Designer duel: Cindy Crawford and Martha Stewart take it outside

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Martha Stewart and Cindy Crawford are going toe-to-toe with outdoor rugs that will please those who are picky about where their bare toes go.

Both have used new manufacturing technologies that turn fade-resistant, clean-with-a-hose synthetics into softer, more sculpted carpeting with a modernist appeal. The result: durable outdoor rugs that look warmer, feel less plastic-y and are in tune with contemporary decor trends.

The Cindy Crawford Style Medallion rug, above at right, features a cane pattern that will blend well with woven outdoor furniture or Hollywood Regency and Asian-influenced interiors. It is made from machine-tufted olefin and backed with latex to prevent skidding on slick surfaces such as a kitchen or laundry room floor.

Available exclusively through JC Penney, the rug is available in 5-by-8-feet and 8-by-10-feet sizes. They are marked down 60% to $88 to $160 through July. The Layered Faux Bois rug by Martha Stewart Living, above left, has a large wood-grain pattern that adds a modern rustic feeling to decks, patios or interior concrete floors. It is manufactured by the high-end carpeting firm Safavieh and made of polypropylene yarns in a sisal weave.

Prices for the coffee-and-sand color combination shown here are $74 for a 4-by-5 1/2-foot rug to $257 for a 7.9-by-11-foot version at Home Depot. A darker coffee-and-black version is available at Home Decorators Collection, which now stocks outdoor furnishings from Martha Stewart Living.

-- David A. Keeps

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