One of the things I get asked about the most is how to choose the right rug.
Rug rules are something I’ve always felt very strongly about. Yes there really are rug rules! Break them and you can totally throw off your whole room design. Get your rug right and it can be the magic carpet that pulls your whole scheme together.
Image via Six Vintage Rugs
Read here how to choose the right rug and never make a rug mistake again.
If you have hard floors then the first rule is you must absolutely must get a rug. So if you were wavering over whether or not to get a rug then the answer is almost certainly yes! Visually your rug is the anchor that grounds the room and pulls everything together. When your sofa and armchairs all sit on the same rug it indicates you are all invited to the party and should kick off your shoes and get comfy. The perfect rug could highlight colours in your artwork and accessories and really make them pop. It will add visual interest, style and texture. And of course it makes the space feel warm and cosy, providing insulation and absorbing sound, so an absolute must for open plan or sociable spaces. So is there any good reason not to get a rug?
If you want a statement rug with a beautiful pattern such as a vintage Persian rug or a fabulous Kilim then buy the rug first! People often see rugs as accessories and consider them later in a project. This is fine if you’re banking on a neutral rug. But if the rug is your ‘ta da’ piece of the room then choose it first and build your scheme up around it. It’s far easier to match paint colours and fabrics to your rug than the other way round. Think of your rug as the wedding dress equivalent, dress first, then shoes, veil, hair, make-up etc. It’s all about the dress. right?
Listen up, because this is the most important rule and the one that loads of us get wrong, and the one that makes my toes want to curl. Don’t get a rug that’s too small! And by too small I mean a rug that isn’t big enough for your furniture to all sit on. Like I said, the purpose of the rug is to pull everything together. So your furniture needs to sit on your rug. If your rug is floating in the middle of your floor not connected to anything it’s not doing it’s job. It’s just floating like an island, looking lost and pointless and this is not good. A large rug will also make the room look bigger, and a small floating island rug will make it look smaller. Let’s go through some key rooms.
LIVING ROOM
Make sure at least the front legs of your sofa and armchairs sit on the rug.
DINING ROOM
Make sure the table and chairs sit on the rug and that there is at least 60cm of rug behind each chair (ideally 90cm). This enables chairs to be pushed back and pulled back in without any embarrassing rug rucking going on.
BEDROOM
Ideally the rug will be large enough to sit under the whole bed from the bedside tables down to the foot of the bed with at least 60cm of rug spare down each side and at the foot of the bed. This is to look good and to provide enough rug to easily walk on as you walk around the bed.
Can you ever break the rug island rule? The only time it’s cool to use a smaller rug that doesn’t sit under your furniture is if you have runners or sheepskins down the side of your bed.
And don’t be influenced by retailers photography. Rug shops will always show rugs as an island in their product shots because they don’t want any part of the rug to be hidden. But this is definitely not how it should be styled in the home.
So if you cannot afford the rug of your dreams in the right size, or the rug you have fallen for is a vintage one of so doesn’t just come in a bigger size. (This happens to me all the time). Then why not layer your rugs?
Use a larger plain or sisal rug to cover the whole space you need and then layer another smaller rug on top. This is also really handy for rooms that have awkward shapes like alcoves and bays. If you want to layer pattered rugs together this will look great, just make sure they have enough common elements to tie them together. So they may have the same kind of motifs or colours.
And if you are overlapping rugs side by side rather than just one on top of the other it is best to stick to flaweaves so you don’t create tip hazards and an uneven surface.
When it comes to walk ways that allow you to move around and between rooms make sure your rug either covers the entire walk way or leaves it exposed. There is nothing worse than walking half-on and half-off a rug (first world problems I know!) So make a decision to go one way or the other.
If you are a bit scared of pattern but would like to be braver, then the rug is the perfect way to introduce pattern to you room. By sitting on the floor it is a lot less dominant than the effect from say patterned wallpaper or upholstery. The more elevated the pattern the more attention it gets, so the rug is the perfect way to make sure a pattern doesn’t swamp the room.
If you are still a bit scared of pattern then you can go for something like a herringbone or stripe which is more subtle. But the braver you can be with pattern the better because pattern is much more forgiving in the rough and tumble of everyday life. Intricate patterns are amazing for hiding spills and stains. My Persian rug is 70 years old and has had everything imaginable spilt on it but I just grab a cloth give it a scrub and it’s all good. It’s brilliant because I really don’t have to worry about it at all which is handy with a dog and toddler.
If you do want to go plain then go for it. Plain rugs can look really beautiful and elegant and plush. They are a great option when you already have patterned sofas and walls. Just make sure they fit your lifestyle because a plain rug is going to show every little flaw, so take it easy with the red wine.
Speaking of practicality, the material your rug is made from will have a lot to do with how easily it cleans. If you are a crazy household full of children, pets or infantile adults then synthetic fibres are going to work best for you. Think nylon, polypropylene and PET. These guys are un-stainable. They are easy to clean and are ideal for dining areas particularly. And they are much more budget friendly too.
My big issue with them is they are, well, synthetic. This makes them less sustainable than natural fibres and they will release nasties into the atmosphere. They also have a sheen to them, so they may feel super soft but they will always look a bit unnatural which, for me personally, is not a great look.
Natural, sustainable materials are always going to look better and will ease your eco-conscience which has become really important to me since our planet started burning and since I became a mum. If you would like to read more about sustainable interiors then click here. So if you want to go natural choose form the likes of wool, sisal, cotton and allo. They are more challenging to keep clean though but remember a pattered rug will do wonders for hiding stains!
So it’s for you to consider your lifestyle, budget and priorities to figure out which material is best for you.
If you are like me and your rugs get used for playing twister, pirates and plates workouts then I’d always recommend a rug pad. They should be cut to a size just a few inches smaller than your rug and it will hold it firmly in place plus add a little bit of cushioning. You can try tape which is cheaper but it depends how much you love your floor. If your rug is over lino or laminate this may be okay but if you have a treasured original parque floor I wouldn’t recommend it.
So the final taboo. What’s the rule for rug over carpet?
For me it’s not something I would normally do but many designers are very comfortable with it. I feel it’s a bit like wearing a body warmer over a coat, I’m not saying I would never do this (it might be really really cold) but it’s not something I would do without careful consideration. As with most things in life it really depends on the circumstances so here are my thoughts.
If you have a very natural carpet like sisal that is hardwearing and textured then I would be very happy to consider layering a patterned Persian, kilim or moroccan style rug over the top for pattern, colour and comfort.
With more plush carpet like wool I would consider a flatweave option.
If you have a very luxurious, soft, deep pile carpet I would probably avoid a rug altogether. Because if you try and use a higher profile rug it would create a trip hazard and look like the whole bodywarmer over a coat image. And if you tried to use a flatweave it would wrinkle and crease over a long pile carpet.
So now you know the rug rules you can confidently go rug shopping.
If you live in Southampton or Hampshire and would love some interior design advice please get in touch. I’d be happy to answer any rug related questions, I love rugs.
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