Shag Carpets and Rugs 

The '70s are happening again. It should come as no great surprise, then, that even shag carpets, those icons of '70s suburban bad taste, are back in style. The 21st century shag is more likely to be beige or cream than avocado green. It's likely to be an accent for a hardwood floor and modern furnishings rather than a wall-to-wall eyesore in a split- level. But it's still got the distinctly shaggy quality that, after all, makes a shag a shag.

Shags are popping up not only in hip design stores on Beverly Boulevard but also in mainstream outlets such as Pottery Barn. They are part of the same fashion that has brought back lava lamps, butterfly chairs and bright primary colors on everything from bedspreads to computer hardware.

Is it just a coincidence that shags have come back at this particular point in time? Or are people seeking out squashy, fluffy rugs to pacify psyches damaged by the events of the last few years?

With people are spending more time at home, less time out- the nesting syndrome is stronger. Maybe some of it has to do with the economy and reprioritizing trying a new set of values.In the end, a search for better meaning starts to seem a little exaggerated when the topic is a rug, particularly a rug whose major quality is a certain disheveled hairiness.

For many, the appeal of a shag rug or carpet comes down to one basic fact: it feels good on their feet. Generation Xers who weren't around for the first “Shag Age” don't have bad shag recollections to get in the way of appreciating the new shag. They just think it's a really cool texture.

For older generations, the mere mention of the word "shag" can be enough to obtain a shudder. Some scoff that the rugs reminded them of furry toilet seat covers. But the new shags are so dissimilar from the old that shag haters often find themselves transformed into shag lovers.

Put a shag rug with bright highlights on a hardwood floor to complement a settee and coffee table in contemporary home. The scheme hearkens back to the '70s, but the pared-down lines of the furnishings indicate a contemporary aesthetic. The new shags--which designers say give a room with a warm, soft vibe--are often used as a complementary element against other objects in a room, whether it's the clean lines of modern furniture or the somber touch of antique furnishings.

The shag resurgence began several years ago, along with the general resurgence of '70s style in fashion and design. Shag's cousin, the flokati--a rug made of fur-like fibers, has also sold well in recent years. The majority of the new shags are made of wool rather than the cheap nylon of years past and come in varieties unheard of 30 years ago--fibers as thick as pinkie fingers and so long they flop over like rabbits' ears; fibers of unusual colors and thicknesses mixed in together; fibers that are wound around an inner core so that they resemble sea anemone tentacles.

There's no need for the oft-derided shag rake, used in the old days to spruce up a tired-looking shag, since wool fibers don't get matted like synthetic ones do. But shag owners will probably need to buy in an extra-strength vacuum cleaner that won't get tripped up by long fibers.

The shag revival is not limited to the hippest of the hip. Shags appeal to the family-oriented because, as those who grew up romping on the family room shag can attest, children love shag. The kids love playing on them.

But those with pets, especially cats, might want to think twice about investing in a shag rug. A cat confronted with the lavish expanse of a high-quality wool shag will probably celebrate that its giant yarn ball fantasies have come true. And pet hairs shed onto a shag carpet will probably prove impossible for even that shiny new turbo powered vacuum cleaner to suck up.

Like it or not, shag is back. It still has the homey, reassuring quality of the original but in an manifestation at once more luxurious and more understated.