Area Rug Buying Guide
If you want to update your home, one of the first places you should look is down. Your floors literally set the groundwork for your home design, and area rugs can bring style and warmth to any room in your house. From bedrooms to your dining room and main living areas, area rugs can provide the ultimate in comfort and fashion. And one of the best things is—unlike hard flooring and wall-to-wall carpet—area rugs can make a big impact without a lot of effort or commitment. In fact, with the wide selection of styles and materials available, including inexpensive area rugs, your feet will soon be doing a happy dance!
Another benefit of area rugs is they are extremely versatile. Today, there are few, if any, hard rules when it comes to updating your home with area rugs. Area rugs on carpet? It’s a go! Area rugs on other area rugs? Also, a yes.
With all the different options available, the biggest challenge can be choosing the right area rug for your space and personal design aesthetic. Before committing to any single rug style or selection, it is important to address the color, material and size of your desired rug and make sure to factor in your design budget, as well as performance expectations.
Color, Color, Color
Many area rugs read as one of the largest pieces in a room and have the ability to set the tone in terms of the color scheme. With the right contrast, a bold rug can really finish a room to perfection. On the other hand, a poorly thought-out rug or no rug at all can create a jarring feel, leading to a messy, unfinished space or one that doesn’t project an overall appearance of visual harmony.
When choosing a color scheme for your area rug, there are two main options:
- Introduce a new color into your room: If your room is looking a little drab, an area rug is a great piece for bringing in a new color to brighten up your space. Choose a color that will complement the pieces already in your room, or choose a color opposite your main décor colors to make it pop. Amazing focal point, check! If your room already has two or three main colors, you may choose a neutral colored area rug, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be boring. Instead, you can focus on pattern or texture to bring subtle visual interest to your space.
- Play off of existing colors: If you already have a favorite color or two in your space, say in a favorite piece of artwork hanging above your sofa, or even in a smaller piece like a favorite vase or sculpture, you can bring a balanced look into the room by choosing a rug in similar shades.
Additional color considerations:
- Consider how the color you introduce will impact the mood in your room. For instance, warm colors such as red and orange can bring energy and excitement to your space; yellow can add a bright and sunny spot; while blues and greens can create a peaceful and serene feel.
- A bold colored area rug can help highlight certain areas in your room. Try placing a red or bright blue splatter rug under a favorite accent table to help draw the eye, creating a beautiful focal spot in your living room.
- If you’re someone who likes to frequently update your home design, consider the seasons. It’s easy to switch out area rugs a couple times a year and achieve a fresh look in your home. Choose a cheerful floral rug for spring and summer, and a traditional style rug in deep reds, plums and golds for the fall and winter seasons.
Considering Pattern
Patterned area rugs can really enhance the overall look of a room. However, it is important to choose patterns wisely and place them strategically throughout your home. In an already busy room, a neutral rug can give the eye somewhere to rest. In a room with predominantly solid-colored walls or upholstery, the addition of a patterned rug can add life and contrast into the space that brings the decorating scheme full circle. Additionally, if a room already has a patterned sofa or focal piece, picking a rug with a differently sized pattern allows you to coordinate a textured look without it being overwhelming. Just make sure to match colors or materials so the pieces complement each other and don’t look out of place.
There are many options when it comes to patterns, from traditional to modern and from subtle to bold. For a classic look that will work great in formal spaces as well as some transitional designs, look to beautiful Oriental designs. For an updated take on classic designs that’s perfect for casual and urban style homes alike, you can choose a traditional pattern with an erased effect that’s trendy and subtle, making your rug even more versatile. When it comes to casual rooms, there are many patterns that can enhance your aesthetic. Choose from organic patterns, such as subtle blue and green stripes that are reminiscent of water or the sea, or try warm colors in subtle stripes that look like a beautiful sunset. Many floral patterns can work in formal or casual spaces. Some geometric prints can also enhance casual spaces; while other bold geometric patterns are best left to modern and contemporary rooms. And if cozy is the name of your game, you can’t beat a shag rug—just stick with a neutral color for a more contemporary take on this 70’s style.
Area Rug Material Options
The materials used to make a rug contribute to its literal feel, but can also impact key features such as stain resistance, durability and even its price. Knowing the most common rug materials and their relative strengths and weaknesses is therefore important. Many people will choose polypropylene or polyester rugs due to their relative affordability and ease of use, including ability to spot clean and vacuum as needed. Choose from different thicknesses for different looks and levels of comfort.
Area Rug Sizes
While all of the options we’ve considered above will certainly impact the look of the area rug in your room, color, pattern and even material aren’t the only considerations. The size of the area rug also determines how successfully the area rug will impact your design. In fact, the wrong size rug can have a very negative impact on the look of your entire room. On one hand, an area rug that is too small can look out of place; on the other, an area rug that’s too large can make your room feel cramped.
Here’s how to choose an area rug size:
A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 18-inches of uncovered space around all sides of an area rug.
In addition to the dimensions of your room, the size of the furniture in it is a key consideration in choosing the right size area rug for your space. It is essential to carefully note how the rug will sit in comparison to the furniture in the room. By balancing the look, you maximize the aesthetic and practical effects of the rug. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the area rug size considerations and area rug placement ideas for each room.
Living Room
Are you wondering, “how do I choose a rug size for my living room?”. Living rooms are often one of the larger spaces in our house, and the variety of layouts can make it challenging to choose the ideal rug size. A traditional rule of thumb is to start by measuring your seating area, which may include a mix of a sectional or sofa, as well as a loveseat and chairs, and choose the next standard rug size up from the space you measured.
Common area rug sizes for living rooms include 8 x 10-foot area rugs. However, a 5 x 7-foot area rug or 5 x 8-foot area rug may work best in rooms with smaller conversation areas, and a larger area rug may look best in spacious rooms or open concept layouts. In general, you have three choices when it comes to laying out an area rug with your living room furniture:
- Center the rug with no furniture on it
- Place the front two legs of the furniture on the rug
- Place all four legs of the furniture on the rug
Similarly to living rooms, other living spaces such as family rooms, dens and porches follow like rules based on the size of the space and furniture in it. Additionally, rugs can be used to section off spaces in large living areas. For instance, you can place an area rug under a desk and office chair to visually section off a home office space in a shared family room. A separate area rug (choose one in similar colors, patterns and/or materials) can be placed with the sofa in the TV area on the opposite side of your room.
Dining Room
An area rug can help visually finish a dining room, drawing all the elements together and helping to ground your dining set. Choose an area rug that suits the size of your room and the size and shape of your table. Regardless of the shape of the table — round, oblong or rectangle — the rule of thumb is to add between 24” and 36” (2’–3’) of space on all sides for an excess rug border. This allows diners to comfortably maneuver in and out of their chairs while keeping them on the rug at all times. Here’s an example: for a table that measures 36” x 60”, ideally, you want to get a 6’ x 9’ rug.
Bedroom
Placing an area rug in the bedroom provides a soft space for your feet to land, and it can have insulation and sound benefits as well. To make sure you step down onto a soft rug instead of a cold, hard floor, you should leave an ideal spread of 36” of rug exposed all around the bed, or at least along each side.
The ultimate arrangement of the furniture you use to achieve this has some room for personal preference. Like the living room, you want to make sure that either all four or just two legs of all furniture touch the rug in a uniform manner. In the bedroom, this includes auxiliary pieces such as ottomans, a dresser or a bench, not just the bed itself. In most cases, this means choosing a large 8 x 10 or 8 x 11 area rug. However, there are other options such as using a large round rug or a set of runners on either side of the bed, which can have a similar effect.
For all of these rooms and any other space in your room which may benefit from an area rug, such as a hallway or foyer, one of the most important factors to remember is that many people underestimate the size they need. Taping off the space and measuring is an effective way to determine exactly what your space requires.
There are many benefits to using area rugs in your home, one of which is the relative ease and affordability of updating the rooms in your home. Once you’ve determined the ideal size, material, pattern and color for your area rug, it’s easier to narrow down the selection to the rugs that will best complement your space. Then just roll it out, rearrange your furniture as needed, and you’re ready to enjoy your updated room!