Whether you’re looking to jazz up an old room or planning out your new apartment design, picking a rug can be overwhelming.
If your floors are cold and unwelcoming, or you’re just looking to add a little something more to your room, an area rug might be just the ticket.
Are you wondering how to choose an area rug?
Let’s take a look at everything you need to consider when making this important purchase.
Consider Your Sense of Style
First things first, it’s important to think about what style you’re going for with your interior design.
If you’re aiming for a more traditional look, you’re going to make different choices than if you’re opting for a more modern or eclectic style.
Consider the rest of your furniture and how you’d like your area rug to tie your existing pieces together.
Your sense of style will inform every aspect of choosing an area rug, including the size, color, shape, and way you place it in the room.
Consider the Size
Are you looking for a rug to cover nearly an entire room, or are you just looking for a small accent rug?
If you’re hoping to find a full-size rug, you’ll want to find a rug that allows for two feet between the edge of the rug and the wall.
If you’ve found a rug you love but aren’t sure if the size will look good, use a bedsheet to mimic the size to get a sense of whether it works in the space.
Consider the Color
When it comes to how to choose a rug color, you’ll obviously want to take into account the color scheme of the room.
One option is that you can choose a rug with neutral tones that helps accentuate the existing color scheme in the room.
If you feel like your room is too bland color-wise, adding a thoughtfully colorful rug can change the feel of the whole room.
One important thing to consider when picking the color of your rug is whether you want your rug to blend in or stand out.
The answer to this question will help point in you in the right direction.
Remember that the color of a room can have a noticeable impact on moods, feelings, and behaviors.
This is worth keeping in mind when thinking about what types of vibes you’re trying to create in each room.
Consider the Pattern
Maybe you’ve decided to go with a solid color rug, and that’s great.
For rooms that are entirely made up of solid colors, a little pattern can go a long way.
If you feel like your room is looking a little dull, find a patterned rug that suits the existing colors to spice things up a bit.
Consider the Shape
While rectangular rugs are most common, you shouldn’t be afraid to branch out a little.
Circular rugs are particularly nice for seating areas, entrances, and passageways. Other non-traditional rug shapes to consider are animal hide rugs, square rugs, and runners.
Consider the Room
Is your area rug going to be in a high traffic area of your house, or will it not see much wear and tear?
This should be an important consideration when choosing an area rug. If you’re putting a rug down in a hallway that is walked on dozens of times a day, you’ll want to invest in a rug that can withstand that sort of traffic.
How to Choose an Area Rug Pad
Don’t skip the rug pad, as it will help add cushion, help prevent slipping, stop the rug from rippling, and protect the rug from wearing.
When buying a rug pad, look for one that’s two inches smaller than your rug and about .25 inches thick.
Can You Put an Area Rug on Top of Carpet?
Yes, yes, yes!
It might sound strange to layer a rug on top of a carpet, but it can actually look amazing. You can either put a small rug on top of a carpet or on top of a larger area rug.
You’ll want to use carpet tape when layering rugs, though, otherwise your rug likely won’t stay in place.
How to Care for Your Rug
Your area rugs should be vacuumed once a week to keep them clean and in good shape.
If your rug has become stained, you can use a combination of two parts hydrogen peroxide and one part liquid dish soap to remove the stains.
Use the mixture by blotting it on the stain and then pat it with a paper towel and flush it with water.
You’ll want to test your mixture on an unseen spot first to be on the safe side.
If your rug is seeming a little stinky, you can sprinkle baking soda on your rug. Leave it there for 30 minutes and simply vacuum it up.
Does your favorite rug need a little surgery? You might consider professional oriental rug repair.
It can definitely be worth it financially to repair a rug rather than purchase an entirely new one.
Plus, if you’re attached to a rug you love, why throw it out over a small tear?
Now You Know How to Pick an Area Rug
When choosing an area rug, you may feel so overwhelmed that you start to question everything. “What is an area rug, really?” you ask yourself.
Never fear, now that we’ve broken it down into simple categories, you can march forward with confidence. You now know how to choose an area rug!
Remember that there aren’t necessarily hard and fast rules in design.
While following prescribed design principles can be a safe bet, it’s your house and you can do what you want. If a certain rug speaks to you and you know it will be perfect in your dining room, you do you.
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