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Professional home stager Jason Saft used a wool rug instead of a conventional bath mat while staging a Brooklyn Heights apartment, saying it makes stepping out of the tub feel softer and helps the bathroom feel more decorated. His advice comes from a staging project, not a published test of safety or performance, and practical suitability depends on the rug and bathroom.
Professional stager Jason Saft replaced a traditional bath mat with a wool rug while preparing a Brooklyn Heights apartment for sale, saying the larger, softer floor covering can make a bathroom feel more like a decorated living space. The recommendation, featured in the fourth episode of Apartment Therapy’s Styled to Sell, is a design choice rather than evidence that wool rugs work better or are safer in every bathroom.
Saft staged a pre-war apartment in Brooklyn Heights with an oversized primary bathroom. The available floor space allowed him to use a larger rug as part of a room design that also included a skirted swivel chair. Apartment Therapy’s report describes the rug as wool but does not identify its construction, backing, price or care instructions.
“Never use a bath mat,” Saft says in the video. He explains that he likes a big wool rug because someone stepping out of a bath can land on something “soft and delicious.” His comments describe his staging preference; the report does not provide comparative testing of wool rugs and bath mats, or present the advice as a universal household rule.
Saft also says he wants bathrooms to feel less sterile and more connected to the rest of a home’s decor. Alongside the rug, he recommends adding artwork, and says canvas pieces can stand up to steam or water. Apartment Therapy’s article suggests that smaller wool flatweaves, including rugs around 2 by 3 feet, may be options for tighter spaces, but it does not assess specific products.
A Softer Look Beyond the Bath Mat
The suggestion matters mainly as a decorating alternative for people who dislike the look or feel of standard bath mats, or who want a bathroom to feel more like the other rooms in their home. A rug can introduce a different texture and a more substantial visual element, as it did in Saft’s spacious staging project.
But the featured bathroom had room for a large rug, a condition that may not apply to small bathrooms. Saft’s comments also focus on appearance and comfort, not on how a wool rug handles regular wet use. Readers considering the swap should treat it as a design idea and check whether a particular rug is suitable for their space and routine.
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The Brooklyn Staging Behind the Advice
Apartment Therapy published the recommendation as part of its Styled to Sell series, in which Saft stages homes. The episode follows his work in a pre-war Brooklyn Heights apartment. The bathroom’s oversized footprint shaped the decision: Saft could use a wool rug as one element in a larger, deliberately furnished room.
The article frames the idea against common complaints about bath mats, including that they can stain or bunch up. Those points appear in the writer’s personal introduction, not as findings from a survey or product comparison. The report offers one stager’s approach, supported by a specific project rather than broader evidence about what homeowners should use.
Questions About Wet-Room Suitability
The report does not say whether the rug was treated or backed for bathroom use, how it was secured, or how it performed after repeated exposure to water. It provides no testing on slipping, drying time, mildew resistance or cleaning, and does not compare wool with bath mats on those measures.
It is also unclear whether Saft uses wool rugs in his own everyday bathroom or only in staged homes. His advice is presented in the context of preparing a property for sale, where the visual effect is central. The source does not establish that the same choice suits bathrooms of different sizes, ventilation levels or usage patterns.
Check the Rug Before Replacing a Mat
Apartment Therapy’s report does not announce a product test, follow-up or broader recommendation from Saft. For now, the development is a design tip from a staging episode, rather than a change in product guidance or a new safety standard.
Anyone considering the idea can check a rug’s care label and suitability for the intended location, and assess whether it stays in place and can dry between uses. The source does not name a particular rug or provide a tested method for adapting one. The next practical step is therefore individual: compare a rug’s specifications and maintenance needs with the bathroom’s space and conditions.
Key Questions
What did Jason Saft use instead of a bath mat?
He used a wool rug in the oversized bathroom of a Brooklyn Heights apartment he was staging.
Why does Saft prefer a wool rug?
He says it provides a soft surface underfoot and helps a bathroom feel more decorated and less sterile. Those are his stated design reasons, not results from a product comparison.
Does the report say wool rugs are safer or more absorbent than bath mats?
No. The article does not compare safety, absorbency, drying time or other performance measures. It reports Saft’s staging preference.
Could a wool rug work in a small bathroom?
The article notes that smaller flatweaves around 2 by 3 feet, or smaller, may be available. It does not assess specific rugs or establish whether they are appropriate for every bathroom.
What other bathroom decorating advice did Saft offer?
He recommends adding artwork to make a bathroom feel more like other decorated rooms in the home. He says canvas pieces can withstand steam or water, according to the video; the report does not provide independent testing of that claim.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
