Crafted with Love and Pride: Pappelina Rugs

The story behind these durable, functional, and beautiful Swedish rugs

Each home item you purchase is an investment with the potential to add beauty, function, and personality to your home. Over time, each item in your home carries stories and memories that you’ll treasure forever.

Do you ever think about how an item already has a story before it makes its way to your front door? That’s why we’re oh so passionate about sharing the stories behind the designs we bring to you at Batten Home. 

Today, we’re sharing one of the newest additions to our collection: Pappelina rugs. By the end of this article, we think you’ll be just as excited as we are about this new collection!

The Pappelina Story

Pappelina was started a little over 20 years ago by Lina Rickardsson in 1999. At just 24 years old, Rickardsson embraced her lifelong interest in weaving, ending up behind the loom at a weavers’ association in an old schoolhouse in her hometown. “I felt comfortable there,” she explains.

After moving to Gothenburg, a town on the west coast of Sweden, she continued to practice weaving and began to visit potential retailers with her linen rugs and paper placements. A boutique named Norrgavel, with stores in Stockholm, Malmö, and Gothenburg fell in love with Rickardsson’s handwoven rugs and ordered 24! 

That’s when Pappelina was born, turning Rickardsson’s interest into both a profession and a business. Pappelina’s name is a play on three words: paper, linen, and Lina.

The demand began to exceed Rickardsson’s own capabilities, so she decided to find a mill to partner with. At the time, many Sweden weaving mills were struggling or already closed down, but she managed to find a small family-owned mill in Dalarna. Considered “the heartland of Sweden,” the small mill had already been weaving in linen since the 1950s. 

While there, she discovered colorful plastic ribbons once used to make rugs in the 1970s. She decided to experiment with a new tying technique to create a rug unlike any other on the market. With twice as much material required due to the new technique, the rug was costly, and the other weavers were skeptical of its viability in the market. However, Rickardsson introduced it in January 2000 at a trade fair in Stockholm and sold 124! It was clearly worth the extra material.

In 2001, Rickardsson exhibited the Bob rug, featuring a classic square-stripe design. It ended up winning an award for best textile.

Fast forward to 2021, and Pappelina weaves 100,000 rugs annually, marketing to 26 countries with a team of about 40 employees still working out of the mill in Dalarna.

While the product range has grown, the essence of Pappelina remains focused on simple, stylish, and functional rugs––a classic pillar of Scandinavian design!

What sets Pappelina rugs apart from others

Pappelina rugs are unique due to their material and traditional production process. Each rug has a soft, generous feel.

Pappelina rugs are handmade by experts at the same local weaving mill in Leksand, Dalarna. Weavers use a traditional loom with wooden shuttles that rush back and forth.

Each rug is woven from the purest possible plastic ribbons made exclusively in Sweden. There are no harmful substances––the plastic used is approved to be used in the food industry and even for producing toys in Europe and America.

Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, these high-quality rugs will last a lifetime. Better yet, each rug can be washed in most at-home washing machines! Every rug is both water and UV-resistant, so the design will last for many years. Since the rug’s material is anti-slip, you typically don’t need to use an anti-slip mat underneath.

Another plus: Pappelina rugs are considered non-absorbent hygienic rugs, which means they don’t hold dust. This is ideal for anyone with allergies and asthma, or any environment where cleanliness is of great importance! 

Now, let’s take a look at some of the Pappelina rugs we curated just for you.

Pappelina Rugs: Kotte

Shown here is Pappelina’s Kotte Rug Runner in Charcoal. We love how it looks in a kitchen, providing a bit of cushion for your feet while preparing meals and adding an interesting texture.

The Kotte Rug Runner in Sand is another lovely option that can work nicely in a bathroom, as shown above. There’s also a Fossil Grey color, with all three offering a wide array of neutral tones in a subtle yet striking pattern.

Each color comes in three sizes to suit your space.

Pappelina Rugs: Carl

Pull up a seat and take in the view while resting your feet on the Carl Rug Runner in Warm Grey. We love this rug’s subtle texture and neutral colors.

The Carl Rug Runner in Warm Grey also works great in the kitchen. The plastic material is durable enough to withstand high-traffic and high-mess areas!

For a more feminine look, try the Carl Rug Runner in Pale Rose. It’s such a beautiful and subtle pink tone that would look lovely in a playroom, an entryway, or on a small balcony.

Pappelina Rugs: Belle

The Belle Rug Runner in Ochre features a lovely ochre-colored stripe on each end. We love how it looks styled in a light and airy kitchen area underneath the bar stools.

The dark tone of the Belle Rug Runner in Concrete is a great option for outdoor use. Again, the ability to throw it in the washer makes it easy to keep it clean and fresh despite being exposed to the elements.

Pappelina Rugs: Mono

The Mono Rug Runner comes in Dark Mud or Dark Linen. We love the texture and intricate detail of this pattern. The styling options are truly limitless for this pattern. Anywhere you place it is a win.

These are just a few of the Pappelina rugs featured in our collection. Discover even more Pappelina rugs and patterns right here.

More Like This: 17 Of Our Favorite Danish Design Stools 

Batten Home carefully curates Scandinavian furniture designs and minimalist decor objects for the modern home. We are inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic and Danish design philosophies with a new modern design feel we like to call new Nordic design. 

Have any questions for us? We’re family-owned and independently operated, and we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@battenhome.co or find more inspiration on Pinterest.