Bringing the wilderness indoors with fur textures

Coinciding with the release of the Hollywood epic, The Revenant, it seems furs and hides are having a moment. Keeping Leonardo DiCaprio from freezing to death during most of the film, one might even be inclined to award his bear skin with an Oscar itself!

Fur trapping in the early 19th
Century was a perilous task but luxurious pelts would fetch a handsome price on the open market so hunters were willing to take to the wilderness to bring them back for the civilized world. Adding texture and warmth, animal hides will bring a sense of wild luxury to an interior and are nowadays readily available without enduring a cold winter in South Dakota.

Providing nature's finest insulation, the most popular products for today's homes are cow hide, reindeer hide and the ever popular sheepskin. Sheepskin is soft and supple, warmer than down and more durable than cloth. Prices will vary significantly depending on the size of the hide, as well as well as its treatment - naturally treated hides will be more expensive than those chemically treated in large numbers. Faux furs are an appealing less pricey alternative and are now almost as convincing as the real thing.

The uses for fur are endless; from being draped around a bunk bed to stop a child bumping their head to adding comfort to a favourite rocking chair.

Here are a few of our favourite fur clad interiors.

A pale cow hide adds a dramatic contrast to the rich warm tones of a parquet floor. Pure Rugs has a similar one sourced sustainably from environmentally conscious tanneries in Southern
Brazil.

A faux fur throw adds an extra dimension of cosiness to this country style bedroom. Oka has a striking Arctic Fox throw that will grab attention.

A real taste of the frontier, the outdoorsy elements of this cabin style bedroom are emphasized by a reindeer hide and antlers. Real furs and hides are loved by domestic pets and have a natural
resistance to staining. Toast has a gorgeous reindeer hide ideal for the bedroom.

Sheepskins will add comfort and diversity to modern, unupholstered furniture. The bolstering support they add to a chair will mold to the structure of your body. Family run sheepskin specialist Sheepys offers a great range of naturally treated sheepskins.