If you have imagined a cow hide rug as just a brown splotch of colour, or more commonly, a black-and-white splash of colour, in the shape of a cow, you have a whole new world to explore. Cow hide rugs are growing in popularity and with this fashionable new trend come a veritable feast of styles, colours, shapes, and sizes.

Creations in cow hide rugs are taking on artistic proportions. A large amount of cow hide rugs are designed and manufactured in Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, using animal skins that have been processed for meat in the many local industrial packaging plants. Cow hide is an all-natural by-product of the cattle industry. It is recycled to ensure that no part of the animal used for meat is wasted.

The role of professional tanners comes into play as the methods used to treat and soften the skin can add to the beauty, suppleness, and longevity of the rug. They use proven methods to soften the hide and make it ready for use in rug applications, along with other products. This treatment also ensures that the hide is resistant to shedding and/or producing any odours. It is widely held that a tanning process using chromium will make the hide softer and longer-lasting. Argentina and Brazil have earned a reputation for perfecting this technique. By “curing” the hide, as it were, it becomes more flexible and pliable, increasing the potential for its use.

Due to the versatility of the natural skin, it is easy for tanners to work with and, thus, easy to come up with a varied assortment of designs, shapes, and uses. Patchwork designs can be created from smaller sections of hides that cannot be used as a whole piece due to a cut or scar to the skin.

Many cow hide rugs are dyed to look like zebra or tiger hides, or the look of other endangered species. It is hoped that this product will decrease the desire of some to threaten the lives of endangered animals merely for their skins.

Cow hide rugs can be dyed nearly any colour, pattern, or design, and cut to practically any shape you need to accommodate the design of your home. These rugs can be used as floor coverings, throws for a sofa or chair, or even as artful wall hangings. The options are almost as limitless as your imagination. Of course, cow hide rugs can also remain in their natural colour scheme and, in that way, can provide a country or rustic setting or feeling to a room in your home. They can also make a fine accessory to an office.

If you have a large flooring area to cover, you might choose one very large, premium quality cow hide rug that will do the space justice. If you have a smaller area, with a few armchairs and a sofa, you might consider small cow hide rugs to place at the feet of these furnishings. Each scheme has its own merits and can provide a striking ensemble for your home.