Rant: Zebra rugs

Today was the first day of classes and I should be doing homework, but I can't because my student loan refund check hasn't come in (even though UNC sent an email saying it would be deposited today...), which means I have no money to buy my books. So I have time to post something tonight.

I hate zebra rugs. They remind me of those sorority girls who wear frumpy gym clothes and North Face jackets while they carry stupid Louis Vuitton purses, as if they think their "classic" purse makes the rest of their outfit okay. Putting a zebra rug in your room does not make the rest of the room okay.

I associate animal prints with strippers. (Especially leopard print, but zebra print isn't much better.) So when I see a zebra print rug and, say, a Kartell ghost chair or some lucite/acrylic side table in the same room, it conjures up the image of a tacky-ass stripper with clear high heels and a zebra print G-string:


Image from Ron Marvin.

I also hate the idea of someone putting it in their room to make it more "exotic." Please. Killing an animal to fulfill your patronizing orientalist fantasy is hardly classy. And I don't care if it's a fake zebra rug, because then it's probably on a cow hide, and as a vegan I don't support that either.

Obviously, the huge zebra rug trend that's going on right now doesn't really do it for me. If you want to bring something "exotic" into your home, look to Morocco for inspiration (now that's drool-worthy, orientalism aside). If you want to bring "nature" into your home, get a damn table from ABC Carpet and Home made from salvaged wood from trees that fell naturally (also extremely desirable).

Here are some rooms that would be fabulous if only the zebra rug were gone:


Robyn Karp


Yep, even Jonathan Adler is guilty.


And you thought Domino could do no wrong.