15 Area Rug Decorating Tips

Rugs can ‘tie together’ a room with their color, texture and size. They’re unique in what they do (it’s pretty much the only ‘furnishing’ you can get for your floor) and because of this it’s not always simple to choose the right one. Here are fifteen effective rules that you can use to help you choose the right rug for the right room!

1. Synthetic Rugs = Child-friendly

 

If you have children, choose a rug made from synthetic materials – polypropylene, viscous and acrylic yarn are all popular synthetic materials. They resist stains well and are pretty hard-wearing. Synthetic rugs are also good value for money.

2. Silk Is Worth Paying For

Have a decent budget? Go for silk. Silk rugs aren’t great for rooms that see a lot of traffic – so keep it out of your hallway – but they’re elegant and traditional for a reason: silk is a luxurious material.

3. Sheepskin Is Cozy!

Want to get cozy? Pick Sheepskin: picture this – a roaring fire and a sheepskin rug. It’s arguably the best type of rug to cuddle up with.

4. Wool Is Reliable

Not convinced by a particular material? Choose Wool. Wool is reliable, lasting and importantly, good quality. You will need to clean and look after a wool rug, but it’s worth it.

5. Use Texture For Contrast

Use Texture for contrast. That’s right – don’t just have a smooth glass table with a smooth sofa and a smooth rug. Use a rugged texture in the rug to make the room more exciting!

6. Use Pattern As Texture

Look at a Pattern as a Texture. There are some different ways that patterns stand out on rugs, some stand out to touch, whereas others blend into the tactile feel other parts of the rug has. Find a pattern that complements your furniture – if your furniture is plain, choose an interesting pattern, if your furniture is patterned, choose a plain rug.

7. Match The Main Color

Find the dominant color to match with. What’s the main color in the room? Match your rug color with that.

8. Complement Colors

Alternatively, match an accent color – a color that’s not the dominant color but one that’s still visible. This might be a derivative of the dominant color or a more subtle color that features in a handful of places.

9. Get Inspired With A Color Chart

Use a color chart. Matching colors can be hard if you’re not used to it. Using a ‘color wheel’ or color chart can be really helpful for inspiring your choice of colors.

10. Be Bold When It Works

Be ‘eclectic’ if everything else in the room is eclectic. If you have a fairly consistent style with colors and furnishings throughout the room then throwing in an eclectic choice of rug will only make the rug look out of place.

11. Overlap With Furniture

Literally bring the room together by placing furniture on top of the rug. In a living room, put the legs of the sofa and chairs over the edge of the rug. It’ll make the room cosier.

12. Match The Room Shape

Match the shape of the room with the shape of the rug. Square room? Square rug. Rectangular room? Rectangular rug. Pentagonal room? etc.

13. Match A Quirky Shape

Match the shape of furniture with the shape of the rug – a good alternative if your furniture is a distinct shape. If you have an oval table then an oval rug will work with it.

14. Consider The Whole Picture

Don’t choose a rug based on one attribute alone. All of these fifteen rules should be considered as a whole – you might have to compromise a little bit here and there (perhaps with regard to material and texture), because it’s important you get the best rug from those available.

15. There Will Always Be The ‘Right’ Rug

There is always a rug that can fit with your room. You might not think it, but there will always be a rug out there that can work with whatever you’re doing with the rest of the room.

Originally published as a guide on RugMerchant.co.uk. Republished here with permission.

Related:

25 Rugs that Steal the Show | 24 Bedrooms with Rugs | 18 Types of Area Rugs | 40 Living Rooms with Area Rugs