Design Trend - Little Fur Rugs {by Leslie @ The Design File}

Hey guys!  Sorry for the extended absence – we have had a ton of family and friends rotating through and I haven’t had any time to hop on the computer.  I haven’t even been on Pinterest for weeks until today!  And I know I owe you guys some updated pics of the Lil Man – stay tuned for some of those soon!

However today I am back with one of my favorite bloggers – Leslie @ The Design File.

Leslie writes a fantastic blog all about design trends, ideas, and advice.  I love her blog because she writes about such great topics including DIY tips (check out her article on tips for choosing a chair to reupholster),

features fantastic home tours,

and great products and shopping advice. 

Last year she did a series on 30 days of design ideas for under $30 that you just have to read – I loved this one! 

Leslie also does great thoughtful commentaries on design trends – and she has been kind enough to share one of these with us today!  So with out further ado – here is Leslie!

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Over at The Design File we’ve been talking recently about design trends and my favorite discussion has been about the use of little fur rugs on sofas, ottomans and other furniture pieces.

I love this trend and I remember that the first time I noticed it is when my mom threw a small IKEA sheepskin rug over an ottoman several years ago. It looked fantastic.

Now, I see them everywhere.

The photo at right is a pre-Design Star room from winner Emily Henderson.

Henderson, who now is the host of the show Secrets from a Stylist, loves doing this.

Below you’ll find two more of her rooms.

The one on the left is from Secrets from a Stylist and was from an early version of the room. I don’t think the final design included the fur. The one below right is another pre-Design Star room that Emily submitted as part of her application to be on the show. I like it better!

But it’s not just Emily.

Sherry & John over at Young House Love have a little fur rug thrown over an ottoman in their living room. They’ve actually used these little pieces all over their old and new houses.

I found the beautiful dining room below at Apartment Therapy from a 2010 post about how faux fur rugs are showing up all over dining room chairs.

I wonder what you have to do to get the cushy chair for dinner?

Raina of Alberta, who has a blog called Raining Sheep and posts photos on Flickr, has sheepskin over the sofa in her cool, modern living room, pictured below.

Raina has used the throw the look with a cow-hide rug too. That may be too much animal fur/print for me but it seems to work well here.

What do you think of this trend? I love it but will it be over soon?

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Leslie – I think this is a trend that will keep making an appearance time and time again.  Furs have been around since the dark ages, and while then they were a necessity for warmth, they still provide the ascetic features of creating a cozy feeling.  I think this is one that we will see continue, especially as the weather turns cooler every year!  The size and shape may vary – but I think the fur look will always be with us!

So what about you?  Do you think fur as a design trend is one that will continue?  Leslie and I would love to know your opinion!