I had a friend who moved from a small home to a large home with spacious rooms and she exclaimed, “My rugs look like postage stamps on the floor!” Funny yes, but it’s a common mistake to buy the wrong size, shape or pattern of rug for a room.

If you’ve decided to add a rug to a room, here are a few suggestions to make sure it works beautifully. Done right, a rug is “art on the floor”, giving a room warmth, charm and personality.

Size. Rugs generally come in standard sizes like 5’ x 8’ or 8’ x 10’, etc. If you want a custom size, you will pay more. I’d suggest going up a standard size – you can always tuck a rug under. Another affordable suggestion is to buy regular carpet and have it banded to the size you want.

HINT: Lay out newspapers and tape into place to determine the best size rug for your space. Take opening doors and tripping hazards into account.

Placement. An area rug should be a minimum of six inches and no more than two feet away from the wall. If you want to add a small accent rug, that rule doesn’t apply, but do make sure the rug doesn’t “float” – in a living room or bedroom, it should at least go under the outside set of legs on your chairs or bed. On the contrary, in a hallway, never do “half on, half off” – it just looks wrong. A round rug in a foyer or open space needs to be centered – under the light fixture for example.

Desired Space Effect. If you want to create a feeling of spaciousness then light colours and simple patterns are your best choices. If you are looking to make a space cozier, then choose rugs with darker colours or more intricate and dense patterns.

Focal Point. If you have gorgeous furniture, choose a rug in soft neutrals to keep the attention upward. If you want the rug to be the focal point, go bright and patterned. The same hold true regarding your walls. If they are bright, keep the rug subdued; if the walls are neutral, go bolder with the rug. You don’t want every element in your room competing for attention.

Colour and Pattern. Your rug should pick up on colours in your room – curtains, upholstery, cushions, walls – but don’t get too matchy-matchy. As long as there is a feeling of cohesion, the rug doesn’t have to have exactly the same colours and pattern. Keep traffic and use in mind. Intricate patterns and darker colours generally look clean longer. Have you ever noticed that carpet in a hotel lobby is almost always patterned?

HINT: If you find a spectacular rug, let the colour and pattern determine the palette of your room, drawing paint and accessory colours from it!

Style. A traditional room will look best with a floral or subtle pattern; a modern room can support a bold geometric pattern. But there are always exceptions. For me, a classic Persian rug looks beautiful in almost any decor as long as the colours are anchored in other elements of the room.

Quality. Rugs may be hand-woven, hand tufted or machine-woven and tufted. The skill of the artisan (or machine) determines the quality and cost of the rug. As we’ve mentioned, wool cost more but is generally worth it. Another thing to look at is pile, meaning the amount of yarn used in making of the rug and how close the weaves are to each other. The denser the rug, the better it will stand up to time.

Material. Natural or synthetic? Natural materials include wool, cotton, jute, bamboo and silk. While all have their own advantages, wool remains the “gold standard” – it’s beautiful, durable, comfortable and stain resistant – and as it naturally resists dust mites – better for allergy sufferers! Synthetics have the cost advantage, but generally will not wear as well or look as luxurious.

 

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