Many people appreciate the versatility, beauty and durability of cowhide rugs. If you’re looking to acquire one or more of these long-lasting hides, here’s what to look for.

Natural Patterns

Popular naturally occurring cowhide patterns include Holstein, Hereford, Longhorn, brown and white, brindle, and salt and pepper. Holstein designs include large spots with splotches of white and black. Hereford cowhide rugs appear white and brown with white stripes on the sides and in the middle. If you like randomness, you’ll love the speckled patterns of Longhorn rugs.

If your taste runs towards the exotic, the intertwined stripe designs in grays, blacks and browns of brindle hides will make a fabulous addition to your home. Salt and pepper cowhides consist of dotted and speckled patterns on white backgrounds. You can also get striking tri-color patterns in combinations of white, brown and black or deep brown with tan and black.

Natural solid colours work well for traditionalists, or if you’re giving a cowhide rug as a gift. These include solid white, black, gray, brown, chocolate, light beige, champagne, cream, tan and palomino (yellowish tans and rich blondes).

Dyed Rugs

You can accent even the most modern or eclectic home designs with a dyed cowhide rug. For example, Holstein or solid white patterns get jazzed up with colorfast dyes. This results in bold accent pieces or rugs with earthy tones. Vibrant hues include colors such as lime green, fuchsia, sky blue, purple, pink and tomato red. Earthy tones include deep shades of brown, navy, khaki, cappuccino or mustard.

Stenciled Designs

If you like the organic look of hide but prefer a safari-type look, go with a stenciled rug. Cow prints can easily turn into safari animal patterns via colorfast dyes. These remarkably realistic looking animal patterns come in tiger, cheetah, giraffe, jaguar, zebra and leopard prints. You can even get these in psychedelic versions.

Metallic Rugs

Metallic color schemes appeal to many individualists, and you can now get cowhide coverings to match. One popular technique involves treating natural cowhides to achieve a splatter effect. Random bare spots are enhanced with metallic colours like silver, gold, bronze or copper for an especially striking effect.

Picking the Right Combination

When looking at sizes, keep in mind that hides are generally measured at the longest and widest points. However, colours and measurements aren’t the only factors to consider. Before you go shopping, you also have to contemplate the length of the cow hair. Cowhide rugs actually come in long, medium and short. Shiny and smooth coverings have short fibres. Hides that have a thick, wavy appearance classify as long-hair.

No matter what kind of cowhide rug you end up buying, you can’t go wrong. Any of these organic coverings will add functionality and style to your home for many years to come.