We Tested (and Rated!) Every Rug at The Citizenry

Although it might not be the “biggest” purchase you make for your home, a rug is still important — in fact, it’s the one piece that truly completes a space and ties all the other furniture pieces and design elements together. While there are seemingly an endless number of retailers where you can buy a rug, the list of options gets smaller when you’re looking for a rug that’s made from natural materials by hand. 

One of our favorite places to shop for just that type of rug is The Citizenry, a home goods store that specializes in small-batch, handcrafted pieces made by artisans around the world. As part of our Personal Shopper series, we visited the brand’s flagship store in New York City and saw a variety of its most popular rugs in person. To give you a taste of what the shopping experience was like, we compiled all of our thoughts here, with insights on and photos of each rug we got to see and touch in person.

The Citizenry prioritizes sustainable and ethical production, and each piece is unique — there are no mass-produced products here. All of its rugs are made from natural materials like wool and jute, and are woven and knotted by hand. Therefore, they are exceptionally high-quality, and are designed to be true heirloom pieces that you’ll use for many years.

Unsurprisingly, they are also much more expensive than the machine-made rugs you’ll find elsewhere. Prices for area rugs start at around $700 and go up to well over $3,000 for the largest options. Because those prices aren’t exactly affordable or budget-friendly, we recommend The Citizenry if you’re looking for special statement pieces that you won’t find elsewhere.

A few other things to keep in mind: The Citizenry aesthetic is muted, natural, and minimalist, so this isn’t a good place to shop if you’re a maximalist who loves busy patterns and bold colors. Also, all of the rugs we saw were suitable for indoor use only, so we don’t recommend shopping here for an outdoor-friendly rug.

We judged every rug from The Citizenry based on the following criteria:

• In-Store Placement: Where was the rug positioned in the store? Does the area get lots of foot traffic, like in the front or along major walkways? Is it in an area with low foot traffic, such as back corners or hanging on the wall?
• Aesthetic: What decor scheme or mood does it best suit? Does it have bold lines, patterns, or colors? Does it play nice with other decor elements, or does it steal the show?
• Feel: Is the surface soft to the touch? Or is it roughly textured?
• Fluff Factor: What is the rug’s pile height? Is it tufted with long threads or otherwise voluminous? Is the rug flat or thin — in other words, tightly woven with minimal volume?
• Versatility: Does it work indoors and outdoors? Can it be layered? Is it reversible? Does it come in a wide range of colors and sizes?

Keep in mind: We’ve focused our testing on the rugs’ visual and tangible elements, serving as your eyes and hands in-store rather than simply providing specifications that can be found online. Although we’ve supplemented our criteria with a few of these distinguishing details, such as materials (is it easy to clean? Is it known to last?) and dimensions, we are primarily reporting which rugs from The Citizenry are worth it — with interior design and lifestyle functionality as our priorities.

Every rug featured in this article was tested at The Citizenry’s New York City flagship store by Cullen Ormond and Sarah Everett. Cullen is Apartment Therapy’s associate home editor, and primarily writes about House Tours and design trends. She has worked at Apartment Therapy since 2023, and was previously an editor at Vox Media and a freelance writer.

Sarah is Apartment Therapy’s home project editor, covering DIYs, Before & Afters, and design topics. She has been part of the Apartment Therapy team since 2020, when she started out as an editorial assistant. 

Cullen’s thoughts: I’m not surprised that the store associate at The Citizenry told us that the Artha is the store’s most popular rug. It has a plush feel and a medium pile height, and is comfortable to walk on. It’s made of wool, so it’s a bit scratchier than a rug made from synthetic materials would be, but nonetheless still quite soft.

Unlike most of the other rugs I saw, the Artha comes in a variety of colors and sizes, which makes it a super-versatile pick. The color choices are neutral and earthy (which fits The Citizenry’s overall aesthetic), and each has subtle stripe detailing for some added visual texture. Thanks to that textural effect, I believe most of the colors would hide dirt well, which makes the Artha a good option for high-traffic areas.

Overall, I think this rug could work for pretty much every space in the home. The wool construction is durable and attractive (although take note that it will shed for the first few months), and the color and size varieties give you plenty of options to work with. 

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as an accent rug
• Material: Wool
• Sizes: 5’x8’, 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 0.5 inches (medium pile)
• Colors: 5

Cullen’s thoughts: This rug’s pattern is really striking, and the color scheme, while muted, is still equally eye-catching. It has a somewhat faded appearance, which gives it more of a laidback vintage vibe that I think would work particularly well in a living room. Plus, the mix of colors in the pattern would probably hide stains well.

Surprisingly, this rug isn’t as cozy as others I saw, despite it having a medium pile. It doesn’t feel as plush as the Artha, which has the same pile height, and I do think you would need a rug pad to make it feel more comfortable underfoot. The wool construction and textured design aren’t super soft either, but they do contribute to the rug’s overall durability.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Sarasi is currently only available in one color and four sizes, so you have much fewer choices compared to most of the other rugs. Still, it combines a good mix of neutral hues (The Citizenry describes them as slate, camel, flax, ecru, and gray) that could work with lots of decor styles and color schemes.

Specifications: 

• Material: Wool
• Sizes: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 0.5 inches (medium pile)
• Colors: 1

Sarah’s thoughts: I was immediately impressed by the Lahar’s color scheme and pattern, which is even more subtle than the Sarasi’s. The cream and white color combination is simple and neutral, but the sunburst pattern and border elevate it so the overall effect is neither boring nor basic. In fact, I would describe it as “cheerful.” I think this rug would work really well in a bedroom, as it’s not busy and has a serene vibe to it.

The feel is somewhere between soft and scratchy, which seems to be par for the course for wool rugs. The medium pile feels similarly in between plush and flat, and you could easily create a really cozy vibe with a thick rug pad. Like a few of the other rugs, the Lahar only comes in one shade, which is great for minimalists but might disappoint you if you’re looking for some color. On the other hand, it comes in quite a few sizes, including runners. 

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as a runner and accent rug
• Material: Wool
• Sizes: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 0.5 inches (medium pile)
• Colors: 1

Cullen’s thoughts: According to the store associate we talked to, this rug is another beloved option. Not only are the plush feel and white color appealing, but the curving design also gives it a more contemporary feel that makes it stand out compared to other plush white rugs. 

The Lalita is definitely the coziest rug in the store. Even though it was hanging on display, I wanted to lean on it because it was so soft and pillow-like. It’s no surprise that it’s a popular choice for bedrooms — and in fact, The Citizenry recommends it specifically for bedrooms and other low-traffic areas. I can see why, as the white color definitely won’t hide dirt well.

I really love the weaving work, which looks like a sort of half rainbow and makes up for the fact that the rug is a solid white color. (There are no other colors available.) It’s the plushest rug on display at 1-inch thick, so keep that in mind if you plan to place it near a door. Also, it will definitely shed in the beginning, but should ease up over time.

Specifications: 

• Material: Wool
• Sizes: 5’x8’, 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 1 inch (high pile)
• Colors: 1

Cullen’s thoughts: The Lata’s texture immediately stood out to me — the woven pattern almost looks like an aerial view of a field or cut grass. It feels like shorter sheepskin (it is made from wool, after all), and is nice and soft even with the texture. Similar to the Artha, it’s a super versatile option thanks to the minimalist design, and could work in pretty much every room.

It does feel a bit thin even though it has a medium pile height, but the warm fabric and cozy texture make up for it. Plus, the fringe on the ends adds some extra style. The Lata comes in three neutral colors (taupe, camel, and beige), so it’s not a great option for someone looking for bright colors — although none of The Citizenry’s rugs really fit that particular bill.

While the texture and darker colors could help hide dirt, I do think crumbs and pet hair could easily get stuck in between the woven “grooves.” Therefore, I think lower-traffic areas are best for the Lata, unless you’re OK with vacuuming frequently. Also, take note that this rug only comes in big sizes, starting at 6’x9’. 

Specifications: 

• Material: Wool
• Sizes: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 0.5 inches
• Colors: 3

Cullen’s thoughts: The Saraja is definitely the boldest rug we saw at The Citizenry today, thanks to the Southwestern-esque pattern and rust colorway. Although the colors aren’t as muted as they are on the Lahar and Sarasi rugs, the overall effect is still pretty neutral, and I don’t think it will be hard to match. The colors also give off a warm, earthy vibe that is very inviting.

While this rug feels soft, it’s also pretty thin — it has the lowest pile of the rugs we tested, tied with the Shakha. I would definitely place a thick rug pad underneath if you want a plusher feel, but otherwise I think the thinner pile is suitable for high-traffic areas. Plus, I think the color scheme and pattern will hide dirt well, further making this a good option for busy rooms.

The Saraja is only available in one color scheme (The Citizenry lists ecru, sand, flax, mist, camel, and light clay as the specific shades), as well as only large sizes. It’s also one of the more expensive rugs that The Citizenry offers, due to the labor required to make it — each one takes months to complete. If you’re looking for a unique statement rug, this is your best bet. 

Specifications: 

• Material: Wool
• Sizes: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 0.25 inches (low pile)
• Colors: 1

Cullen’s thoughts: The Shakha is a jute rug with a twist, thanks to the wool tufting featured throughout. Jute has a reputation for being scratchy (but very durable), so the addition of the wool makes it softer in both feel and appearance. The Citizenry says that it’s suitable for high-traffic areas — indeed, the rug on display at the store was placed in a bedroom setup that receives tons of foot traffic.

I did notice, though, that the tufting looked a bit dingy. That makes sense, considering the lighter color and how much more traffic a busy storefront gets compared to a typical home, but it’s worth mentioning. I still think this is a highly durable rug, as the jute sections didn’t show much wear and tear at all.

In all, I really loved the addition of the wool tufting. It elevates this rug from just a plain jute rug and makes it feel more special and visually interesting. I think this rug would work in just about any room, as long as you’re prepared to maintain the light wool sections, which will show some dirt. The low pile means that it’s not the coziest rug, but adding a rug pad will add some plushness if that’s what you’re looking for. 

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as a runner
• Material: Jute, wool
• Sizes: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’, 10’x14’
• Pile Height: 0.25 inches
• Colors: 1