Doing Goods is the Dutch brand that put friendly-faced tigers, bears and crocodiles on the floor and snakes on the dinner table. In this guide we look at what makes its rugs, stools and homeware so recognisable, and share practical ideas for using them in living rooms, bedrooms, nurseries and around the table.
What Doing Goods is about
The thread running through the whole range is character. Pieces are made by hand, and many of the smaller items in our edit are handmade in India, so the brand is upfront that you should expect slight variation from one piece to the next. Its own phrase sums it up nicely: perfect by no means, but unique all the more.
That handmade quality is what gives the animals their personality. No two faces are quite identical, which is exactly why they work so well as the one piece in a room people remember.
The animal rugs: choosing your character
The rugs are the pieces most people know. Each is handmade and ethically sourced, and the cast is broad enough that there is usually an animal to suit the room:
- The Loony Leopard Rug is the classic: a playful focal point for a living room, bedroom or nursery.
- The Disco Leopard Rug is a version of the best-selling Loony Leopard co-created with Bonton, the French family concept store, and inspired by its colourful universe.
- The Floral White Tiger Rug is hand-tufted and inspired by Frida Kahlo, with a regal white tiger at its heart.
- The Blooming Black Bear Rug is made from 100% wool, and the Coolio Crocodile Rug brings a long, low shape that suits hallways and the side of a bed.
A few tips from the shop floor. Treat the rug as the art in the room and keep what surrounds it calmer, so the animal's face is the first thing you notice. In a nursery or child's bedroom, place it where little feet land first thing in the morning. In a living room, let it sit partly under a coffee table or the front legs of an armchair so it feels anchored rather than floating. Then pick out one colour from the rug and repeat it in a cushion or throw nearby. Browse every design in our Doing Goods rugs edit.
Embroidered stools for extra seating
The Paloma Palm Embroidered Stool shows the brand working at a smaller scale. It is handcrafted in India from a blend of wool and cotton, with a hand-embroidered palm tree design, and it is meant to be useful: extra seating, a footrest, or simply a decorative accent.
Stools like this are the easiest way to try the Doing Goods look if a statement rug feels like too much. Tuck one at the end of a bed, beside a reading chair or under a console in the hall, where it can be pulled out when guests arrive.
Homeware for the table and dressing table
The same humour carries through to smaller pieces, which make good gifts and good introductions to the brand:
- The Dakota Snake Candle Holder is handmade in India and made to decorate a table or mantelpiece. Group two or three at different heights for a relaxed supper.
- The Faye Flower Salad Server Set pairs flower-shaped brass handles in soft pink and white with highly polished stainless steel heads.
- The Bodhi Bamboo Cheese Set is a set of three cheese knives, gift packed in a green pastel box made of recycled cotton paper, so there is no need to wrap it.
- The Circus Box is a round box for jewellery, rings and keepsakes, sized to sit on a vanity, nightstand or shelf.
How to mix Doing Goods into your home
The brand is bold, so a little goes a long way. Our rule of thumb is one hero piece per room, supported by one or two small echoes. A tiger rug in the living room might be joined by a snake candle holder on the mantelpiece, but not by three other animals competing for attention.
These pieces sit happily alongside plain linen, natural wood and painted walls, and they also hold their own in a maximalist scheme full of pattern. If you are unsure, start with something small for the table, live with it for a while, and then decide whether the room is asking for a rug.
If you would like to see more, browse our full Doing Goods collection, or visit us in Somerset. The team is always happy to help you choose the right animal for the room.
