Ballard Designs Rug Review: Dori Sisal Rug

Ballard Designs Dori sisal rug is a game changer for your home. Choosing a new rug can be difficult, especially when shopping online. I’ve been looking for a new rug for our living room for quite a while before stumbling on this one. I ordered tons of samples from just about everywhere. In this review, I’m sharing why I decided to choose this Dori rug for our home. It’s not your average rug!

Ballard Designs Rug Review

Natural Fibers

I love the idea of using natural fibers whenever I can. It’s more sustainable, biodegradable, and durable. They are great for high traffic areas due to the durability. For cozier spaces like a living room, some people like to layer a softer wool rug over top. I don’t think that is necessay with this rug. It’s very soft on its own.

Another feature I love about the fabric and construction, is the serged edges. Most natural fibers rugs have a canvas border which I’m not too fond of. The Ballard Designs Dori rug is surged at the edges to keep the look uniform and tailored. And a bit less casual looking.

Ballard Designs review with visual comfort table — **Visual Comfort Martini Table**

It’s Ultra Soft on the Feet

The Dori sisal rug is surprisingly very soft and plush. I did not expect this softness considering it’s sisal. In fact, the soft factor is why I waited and hesitated for so long on this area rug. Instead, was looking for a sisal wool blend but kept coming back to this beautiful pattern. I decided to go for it and so glad I did!

I did buy the rug pad for extra cushion and to keep the rug from shifting. My rug size is a 9×12, and I bought the same size rug pad. I only had to trim about 2 inches along the length of one side. Easy enough to do with the kitchen scissors.

Comes in a Wide Range of Sizes

I can’t tell you how many times I thought I found “the” rug, only to find it didn’t come in the 9×12 size I need. Ballard Designs rugs thankfully come in a large range of sizes. This comes in a small doormat size and goes all the way up to 12×18. The runners are great for hallways where you want a softer foot feel, or just to add some texture.

When choosing a rug size, think about your furniture placement. I knew I wanted the majority of my furniture on the rug, rather than just having the front legs of the sofa on the rug. Using a larger rug actually makes your space look bigger.

Ballard Designs Dori Rug Looks Ultra Luxe

Ballard Designs really did it with this rug! It looks just like the much more expensive Patterson Flynn rugs that the high-end designers use. In fact I requested a quote from them and nearly fell over! Even after that, I couldn’t get their beautiful textures out of my mind. Then I stumbled upon this Ballard Designs Dori rug.

The complex design and texture takes this rug to the next level. I’s so much different than the basketweave sisal rug. There is an overall sheen to the design that adds such a luxe feeling to it.

Other Rug Options

The designer Annie Selke has a very similar rug to this one. In fact I almost purchased it during the July 4th sales. What held me back was the color options. The Ballard Designs Dori sisal rug comes in Natural (which I have) and a darker Taupe. The Annie Selke Wave Sisal rug comes in Sand, Natural, and Greige. I found that the Annie Selke Sand was a bit too light, and the Natural had too much of a brown tone to it (closer to my hardwood floors). The Natural color rug from Ballard Designs was the perfect balance. Not to mention, the Annie Selke rug was more than double the Ballard Designs price. I was sold!

Annie Selke Sand sisal rug — Annie Selke rug swatches over Ballard Designs Dori rug. Top is Annie Selke in Natural, bottom is Sand.

Ballard Designs Dori Sisal Rug

Overall I am so happy with this purchase. The natural fibers, comfort, design, and price, makes this a great option for a luxe looking home. I wish I ordered it sooner! I feel that it really brings my living room together and adds just the right amount of warmth. This would also be great for a Family room. If I needed a new rug in there, I would 100% order this one again.

You can shop through these affiliate links below. By clicking on any image it takes you directly to the product page. I’ve added some other options that I was also considering.