The Ultimate Guide to Select Rugs for Every Room of the House

The Ultimate Guide to Select Rugs for Every Room of the House

You’ve all heard the phrase, “a rug ties the whole room together.” That can’t be truer, but a rug does more than that. It can add insulation to the room, provide comfort, reduce noise, and much more.

Aside from that, a rug adds so much more to a room’s ambiance and look. You can use it to set the right tone in the room or enhance it. It can be both a decorative and functional piece.

It has many important roles, which is why you should take care in choosing the right rug for a room. Keep on reading to know how you can select rugs that fit each of your home’s rooms.

1. Determine the Right Size

When choosing rugs, practicality trumps design. Choosing the perfect size allows it to fulfill its purpose. An added bonus is that it looks good, too, instead of the awkwardly-positioned rugs you often see in homes whose residents can know better.

But have you ever wondered why a rug looks awkward? One of the most common reasons is that it’s not the right size.

Then, how do you know what size to get for each room? Use the considerations below.

Parts of the Room

First, we consider the permanent fixtures in a room. This includes doors, fireplaces, floor grille, and so on.

Try opening and closing your door. Your rug shouldn’t interfere with it, so make sure its size doesn’t go beyond the door’s pathway.

Second, are there any floor grilles you don’t want to cover? Take that into consideration as well when measuring how much floor space you have for a rug.

If you have something you don’t want to cover in the middle of the room, yet you want a rug on either side, don’t hesitate to use two rugs.

Don’t forget to allow space for the hearth if you have a fireplace in the room.

Furniture

If you haven’t placed your furniture already, make a layout of the room in your mind. Note where you’d like to place your furniture pieces. Their location and position are important when determining the size of the rug to get.

In many rooms, it’s best if your rug covers all your furniture at the least. This means that it should also cover the chairs in the dining room when pulled back from the table.

In some cases, many homeowners choose rugs that cover up to the front legs of the furniture. You’ll often see this set-up in living rooms, wherein the rug is smaller than the area.

This is okay – as well as a wider rug that outlines the perimeter. Both are acceptable as long as you take into account the following factor.

If you go this route, though, make sure the end tables and other similar furniture pieces are either on the rug as a whole or outside of it. Having only one edge on top of the rug makes its surface uneven.

Circulation

Think of how people will move around your furniture. In your bedroom, for instance, think about how you’ll use the bed to determine how big or small your rug should be. You don’t want cold feet first thing in the morning, so it’s best if you have a rug under your feet when you stand up from the bed.

That means your rug should be big enough to cover both sides of the bed. You can have it cover the end tables and the bench at the foot of your bed, too, but it’s not a requirement.

In the living room or in any other rooms, you or your guests shouldn’t have to walk the perimeter with one foot on the rug and one foot on the floor. The area rug should either be big enough to cover the whole walkway or small enough to leave it completely exposed.

Any smaller, though, is a no-no. On the practical side of things, it leaves your feet to the mercy of the cold floor when you sit. On the decorative side, a teeny rug looks lost.

2. Match the Rug Style With the Room

Before you head on to the store, take a look at the style and color scheme of each room. List them down or take pictures so you have a reference.

Select rugs that complement two to three colors in the room. Make sure it also matches the style; if the room is going with a modern look, complement it with a modern rug. If you’re going for a traditional look, antique oriental rugs will fit right in.

Take note of the style of your central furniture pieces, too. If you have a sofa with a colorful pattern, for instance, a neutral rug with a solid color will suit it quite well.

Conversely, a patterned rug can add life to a room with a one-color sofa. A good trick is to match the color of the rug with the color of an accent piece in the room.

You can also play with perceptions using the color and pattern of the rug. You can make a room look bigger or smaller than it is by picking the right design.

3. Select Rugs with the Right Material

Like with the size, you also think about the practical use aside from the looks with the rug material. You consider the maintenance of the rug, its durability, and its resistance against spills, stains, and pets.

A wool area rug, for instance, is a popular choice because it’s durable, water repellent, and stain repellent with good insulation properties. These characteristics make it good for high-traffic areas like the living room. However, it absorbs humidity, so it’s not good for damp places.

You can also consider the function of the room. In your bedroom, your priority is comfort. Don’t hesitate to get a luxurious rug like silk.

It has soft and fine details, but it’s not easy to clean and maintain. That makes it even more perfect for your bedroom as it’s one of the low-traffic areas in your house.

If you’re on a budget, cotton also works quite well. It’s easy to clean, too, which is a major plus.

You might also consider rugs made of natural grasses. These have extreme durability, although they can be coarse. As such, they’ll be great for living rooms and sunny areas.

Nonwoven rugs like cowhide are great for adding personality to a room. They’re quite unique, but they’re durable and easy to clean, as well.

For no-nonsense rugs, you have various synthetics to choose from. You can use them almost anywhere. They’re easy to maintain, durable, and damp-friendly.

Choose Rugs That Speak You

There’s something even more important than the considerations above: your taste. Make sure that when you select rugs, you choose the ones you love. It’s no use getting the right formula if you hate seeing the rug every day.

That said, getting the right rug isn’t the only factor to consider. Fortunately, we’ve got more guides to help. Get more tips like these by reading our other posts today!