So, you have this large empty space, and you don’t know what to do with it. You’ve thought about buying an area rug but you’re not sure what size will fit the space. Area rugs are an amazing design element to incorporate into your space and can completely pull your room together. This blog post will explore how to choose the right area rug for your space as well as the different do’s and don’ts of incorporating an area rug into your interior design.

Different Style Rugs

There are many types and styles of area rugs. Below is a brief description of several different types of rugs and their stylistic elements.  

Sisal - These rugs are made from woven natural fibers that are durable, versatile, and timeless. They are a great neutral option and bring in a lovely texture to any space. We love seeing sisal rugs in coastal or more traditional style homes. 

Jute - Jute rugs are very similar to sisal rugs in that they are both made from woven natural fibers and textures. The difference here is in the feel of the fibers and lifespan. Jute rugs tend to be slightly softer than sisal rugs and slightly less expensive.

Hides - Hide area rugs are extremely popular at the moment, as they deliver those earthy, natural colors and rich feeling into a room. We love layering hide rugs over other area rugs to bring in dynamic textures.

Runners - Runners are great for those long narrow spaces that need some grounding and visual interest. We love using runners in an entry hall or a long narrow hallway.

Inspiring element 

Since rugs can vary widely in style, color palette, and design, they should be the inspiring element of an area, the central design piece of a room. You should choose a rug that speaks out to you and makes you say, “I LOVE this rug.” Especially since rugs can be quite a financial investment, you want to truly love all its stylistic elements. The color and pattern of your rug will give you that starting point for how to select your complimentary pieces and dictate the overall style of your space. Having your area rug as your inspiring element makes the design process flow cohesively and ensures the look will come together in the end.

Sizing 

So now you’ve found the perfect rug for your space, but you don’t know what size to get. The general rule of thumb is that your area rug needs to be at least 12 to 24 inches off your baseboards on each side. As long as you’re at least this distance away, you can work with whatever size rug best fits your space. For example, if your room is 10’ x 14’ then you would want a 9’ x 12’ area rug.

Do’s and Don’ts 

Living Room/Family Room 

Living and family rooms are our favorite places to use an area rug. Not only will the rug bring a richer design element to the space, but it brings in such a practical element as well because of the foot traffic. High traffic areas are great places to incorporate area rugs because they add such a warm, welcoming, and comfortable element into the space. Our number one trick when adding an area rug into your living or family room is to ensure the front legs of your sofas or chairs are on the rug. This anchors the chairs to the rug to prevent sliding but also makes each piece of furniture feel like it’s a part of the entire space. Rug pads are also essential to ensure it doesn’t shift around the room.

Kitchen/Dining Area

In the past few years, I have moved away from placing rugs in kitchen or dining areas. Though the selection and quality of stain resistant rugs has improved, I tend to avoid placing rugs where spills are more frequent. Though, if you want an area rug under your dining or kitchen table you want the rug to be the length and width of the table plus 3 to 4 feet on each side. In any eating area you want all four legs of the chair on the rug, not just the front legs. This is to ensure each chair feels balanced on the rug and prevents any sense of feeling lopsided.

Area rugs are such a beautiful interior design element that can elevate your entire space. There are endless styles, color palettes, and patterns to inspire your space. We have such an amazing selection of area rugs at our shoppe and are constantly getting new inventory in. Come into the shoppe and we would love to help you look through our rug selection and help you select the perfect area rug for your space. Come stop in tomorrow 07/09 for our Saturday sale or shoppe our best-selling rugs online here!