We all know that adding a great area rug to a space gives it a pop of color and texture. But, did you know that it also helps ground the furniture, provide comfort, absorb noise and overall, defines the space? It's amazing that this one little piece of your décor can do so much! Finding the perfect rug may seem easy at first – especially considering the wide variety of options available – but there are many things you should consider to make sure you get the perfect one for your space and we are here to guide you along the way!
Finding the Perfect Area Rug for Your Lifestyle
When choosing the right area rug, it's important to consider how the space will be used and your overall lifestyle. Do you have children or pets? Do you entertain often? Will the rug be exposed to heavy foot traffic in an entry way or everyday living space? All these are important when choosing the perfect rug.
When you have an active space that is susceptible to stains and traffic you will want to consider rugs made from materials that are easy to clean, that are durable and maybe even something that is patterned to help hide stains that don't come out easily. In this case, you may want to look at options that are considered low-pile or flat-weave as they are known to make cleaning and maintenance a breeze
On the flip side, if you are looking to create a comfortable and luxurious space you may want to go with something that is softer and with a higher pile and maybe even lighter in color – but remember the tradeoff is that it may not hold up well against potential damage.
Area Rug Maintenance
Most area rugs fairly low-maintenance and only require regular vacuuming and occasional rotation, however, there are rugs that have some higher maintenance requirements and you need to be aware of those when making a final selection. Check with your sales associate to be clear on the materials that were used to make the rug and what the recommended cleaning methods and general maintenance guidelines are.
Choosing an Area Rug Color
One of the biggest considerations when choosing an area rug is the color, and whether you are using the area rug to tie a design together or using it as the foundation of a brand-new look. Either way it is important to note that when you see an area rug hanging on a show room rack the appearance of a rug will vary compared to when it's in your home. Thanks to fancy showroom lighting and the fact that you are looking at the rug hanging vertically. It's totally normal to ask the sales associate to bring the rug down and to place it on the floor this way you can see how the color hues change from one placement to the next and get a better idea of how that rug may shift color even further when placed in your home.
If you are looking to coordinate your rug with an existing color palette, some designers say to follow a 60-30-10 Color Rule.
60% of the room should feature the dominant color (like the walls or the largest piece of furniture in the space)
30% is a secondary color (perhaps where your rug choice comes in)
10% is your accent color that you could present in the form of lamps, vases, throw pillows
It is recommended that the accent colors come from your rug choice and that they aren't dominant – allowing your room to fit together nicely.
Choosing an Area Rug Pattern
Some homeowners enjoy a great patterned rug while others prefer a more simplistic approach in their design, so deciding to go with a patterned area rug is a personal preference of style. Some important things to consider when choosing the right patterned rug is what the other design elements in the room are if it is already furnished and you are adding an area rug after the fact. If you are starting with the area rug and building the room around that – you probably allow yourself a little more flexibility in which pattern to choose and how bold you want it to be since you don't have to coordinate it with other elements. Remember, the effect a pattern has on a room is closely tied to its color scheme so you will want to think about how all the pieces in the space work together.
Maeve Area Rug in Granite Mist
Choosing the Perfect Area Rug Size
Nothing is worse than bringing an area rug home, unrolling it and realizing its way too small for the space. One recommendation we can make about determining the right size rug is to mark out the space in your home with painters or masking tape where you want the rug to lay, measure that and come on in to a showroom to start looking at options. Rule of thumb on sizing is to get the rug closest to the size you want/need with the closest option sized up –for example, say you measured a 5' 7"x 8' 9" space for your living room – you should look to get a 6x9 area rug because most likely a 5x7 would not fill the space the way you had imagined.
Finding the Right Area Rug Shape
In case you were wondering, some area rugs can be made into shapes other than rectangles! That's right – round rugs, square rugs, runners for hallways or steps, oblong and even animal hide rugs are all a possibility. For more on custom rugs and the benefits – check out our other blog post!
The Perfect Area Rug Style
Gone are the days of traditional or classic styled rugs as your only option! With design styles evolving you will find a wide array of styles to complement any space you can imagine. If the time-honored classic look is your go to, that's great – but if you are looking for something more modern or contemporary or something with bold patterns or florals and strong geometric lines – you are in luck! Before settling on which styleyou want to look for, you should consider the atmosphere you are striving to achieve in the space and remember that the area rug doesn't have to match everything, but it should work with the textures and tones of the existing furnishings.
Now that you are ready to pick out the perfect area rug we have just one more little detail we must stress the importance of! We would hate for you to go through all this work to find the perfect size, style and shape rug for your space to have it not be supported by a rug pad! Rug pads keep your rug properly positioned on the floor – keeping it from sliding. They also reduce the wear and tear on the rug, help absorb noise, and protect your floors underneath the rug. We know that the rug pad isn't the fun part of the process – but it's too important to forget. Now let's get back to the good stuff – and why don't you take a whirl through some of our most popular area rug collections online!
At Avalon Flooring, we want to make sure you're happy from your first step in our showroom to your first step on your new flooring—and as your partner in home design, we'll be there every step along the way. Consider us your "One-Stop Shopping" destination for all things flooring…(and window treatments)!
Our design consultants are equipped with the knowledge to guide you through the wide selection of products we offer, and our expert installation team is professionally trained to make sure everything gets installed the way you envision. We know your home is an expression of your sense of style, and we're here to make sure you'll be proud of it for years to come.
If you have any questions, please email us.
