Welcome to the jungle!
If you've ever dreamt of bringing safari-style décor into your home, today may be your lucky day. Real zebra hide rugs are often used by interior designers in their projects for adding a touch of luxury and sophistication, but they are also becoming more popular with homeowners who want to give their living space an exotic twist. If you're looking for ways to decorate or revamp your living room or bedroom, adding a genuine zebra skin rug could just be the perfect way to do it!
Zebra Hide Rug: Where are they from?
Before we get started on some tips and tricks about how best to use a zebra hide rug in our own homes, let's first address the question of where you can find a zebra skin rug and how much they cost. Burchell Zebras are found predominantly in South Africa and Tanzania. It is important to only buy the Burchell breed as they are the only species you can import into the U.S legally.
As far as price goes, a zebra hide rug can cost anything from $1300 up to a few thousand dollars – depending on size and quality. When dealing with Zebra hides, the two most important categories determining price will always be the size and quality.
The 5 Different Ways to Decorate with a Zebra Hide Rug
1) Exotic Wall-Décor
A great way to turn your plain old wall into something luxurious and exotic is by adorning your wall with some African décor. While real animal skulls can give off a rather eerie vibe, you could hang up a zebra hide rug instead which is quite simple to accomplish and requires minimal work. Simply map out where the rug will go and using black construction nails, pin the hide against the wall with multiple nails around the entire skin.
2) Furniture Upholstery
A zebra skin rug can look incredibly chic when used as upholstery for your favorite armchair, ottoman or sofa. Hide rugs are versatile in that they can be used on both fabric and wooden furniture, so you could try it out with either. Some products you can achieve include ottomans, zebra hide pillows, chaise lounges and pillow covers.
3) Floor Rug
This is pretty much the most common use for a Zebra hide and the easiest to set up and maintain. Zebra rugs work with most interiors so long the design approach is not too busy. Zebra skin rugs can be layered with carpets or directly placed on the floor be it wood or concrete. Avoid using felted hides on slippery surfaces as the felting can cause the hide to slip easily.
However, if you opt for a dry hide, this should not be an issue.
4) Custom Products
We have seen our Zebra hides used for custom design work such as tables top, backpacks, gun bags, floor runners and even an exhibit art piece that featured the use of 7 Zebra skin rugs. If you can imagine it, I guess it sometimes work. When creating custom pieces made out of Zebra rugs, we always recommend using non felted hides that have been shaved a lot thinner than normal. This makes it easier to handle and upholster.