Why Buying The Right Rug Is Difficult: And How To Do It

Finding the perfect rug from the thousands of rugs that are available can be frustrating. There is an abundance of styles, materials, and designs to choose from when area rug shopping. Even understanding where and how to place a rug within a space can affect a design. How do we know this? We’ve admittedly purchased countless of rugs in the past that looked great in stores or online - but not so much in our actual space. And to make purchasing the right rug even more difficult, returning said rug is a special form of torture.

You might not be a skilled designer with a few simple tips that can help enormously. Discover the right size for your space, a pattern that fits your aesthetic, and find the material that actually suits your lifestyle.

Explore these design tips and learn how to choose the right rug for your home.

Know Your Space

First off, how big is the space that you want to cover with a rug? Is it a simple bedroom or a substantial, sprawling foyer? Be sure to measure the area to ensure you're purchasing the correct size.

In larger areas, be sure to find an area rug that isn’t swallowed up by the space—the rule of thumb is to have a rug fit all of your furniture on top. More than one rug can also be beneficial in defining several areas within a larger room, such as a loft space.

Creating the illusion of space is ideal when designing smaller spaces. If you live in a smaller home or apartment, go big and find a larger rug to fill the room.

Pick a Pattern

Choosing the pattern of a rug depends on your décor style as well as personal taste. Geometric or traditional designs will be louder and become the focal point. Muted colors and less distinct patterns found in farmhouse or coastal styles will be more subdued and allow other pieces to shine. Look at the space around you to determine where you want the focus to pull. Additionally, it’s a good idea to take note of what colors are already in your home and which ones you’d like to emphasize. Your rug will be a central base for your color palette - whether it’s subtly complementary or the main event.

Placement

Achieving proper rug placement is easier than you might think and involves a few strategies. When in doubt, try to have at least the front legs of your furniture on the rug. Layering rugs is also a great way to define spaces. One larger neutral rug placed with smaller rugs denotes different seating areas. Try to incorporate different textures to enhance interest. This is a great opportunity to mix and match to add depth to the room.

Pick Your Favorite Material

Area rugs are available in a wealth of both natural and synthetic materials. More common rug materials are:

• Cotton

• Wool

• Sisal

• Silk

• Nylon

• Polyester

Each material has a unique look and feel as well as durability. Some are easier to clean than others. Wool is at the more expensive end of the natural materials, but it is highly durable and soft. Sisal has a lower price point and is also stain-resistant, but is rough to the touch.

Rug material can play a heavy hand in your design. Wool and linen will add fragility and softness, while sisal works well for bohemian-inspired décor.

Consider how much foot traffic the space will receive, what kind of activities will generally happen there, and how you plan to clean it ahead of time.

Once you have the right rug, the rest of your interior decorating will become that much easier and more inspiring!