How to Choose Your Perfect Rug

Do you like to decorate your rooms with rugs? Finding that perfect rug can give your home the personal, warm touch it might need.

Rugs are a great way to decorate your home and your flooring, and can easily be incorporated with the style, colors and designs you want to use. Rugs are not only decorative, but they also play an important role in terms of insulating your home. 

What to consider when choosing your perfect rug

Before choosing your rug, it’s important to consider how much wear and tear it’ll endure, which in turn will determine the best fabric to use for each rug.

Rugs are also really useful for separating different areas of a room. In fact, the colors and designs you use in your rugs will have a big impact on the overall look of the rooms themselves. Rugs also help to protect floors from imperfections, scratches, scuff marks and other, subtler signs of wear and tear.

The more lightweight rugs (such as petit point or fiber rugs) will need a base to stop them from moving around. Bases are usually made from a cushioned fabric that fixes to the back of the rug. Wool rugs don’t need a base as their own weight holds them down and stops them from slipping.

One of the major advantages of rugs is that they can change the look of a room. Warm-colored rugs can give a room a sense of comfort and vitality, while rugs in cooler colors can make a space more relaxed. Neutral colors can also make a room seem bigger, but they’re less hard-wearing.

Materials for your perfect rug

The most popular materials – wool and cotton

These are the most commonly used materials for rugs. They not only feel warm underfoot, but they’re also undeniably beautiful. They can also be quite durable and easy to maintain when combined with synthetic materials.

Natural fibers

These rugs are not only affordable and durable, but they also have insulating properties and are great at regulating a room’s temperature. The most common fibers are jute and sisal. Just try one and see how natural it makes your room look.

These rugs come in all sorts of colors, but bear in mind that they can dry out over time. This means that they can become sensitive to wear and tear and become worn by contact with your flooring. It’s important to remember this when deciding where to place your rugs.

New materials

Plastics like PVC and vinyl are often combined with other, lesser-used materials, like sateen or hemp. As plastics can easily be cleaned, rugs made with these newer materials are perfect for the kitchen, a terrace or balcony.

Where to lay your rugs

In your living room

Laying a rug in your living room can help to create a comfortable space to spend time with friends and family. Bear in mind that your rug should be in proportion with your sofa. In other words, it should extend a couple of centimeters around each side. A wool or cotton rug is warmer underfoot, whereas a fiber rug would be cooler and those with more detailed patterns are more hard-wearing.

In your dining room

A dining room rug has to withstand a lot of use, as well as the weight of your dining table and chairs. When choosing a dining room rug, it’s therefore best to opt for a thicker, heavier rug that sits flat on the floor without creasing or wrinkling. Ideally, you should have about 60cm of rug space around your dining table to leave enough room for your chairs.

In your bedroom

Wool and cotton rugs are comfortable to walk on barefoot and so they’re ideal for bedrooms. You could lay a rug at the end or on either side of your bed. If you’re looking for a rug for a kid’s bedroom, then it’s best to opt for a softer rug, but avoid those that are high-pile as they collect dust easily.

Key tips for choosing the perfect rug

Here are a couple of key tips to help you choose your perfect rug.

Classic rugs – elegance

Afghan rugs in natural colors, which are often spun by hand, are a classic option. You could also choose an alpaca wool rug, such as one with embossed flowers.

Rugs with character – originality

A hand-woven wool rug with an oriental pattern could be the perfect rug for your room. Or, why not be daring and choose one made of leather?

Different designs

You could even go one step further and try out a very different style. How about a rug with a large, bold pattern? These rugs can be really decorative, but they work best in larger spaces where you can really appreciate their beauty.

As you can see, choosing the perfect rug for your home isn’t complicated. With these key tips, you’ll see just how easy it can be!