look like marble, and some can even be dyed to a specific color.

Neutral colors make perfect rugs to add texture to your living room without being a centerpiece. Contrastingly, dyed rugs are heavily sought after by homeowners who are following a specific color scheme to match or complement their decors. But if you want a cleaner approach to decorating your living room, then a black, white, or grey cow hide rug is your best bet.

Odor/Smell

Like leather, real cow hide rugs smell rich and earthy, with some containing slightly sweet scents. Though not wholly odorless, the smell is not overbearing and can pass as unnoticeable. But if you’re bothered by the smell of leather, what you can do is hang it outside where there’s no direct sunlight. This enables air to take away the scents acquired during the tanning process. Or, you can just open the windows and let the fresh air do its work.

On a side note, faux cow hide rugs often have this distinct “fishy smell” and can be hard to get rid of. It can also smell like plastic but will gradually fade over some years. There are no clear instructions on minimizing the smell of such synthetic rugs but keeping the windows open can help even by a bit.

Price

You can get a decent faux cow hide rug for a mere $20. But do note that this will only last you for a couple of years. Typically, most people choose real cow hide rugs since they’re known to last for generations and have fewer chemicals than synthetic ones. When you want to be practical and aim for the highest quality, expect to spend more or less $400 for a single rug. Eventually, the purchase is always worth it because of the perks and longevity you get from authentic pieces.

Best Cow Hide Rugs for Your Living Room

1. FALARK Fluffy Cow Print Rug Faux Cowhide

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Bring your living room back to life by having this faux cow print rug from FALARK. Since it sports a tricolor design, it can easily blend with neutral-toned furniture or any rustic and chic decor. It ultimately adds comfort and a luxurious feel to your space while creating a visual impact that will keep guests cozy and entertained.

2. Amazing RODEO Cowhide Rug

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Looking for luxury interior decoration at an affordable price? Then this genuine cow hide rug from Amazing Rodeo can end your search. This tricolor cow hide is 100 percent natural, so you can style your living room without toxic chemicals that can harm your family. Plus, it’s non-slip and a little lighter than most cow hide rug options for easier portability and redecoration.

Read more: How To Hide A Fireplace

3. Pure Brown & White Superior Cowhides Rug

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This brown and white cow hide rug can take your small space to the next level. Its color can instantly make a room look solemn yet snug to provide a comforting place for your family and guests. Aside from having no strong odor, this rug is safe for your toddler thanks to its soft, hypoallergenic fur that won’t cause any health problems at all.

4. Solid Black Cowhide Rug

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Exude bold sophistication and pure luxury when using this solid black cow hide rug for your living room. Black enhances the color and shapes of other decors, making it the perfect rug to accentuate furniture and accessories. Above all, this cow hide also makes a great wall piece, as it imposes a dramatic and sensual appeal to your living space.

5. Tricolor Brazilian Cowhide Area Rug

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Another tricolor pick from this list is this Brazilian cow hide rug by Pergamino. Worried about shedding? Well, you don’t have to since this rug does not shed and does not trap any dust in your home. It’s also safe around kids and pets – making it the perfect, large-sized rug for the whole family to enjoy.

6. Real Cowhide Genius Leather

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This brindle-design rug is not only excellent for adding a subtle design touch to a room, but it also stands up to daily use. When paired with light-toned furniture, it can significantly impact your floors as it cancels out the space beneath. This rug is also best because the edges lay flat on the ground and do not curl up, which can help prevent tripping hazards in the long run.

Read more: How To Hide A Mattress

7. Brown Brindle Cowhide Rug

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Besides the gorgeous visual features, this cow hide rug can add a cozy touch to any space, especially in your living room. With this, you’re guaranteed quality even with frequent usage and heavy foot traffic. Best of all, no complicated maintenance is needed to preserve and clean this rug, so you can enjoy peace of mind whenever unexpected guests arrive.

8. Yincimar Faux Cowhide Rug

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To give your floors great contrast, this faux cow hide rug from Yincimar works excellent on light-colored or natural flooring and has a non-slip latex backing to avoid slipping around haphazardly. With this, you’re not just guaranteed a safe and secure rug, but also furnishing that boasts an ideal combination of functionality and visual appeal.

9. Acid Wash Faux Cowhide Rug

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Your floors deserve some attention too. But if you don’t have the time and budget for a renovation, then this acid wash faux rug can help spotlight your flooring. These rugs bring an airy and light tone to your space, which could be a statement piece for ranch and minimalist homes. Plus, the gold flakes on the rug make it look lavish and will add some flair to your typical southwest living room.

10. Unique Champagne (Light Beige) Cowhide

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Need to spice up your space? Then try this unique champagne cow hide rug from Amazon. Light beige rugs bring a natural and bright tone to your floors. They’re pretty rare as homeowners know the struggle of keeping white things white. But this rug virtually adds a splash of style through a simple and appealing aesthetic. Also, it’s effortless to clean and hardwearing to last a lifetime.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Clean a Cow Hide Rug?

There are various ways on how to clean a cow hide rug. If you want to get rid of dust and debris, vacuuming the rug from time to time can prevent buildup. But when you don’t have a vacuum at hand, simply shaking the rug outside your house works wonders.

When faced with spills and tough stains, remove them with gentle handwashing. You can also use a wet towel soaked in mild soap to scrub the rug. Just remember, don’t put the rug in a washing machine or use dry-cleaning chemicals unless stated otherwise. This can destroy the fibers on the rug or, worse, distort the shape of the rug completely.

How to Style a Cow Hide Rug?

Thanks to their versatility, people have been using cow hide rugs in all places – not just on floors. They, too, can be hung like works of art or as throw rugs for a cozy snuggle.

If you want to keep your rectangular rug in place, you can place the cow hide rug on top of it for added comfort and texture. This breaks lines and patterns on your floors and gives your space a new look without removing an element or piece of furniture. You can also use this for sparsely-decorated rooms to counter empty spaces and add some personality.

Aside from putting cow hide rugs on floors, you can add spice to your walls by hanging them. This gives your place a contemporary feel to it. Likewise, such decorative ornaments can entice your guests to appreciate the unique patterns better up close.

Lastly, using cow hide rugs as throw blankets have been a trend recently, so we don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t try it. Comfort should be your priority when hosting guests. Thanks to the heftiness of a cow hide rug, they make great blankets that offer soothing and therapeutic properties to relieve stress and anxiety.

Are Cow Hides Hypoallergenic?

Yes, they are. In fact, real cow hide leather is more hypoallergenic than synthetic ones. Genuine rugs are free from allergy-triggering fibers since they are 100 percent natural. Also, they do not trap pathogens like faux rugs and carpets. But if it still concerns you, vacuuming the hide every day can minimize buildup and suck all your worries away.

Do Cow Hides Promote Animal Cruelty?

Most companies who manufacture cow hide rugs don’t promote animal cruelty. They only produce cow hide rugs when the meat and dairy production is still ongoing. Hence, they don’t harm animals and only use what’s left after production. Instead of letting cow skin pollute landfills, they create a new way to repurpose them.

Conclusion

When redecorating, living room floors are the most crucial part of the house. But you don’t need to pull out a hammer or a sander to refurbish your flooring. Instead, you can check these affordable cow hide rugs to spruce up your space and create a welcoming spot for your guests.

Since we’re on the topic of refurbishing living room spaces, these faux leather sofas can make a tremendous and lasting impression on your guests. Not only are they comfortable to sit on, but they are also perfect for adding value when enhancing your home.