I have always had a soft spot for a good shag rug, maybe because we had one in our living room until I was about 11. If you do one though, it's really got to be wool, because these things tend to get dirty and wool is probably the most forgiving of any fiber.
Wool is naturally springy and retains its shape - if you look at the fibers under a microscope, they look like little coils. That's why wool sweaters don't tend to stretch and get baggy the way cotton ones do. Also, it tends to repel dirt more effectively than synthetic fibers like polyester, because polyester is petroleum-based and if you remember from chemistry, like attracts like - so dirty oils tend to stick to it. The natural lanolin coating on wool helps repel dirt somehow.
I am really taken by the color range available at Home Decorators' Collection, shown in the photo above.
http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Standard_Flokati_Area_Rug/410/
Even though this type of rug is classically seen in white, there's something about the deep mulberry color that I find so inviting. I think it may really work in our bedroom, and I've also been considering a runner for my closet. Luscious!
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