Tips on Choosing the Best Rug for Your Space
Not sure what rug best fits your needs and space? Don’t worry, we are here to help. But before you dive into this article, we recommend you first having a look at our “look book” – a video we put together showing many kinds of rugs in different types of home. This video can be found in the bottom portion of our Home Page, under the section “Design Inspiration”.
If you’ve already done that, then let’s dive in.
Just like buying clothing. There is no right and wrong in choosing your favorite rug. It all comes down to personal preference. That said, when designing the look and feel of a home and a space, many interior designers will tell you to first choose a rug and then furnish the space around it.
This strategy obviously works, and perhaps is the easiest, but it overlooks the needs of existing homeowners looking to add a rug to an existing space that is already furnished. This article is geared more towards picking a rug for an already furnished home.
Color Choices
Color choices can be separated into functional and style considerations.
For functional consideration, you mainly have to think about if the space will be made dirty easily. Other functional benefits are quite universal across different designs, and don't need to be taken into your design considerations. These benefits include sound dampening, floor protection etc... If the rug is going to be in a high traffic area, or if you have toddlers at home that will likely spill or mark on the rug, it is best to go with a rug that is dark colored.
Likewise, a shag rug, which absorbs liquids easily and is difficult to clean is also likely not going to fit your needs well.
Below is an example of a dark rug fit for a heavily trafficked area or a home with little children.
Below is an example of a light-colored rug.
Another color consideration is if the rug fits the overall style and color pallet of your space. This includes wall colors, furniture colors, and the resultant decorative style.
Style can be separated into too broad categories – modern and traditional. A rug should fit the style of the space. Conservative rugs mostly use shades of red, while more modern rugs use everything else. Like the photo above, a slightly conservative furniture style can still fit well with a light colored, more modern rug.
Below are a few more examples of modern looking rugs.
Darker and richer colors create more intimate spaces, while light colors to make a small space appear larger.
A sense of tranquility can be achieved by using muted color tones. It works best if you choose the same color palleted as your room and its decorations. Light tones and monochromatic tones are classically soothing. A tranquil tone works well in a well lit room with light coloured walls.
Formal Color Tones and Patterns
A more traditional rug can serve as an anchor in a room – attention grabbing and stands out above all else. This is one of the main reasons interior designers recommending picking a rug first during the room design process.
A traditional looking oriental rug with its deep rich reds is great at creating an aura of formality.
