[Photo Credit: Double.]
Australians continue to invest in creating homes that are both functional and expressive, and the numbers suggest that appetite is growing. Australia Post reports that consumers spent $9.9 billion online on home and garden products in 2025, with more than 5.1 million households purchasing within the category. Meanwhile, Mordor Intelligence expects Australia’s home textiles market to continue expanding over the coming years, driven by rising disposable incomes, changing lifestyles, and growing interest in premium home furnishings.
Within that evolving market, washable rugs have emerged as one response to changing expectations around modern living. Consumers increasingly want products that complement thoughtfully designed interiors while standing up to pets, children, entertaining, and everyday wear. Double is one Australian brand building its business around that intersection of design and practicality.
A Brand Built Around Practical Design
Founded in Byron Bay in 2022, Double was created to address what its founders saw as a persistent compromise within the homewares market. Practical household products often prioritised durability over aesthetics, while premium rugs frequently required specialist care that didn’t always suit busy homes.
Drawing on backgrounds in fashion, branding, and e-commerce, the founders developed a collection intended to bridge that gap. Today, the range spans recycled polyester alongside washable New Zealand wool, organic cotton, and washable natural jute collections, all designed in-house for contemporary Australian interiors.
Visitors exploring the collections can browse the full range from double, where rugs are organised by room, material, colour, and style.
Consumer Priorities Are Changing
Australia Post reports that online home and garden spending increased by 9.9% in 2025, with online purchases now accounting for 26% of all spending in the category. Millennials and Generation X represent more than 64% of online category expenditure, reflecting a customer base often furnishing family homes, renovating, or making long-term interior investments.
Broader market research points in a similar direction. Mordor Intelligence identifies premiumisation, urbanisation, and growing demand for high-quality home furnishings as key factors shaping Australia’s home textiles sector. At the same time, interior design publications continue to highlight washable rugs, textured finishes, warm neutral palettes, oversized rugs, and natural fibres among the defining trends influencing Australian homes.
Together, these developments suggest consumers are looking beyond purely decorative purchases. Increasingly, they expect home furnishings to deliver both visual appeal and everyday usability.
Design Rather Than Decoration
One characteristic that distinguishes Double is its emphasis on original design development. Rather than sourcing existing patterns from manufacturers, the company develops its collections internally, refining colour palettes, textures, and construction before production.
That philosophy extends across multiple material categories. Recycled polyester continues to appeal to customers seeking durability, affordability, and easy care, while the natural fibre collections reflect growing interest in premium materials without abandoning practicality.
Industry analysts have observed increasing demand for home textiles that combine longevity with material quality. Double’s investment in washable New Zealand wool, organic cotton, and washable natural jute reflects that broader movement, offering alternatives for customers who may previously have viewed natural fibre rugs as difficult to maintain.
Importantly, the company distinguishes between washable construction and machine washability. Care guidance varies according to the material, construction, and size of each rug, with product-specific instructions provided across the range.
Supporting Customers Beyond the Sale
Home furnishings are rarely impulse purchases. Questions around sizing, colour, durability, styling, and maintenance frequently influence buying decisions, particularly for premium products.
To reduce uncertainty, Double complements its collections with augmented reality room visualisation, styling consultations, swatch ordering for selected collections, and detailed product specifications. These services reflect a broader shift within online retail, where purchasing confidence increasingly depends on information and transparency rather than price alone.
The company also references independent Eurofins wash testing, certified New Zealand wool, certified organic cotton sourcing, and ethical manufacturing standards as evidence supporting its product claims.
Positioned for an Evolving Market
Australia Post identifies home and garden as one of Australia’s most promotion-sensitive retail categories, with more than one-third of shoppers delaying purchases while waiting for discounts. The report also notes that same-day and next-day delivery remain relatively uncommon for larger home goods, highlighting fulfilment and customer service as ongoing competitive considerations.
Against that backdrop, Double offers free shipping and free returns across most collections throughout Australia and New Zealand, alongside services intended to help customers make more informed purchasing decisions before committing.
As Australia’s home furnishings sector continues to evolve, competition is increasingly shaped by originality, transparency, material innovation, and customer experience rather than price alone. The combination of thoughtful design, washable technology, and expanding natural fibre collections positions Double within a category that reflects how Australian consumers are redefining what they expect from the products they bring into their homes.
References
Australia Post. (2025). eCommerce Industry Report 2025.
Mordor Intelligence. (2026). Australia Home Textiles Market: Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2026-2031).
