Tips for Decorating With Area Rugs

Whether you have hardwood, tile, marble, or laminate floors, adding an area rug can breathe new life into any room. Although somewhat controversial, even if you have wall-to-wall carpet, we love adding layering an area rug over top!

Obviously, the main benefit of an area rug is that it adds to the decor of a room. It can bring harmony between the different elements of the space. Other benefits of utilizing an area rug include noise reduction, comfort, warmth, as well as a grounding aspect. But in order for you to enjoy these benefits, particularly when it comes to aesthetic appeal, you should keep in mind the following tips when decorating with area rugs:

Extend the Rug Under Furniture

One of the most important things that you have to remember when choosing your new rug, is that all key pieces of furniture should touch it. At the very least, the front legs of the couches or chairs should meet the rugs ends.

When choosing a rug for your dining room, it should be large enough in size for the entire dining set. That means, the chairs should comfortably fit on top of the rug even when they are pulled out from the table.

Avoid Getting One That Is Too Small

Expanding upon tips 1 and 2 – It is essential that you invest in an area rug that is large enough for your room. One of the most frequent mistakes that we see our readers making is purchasing smaller area rugs because of the correspondingly smaller price tag. Most of the time these people end up tossing the smaller one in lieu of the correct size anyway so the savings is lost.  Save yourself some time and buy the size you actually need, the one you’ll be happy with, right out of the gate.

Center the Rug in the Room

When laying an area rug, you have to leave equal space on all sides. If you have enough room to leave 24 inches on all sides, that is ideal. But if not, as few as 8 inches is sufficient, but we don’t recommend going lower than that. Keep in mind that the area rug serves as the anchor point to the part of the room you are wanting to highlight.

Heavily Trafficked Areas Should Be Covered

We recommend using area rugs as a means of protecting your floors in highly trafficked areas.  Especially if you have floors that scratch easily, we recommend covering the most walked upon areas in your home with a durable runner or area rug if you have enough room.

Play With Colors and Patterns

Now, when talking about the attractiveness that an area rug can bring about, you should not be afraid to play and have fun with colors and patterns. For instance, if your living room is painted with a neutral color and your sofas and couches come with light shades as well, look for a rug that has various colors or patterns. This will instantly inject vibrance into your room.

Utilize Rugs to Define Areas

If you live in an apartment, particularly a small one, you can use a rug to define the different areas, such as the seating or dining area. You can also do this if you have a huge bedroom and you would like to incorporate a home office perhaps. You are free to utilize two or more area rugs to separate the different sections of the room.

Feel Free to Use Various Sizes and Shapes

A great thing about area rugs is that they come in a variety of sizes and shapes;  you’re not just limited to the traditional square or rectangle. Have fun with it!  A rug isn’t permanent, after all.

Opt for Patterns That Complement Each Other

We have mentioned earlier that you can use more than one area rug in a room. However, if you opt to do this, make sure that the patterns complement each other so that room still flows together.

Remember the Existing Colors

If you are adding the area rug after making furniture and decorative purchases, be sure that you consider the existing colors. On the other hand, if the room is still empty, say for instance you are moving to a new home or apartment unit, then base the colors of your furniture and other items on the color of the area rug. Try to create harmony.

Make It the Focal Point

Area rugs can have a huge impact on any room, so you can definitely have it as the focal point. More so, if you buy one with striking colors and impressive patterns. You can also accentuate it using throw pillows, a center table, or a unique piece of furniture.

Keep It Clean

No matter how beautiful and elegant your area rug is if it is not taken care of, sooner or later, it will get worn out. With this in mind, you should keep your rugs clean at all times. Vacuum every couple of days so that you will be able to remove dust and crumbs. Pro Tip:  We love machine washable rugs for kids rooms.

Consider Your Lifestyle

Needless to say, area rugs are a great addition to your home interior. They come in all sorts of designs, sizes, and shapes. However, you need to consider your lifestyle too when buying a rug. If you have children and pets at home, choose one that is durable. Be mindful of the fabrics and colors to ensure that it can withstand everyday wear and tear. We love jute for this reason!

Area rugs can give your  bare floors an instant makeover. It may be considered as an accessory but its impact on your home interior design can be immense!  Trust us!