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How to Choose an Area Rug

October 17th, 2016 Fantastic Team How to's

Last update: 10 months ago

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An area rug is a simple way to freshen up your home interior and bring your rooms to live. Nice rugs are plentiful, and it can be an exciting mission to pick the right rug for your home.Selecting the proper rug can finish a room to perfection, while the wrong one can make a room look uncomfortable or uncompleted. And considering how costly they can be, choosing a rug is something you want to do well.

Here are several main factors to keep in mind when choosing an area rug for your space.

Table of Contents

Pick the right rug size

You can play around with the area’s rug size, which can directly affect people’s perception of the room’s actual size. The main purpose of the rug is to build imaginary boundaries, which visually separate different areas of the room that serve various purposes. To make the great decision, consider the following simple tips when choosing a rug size:

A small rug makes the room look smaller, too, and vice versa.
The rug should be proportional to space and placed to match its dimensions: a long room = length-wise oriented rug.
A smaller rug on top of a larger one helps determine the seating area and creates visual interest.
A square rug is suitable for square rooms. Round rugs are great for the entrances or kids rooms.
The area rug should not touch the walls.

Choose rugs by rooms

Each room in your home benefits from an area rug especially when it fits the room’s function. So when buying a new rug, reckon with the following tips on how to choose an area rug by rooms type and size:

Living room

Your room shape should define the rug size and orientation to make space look more extensive and feel connected. And with all furniture legs stepping at the edge of the rug, you will combine the pieces and create a formed seating area.

Dining room

The main rule you should follow when it comes to choosing a dining room area rug is to make sure the chairs are still on the rug even when pushed back. Don’t forget to take into consideration the extendable leaves, if you use them frequently.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms are an of a bit different story. You might want a tad more carpet business happening under your feet when you get up in the morning. It’s just a cosier feeling than stepping on a cold hardwood floor. Therefore, make sure that the area rug in your bedroom extends a few inches beyond the edge of your bed.

Kitchen

A nice rug in the kitchen can make our cooking time more pleasant and enjoyable. A smaller rug finds its place in front of the sink till a well-placed runner can visually extend space and fits well with long counters. If you have a large kitchen, don’t hesitate to place a round rug in the middle. And remember, the larger the room is, the more you should cover up to make sure space feels balanced.

Hallway

Your hallways are high-traffic areas so you should protect the flooring from intense wear and tear. Placing a runner in your corridor will help create a clear path from one room to the next. It’s best to leave all furniture legs off the rug in this space.

Try layering

One of the biggest incentives to buy a smaller area rug is, of course, its smaller price. Here are some other benefits of using area rugs for layering.

Add style to a room. In case you have a bigger carpet (with a neutral or not so interesting and engaging pattern) you can lay a smaller, but livelier area rug on top of it. The result will be an out-of-the-box stacked design idea that fits every room, especially the living room.
Define the space. If you have a large interior space like a living room joined with a kitchen, you can break that space up by layering rugs. Just place an area rug on top of the carpet to create a border between the two space.
Easy maintenance. A great benefit of layering is that it will ease both hot water extraction and dry chem cleaning.
Protect the carpet below. Place a rug over your expensive carpet to help catch stains and conserve the flooring. And when the area rug gets dirty, you can easily change it or give it an easy cleanup.
Add wonderful textures. Using a different kind of textures through your decor creates a level of depth and chic look especially if it’s focussed around one colour or tone. Placing an area rug made from faux fur, jute or sisal is a great way to add a new texture very obviously.
Add colour to your room. You can diversify the entire look of a one-coloured room just by layering. The only thing you need to do is to place a brightly coloured area rug on top of your neutral carpet.

Choose the rug from the very beginning

When you embark on the road of internal decoration, don’t leave the rug for last. It’s not a small detail – it’s one of the items at home that will attract attention first. Therefore, its pattern should resonate with the chosen room’s theme. A great idea is to match the area rug with the decorative cushions on your living room sofa. However, don’t create too many similarities as you’ll want to focus on using more contrasting colours.

Colours are one of the main aspects of choosing a rug, its position and purpose being the others. If you don’t have any predefined goals when you start choosing your home decor, you might end up with either no space for your rug or with too much space.

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Use contrasting patterns

How should you choose an area rug’s colour? Bet on contrast and you will get at least a small “wow” from your visitors every time they step through the door. If your general idea is to actually have an area rug, then it’s more than recommended to go for contrasting colours.

Don’t shy away from a bold patterned area rug. Just follow the general rule to keep a neutral colour on your walls and floorings when using a few layers of bold prints in your area rug. The large patterns work magically with the softened neutral tones.

Use padding

Why would you need rug padding? The basic answer is that it will help increase the general comfort level when walking on the carpet. What’s more, it will prevent any slides and slips of the carpet itself, plus it will keep your hardwood floor beneath in prime condition, unlike carpet foam and tape.

There are a large range of options available in rug pads so choosing the right one may be easier if you bear in mind the following factors:

Materials. To protect your floors from damaging and to ensure they stay nice for years to come choose a rug pad, made from natural materials. The most popular options are recycled felt and 100% natural rubber, though wool is another common alternative.
Size. A correctly-sized rug pad shouldn’t show around the edges. It should be smaller than the area rug and to be hidden completely under it.
Grip. You should take in mind the flooring type when you choose the rug pad. Slick floorings like wood require good grip to keep from slipping and sliding, especially when it comes to high-traffic areas. For large and heavy rugs with furniture sitting on top, you don’t need as much grip.
Thickness. Pick thicker rug pads for your heavier rugs as they don’t show underneath and won’t pile up. A solid rug pad adds a bit of softening and extra insulation to the area rug. Choose thinner rug pads for your smaller rugs.

Mind the cost of cleaning

While some carpets are cheap to clean, delicate fabrics will surely cost you a bit. How much does rug cleaning cost depends on a handful of variables and choosing your area rug wisely will define how much it is to have it professionally cleaned.