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Crucial Trading is one of the few flooring brands that really has to be seen and handled before you choose. Natural fibre does not photograph well. A sisal bouclé or a seagrass weave looks flat on a screen and quite different underfoot, and the colour of an undyed fibre shifts noticeably depending on the light in the room. Choosing one from a swatch on a website is how people end up disappointed.
Carpet Style is an approved Crucial Trading retailer, listed on Crucial Trading’s own find-a-retailer directory. That matters more than it might sound: it means the material you buy is genuine, it comes with the manufacturer’s backing, and we have been through their approval process rather than simply ordering it in.
We hold full Crucial Trading displays at two of our showrooms:
That means you can see the weaves at full size, compare the fibres side by side and take samples home to look at in your own light before committing. We can supply Crucial Trading to customers at any of our showrooms, but Wollaton and Duffield are where the range is on display.
Crucial Trading has been making natural fibre and wool flooring in the UK for over thirty years, working from Tamworth in Staffordshire. It sits at the premium end of the market and is bought by people who want texture and natural materials rather than a plain twist pile.
Crucial Trading works in four main materials, and they behave quite differently once they are down.
Sisal comes from the agave plant and is the hardest wearing of the natural fibres. It takes dye well, so it comes in the widest choice of colours and weaves — bouclé, herringbone, panama and chunkier basket weaves among them. It is a strong choice for living rooms and bedrooms. It is absorbent, though, so it is less suited to rooms where spills are likely.
Seagrass is the practical one. The fibre is naturally impermeable, which makes it far more resistant to staining than sisal, and it cannot be dyed — so you get the natural colour, with the variation between strands that gives it its character. It suits hallways and dining rooms for that reason.
Sisool is a blend of sisal and wool. It keeps the texture of a natural weave but is noticeably softer underfoot, which makes it a sensible middle ground if you like the look of sisal but want more comfort.
Wool is Crucial Trading’s largest range, with more than thirty collections covering plains, stripes, herringbones and heavier textures. Wool is warm, naturally resilient, recovers well from furniture marks and holds its appearance longer than most man-made fibres.
We would rather tell you this up front than have you find out afterwards. Natural fibre is a beautiful floor and it is not right for every room.
It does not suit bathrooms, utility rooms or anywhere that gets consistently damp — the fibres absorb moisture and will mark. Sisal in particular does not forgive spills, so think carefully before putting it in a kitchen or a dining room with young children. If you have a dog that comes in wet, seagrass or wool will serve you better.
On stairs it can be excellent, but the weave matters. A tight herringbone or panama handles the nose of a stair far better than a loose bouclé, which can distort. We will steer you towards the right weave rather than simply selling you the one you liked on the sample board.
Fitting natural fibre is not the same job as fitting a wool twist, and it is where a lot of these floors go wrong. The material needs to acclimatise in the room before it is laid. It has very little give, so it cannot be stretched in the way a conventional carpet can — it has to be measured and cut accurately first time. Seams need to be set out with the weave direction in mind or they will show. On stairs it needs a fitter who has done it before.
Our fitting teams have been laying natural fibre for years and we do not hand it to whoever happens to be free. It is worth saying plainly: if a quote for natural fibre looks unusually cheap, the fitting is normally where the saving has come from.
Any Crucial Trading flooring can also be made up as a rug or a stair runner, finished with a bound edge, a fabric border or leather piping. It is a good solution if you have a wooden floor you want to keep, or a room where a fitted natural fibre would not be practical but you still want the texture. You choose the weave, the size and the border, and it is made to order.
Bring the dimensions of your room into Wollaton or Duffield, or we can come out and measure. Either way you will see the actual material before anything is ordered.
Where can I see Crucial Trading flooring in person?
We are an approved Crucial Trading retailer and hold full displays at our Wollaton showroom (3 Russell Drive, Nottingham NG8 2BA) and our Duffield showroom (4 Meadow Vale, Belper DE56 4DG). Natural fibre is very hard to judge from a photograph, so it is worth seeing the weaves at full size and taking samples home to view in your own light.
What is the difference between sisal and seagrass?
Sisal is the harder wearing of the two and takes dye, so it comes in far more colours and weaves. It is absorbent, which makes it less forgiving of spills. Seagrass cannot be dyed, so you get its natural colour and variation, but the fibre is impermeable and therefore much more resistant to staining. As a rule, sisal for living rooms and bedrooms, seagrass where spills are more likely.
Is natural fibre flooring suitable for stairs?
It can be excellent on stairs, but the weave matters a great deal. A tight herringbone or panama holds the nose of a stair well. A loose bouclé can distort over time and is a poorer choice. We will recommend a weave that suits the staircase rather than simply supplying the one you liked on the sample board.
Can Crucial Trading flooring be made into a rug or runner?
Yes. Any of the range can be made up as a rug or stair runner and finished with a bound edge, a fabric border or leather piping, made to your dimensions. It is a good option if you want to keep an existing wooden floor, or for a room where fitted natural fibre would not be practical.
Which rooms should I avoid putting natural fibre in?
Bathrooms, utility rooms and anywhere consistently damp, because the fibres absorb moisture and will mark. We would also think twice about sisal in a kitchen or in a dining room used by young children. If you have a dog that comes in wet, seagrass or wool will hold up better.
Do you fit Crucial Trading flooring yourselves?
Yes. Natural fibre needs to acclimatise before laying, has very little give so it cannot be stretched like a conventional carpet, and needs seams set out with the weave direction in mind. Our fitting teams have been laying it for years, and we supply and fit across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Are you an approved Crucial Trading retailer?
Yes. Carpet Style appears on Crucial Trading’s own find-a-retailer directory. Buying through an approved retailer means the material is genuine and carries the manufacturer’s backing, and that the people selling it to you have been trained on the range rather than ordering it in blind.
