Rugs are an essential aspect in the design of a room. Not only do they add comfort and beauty, but they’re also extremely practical. However, finding the absolute perfect rug is not as simple as you’d think. In fact, we’re often surprised by the challenge of finding the perfect rug for a space – and we’re the professionals! When you think about it though, rug selection is complicated business, and there’s a lot to consider. So here are some tips and opinions to think about when looking for a rug.
Material
This is one of the most important things to consider in your rug search. To determine what material is best for you, think about your lifestyle. Do you have kids or pets in your house? Is the rug going somewhere there’s a chance of food spilling on it? What kind of environment do you live in; is there snow or sand? All of this will influence the material of your rug.
Wool rugs are typically great quality and will last a long time, which is why they’re usually a bit more expensive. However, if you want a rug that is sturdy and will last, this is your answer. They do take a bit of special care – you don’t want to use a vacuum with a beater bar on a wool rug because it will make the rug shed excessively. Wool rugs do naturally shed, so don’t be freaked out if that happens – the shedding will slow down after a while, but it’s important to be more gentle cleaning a wool rug than a synthetic one.
If your house is inundated with kids or pets, consider a less expensive, easy to clean, synthetic rug that you won’t be heart broken (or bankrupted) by if you have to toss it out in a few years. Look for something made out of Polyester or Polypropylene. These rugs are easy to care for, so they’re often the perfect solution for a high octane household.
Jute isn’t super duper soft, but it’s really pretty and sometimes exactly what a space needs. Be aware that it is a natural material, so it can have a few little break-a-ways.
As a general rule, we stay away from rugs made of Viscose. Viscose is very soft and very beautiful, so it’s easy to be lured in by them. HOWEVER, they are very hard to clean… like, almost un-cleanable. The only time we would ever recommend a rug with a high viscose content is if someone had a formal space that was never used or stepped in or looked at…. ok, that might be a little severe. BUT we want to make sure that you understand to be on the look out for viscose, because many sites sell rugs with a high viscose content, without any sort of explanation of the nature of the material!
Size
The other most important factor to consider: rug size. When it comes to rug size, it’s better to be a little too big than too small. If a rug is too small for a room, it will make the room feel tight. You want a rug big enough to anchor your space. If it’s for your living room, it should be big enough for the front legs of your couch and chairs to sit on the rug. If it’s in a dining room, you’ll want the rug to be big enough that you’re still on it when you scoot your chair back. And in a bedroom, the rug should be big enough to sit under your bed and still have enough space for your feet to land on it when you get out of bed in the morning.
This might seem like common sense, but if you’re getting a runner for a hallway, and the hallway is really wide, get a wider runner! The proportions will be better. Also, make sure that the length of the runner is such that there is a natural starting/stopping point. You don’t want the runner to start or stop in the middle of a doorway – that could be a tripping hazard!
Pattern vs Solid
Client’s often ask how many patterned rugs they can have in one space. It really depends on how close the rugs are to each other, and the scale of the patterns. What you want to avoid is having too many patterns of the same scale happening too close to each other – the space will feel too busy. That’s when a solid or textured rug in a coordinating color comes in handy! If you do have more than one pattern rug in a space, make sure that the patterns coordinate, and that one pattern is larger than the other.
One other note about patterns: there are soooo many options. Think about what each pattern will say about the space and what design style it lends itself to.
Color
Rugs are a great way to incorporate color into a space. They can introduce an accent color, tie together multiple colors in a room, or be a calming place in an already colorful room. The only trick here is to make sure the rug is actually the color it appears on screen. You don’t want to fall in love with a rug because it matches the custom pillows you had made, only to receive the rug and find out that the colors are way different from what you thought they’d be. Order a sample first! Also, when multiple rugs are in the same space, make sure the colors work well together or “talk to each other” so that no rug looks out of place.
Pile Height
If the rug will be near a door swing, don’t get a rug that’s too thick (also called the “pile”) because then you can’t open the door! Often, in this situation, we’ll also forgo a rug pad, or get a very thin rubber pad. If you aren’t sure what pile will work under your door, most websites will tell you how high the pile is, so just measure it!
Rug Pads
Speaking of rug pads, they’re important!!! They keep the rug from slipping, and they can prolong the life of the rug. There are different types of pads to consider. Mainly, there are rubber ones or felt ones: rubber ones pretty much only help with slippage, whereas felt ones help with slippage, add a bit of comfort and cushiness, and can also prolong the life of the rug.
If there isn’t a pad that fits the size of the rug perfectly (or within an inch or so), get a pad that is slightly bigger than the rug. They are pretty easy to cut down with a box cutter, so you can customize the size to fit perfectly!
Don’t want to have to worry about all this?
Let us do it for you! We have lots of rug sources we pull from, so we’re bound to find the perfect rug for you. Plus, we always order samples of the rugs before you buy them, so that we can make sure it’s absolutely perfect!
Contact us here to find the rug of your dreams.
XOXO,
