Wool is Back.
Posted January 20, 2022
Hi carpet lovers!
You may have heard recently that wool is once again the coolest kid on the block. In the last year alone we have seen our showroom move from around 30% wool carpets to a huge 50% of displayed ranges in 2022! Demand is huge and is being driven by consumers wanting more environmentally friendly flooring that is designed and manufactured here in New Zealand. Not to mention all the other great benefits of going wool.
Recent(ish) History of Wool
In the 90's crimped hair and synthetic fabrics were all the rage with fluro windbreakers becoming high fashion. At the same time the world of carpet was swamped by the arrival of polyester and solution dyed nylon options. Synthetics were king, they were cheaper to produce, the marketing was solid from big American suppliers and synthetics seemed to answer many of the problems wool carpets had presented in the past. Wool carpet suppliers adapted and wool in the showroom reduced to about 10% of carpets on offer.
Consumers flocked to synthetics in their droves. They were a modern marvel, luxuriously soft - and in the 90s did we even give greenhouse gasses a second thought?...Nope.
But, it's fair to say that wool carpet has had the make-over of it's life in the last five years. Where customers used to think scratchy, floral, 20 year old (or older) Axminister and dusty, bug ridden carpets, customers now get:
- Substantially less fade in wool carpets than ever before.
- Stunning textures and modern designs that are impossible to achieve with synthetics.
- A product that is more environmentally friendly to produce and dispose of... and the list just goes on and on and on.
Wool carpet is officially back, and if you're still not convinced...
Below we shear (see what we did there) our top 5 reasons to go wool!
1. Wool is a naturally reoccurring resource grown right here in Aotearoa.
Buy wool carpet to support our hard working farmers and suppliers who battle year on year to keep jobs and manufacturing in New Zealand. Customers are realising more and more that they can buy New Zealand sourced, designed AND manufactured carpets with requests growing rapidly for NZ produced products in our showrooms. If you can support your fellow countrymen, why wouldn't you?
2. It's naturally fire retardant - making your home safer.
If your house happens to catch fire (let's hope not, but future proofing is always a good idea) wool carpet doesn't burn like synthetics do. How you ask? Wool has a high level of keratin which means wool carpet has a a higher ignition temperature than it's synthetic counterparts, low flame-spread and low heat release properties. Wool does not melt like synthetics carpets do, and if it does manage to ignite, it creates a cool char that self-extinguishes - unlike synthetics which will be fueled and create toxic fumes.
3. Wool is naturally hypoallergenic.
The wool fibre is resistant to dust mites and the growth of bacteria. Long, coarse fibers mean that the fibres are not inhaled and will not irritate the respiratory system while being non-toxic and biodegradable.
4. It feels cozy and warm in winter and cool in summer.
Just like wool works for the sheep on the farm, your carpet will feel cool on hot days and warm when your toes are feeling the winter chill. Wool has tiny air pockets in strand which works perfectly as an amazing insulator.
5. Wool is without a doubt super luxurious to walk, lie and live on, and the difference is huge - you can come and lie on our carpet in the showroom any time you want!
Long lasting, hardwearing and great quality of life will be had with wool carpets in your home.
Have we convinced you to consider wool carpet for your space? Nearly all of the residential carpets we stock are featured on our website, so you can start your search right now!
Need some help to navigate the crazy world of carpet and flooring? Give us a call or pop in to visit at 147 Blenheim Road, Christchurch or 240 Marua Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland to speak to one of our experts.
Happy carpet hunting!
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