“Selecting an area rug is a lot like picking a painting; it has to speak to you. Since an area rug can cost a bundle, make sure it wraps its hands around your heart before you buy it, because you’ll likely live with it for decades. The perfect rug will add character and charm to your room.”
~ Mary Carol Garrity
In my home, the floors are hardwood, luxury vinyl, or tile. Soon after we moved in, area rugs were bought to add warmth, texture, color, and also to help absorb and reduce noise. The rugs were also used to define seating and dining spaces and to protect the floor in major traffic areas.
As a decorating accessory, rugs can help tie elements of a room together and provide the means to update, revitalize, and beautify your home. The first step in decorating a room is to choose something as an inspiration. It can be a piece of art that you love, fabrics that you want to use in the room, or an area rug. A rug is a great inspiration piece, and you can plan the paint color, furnishings, fabrics, and accessories around it.
Benefits of area rugs:
- Brings warmth, coziness and comfort to hard-surfaced flooring.
- Protects your flooring.
- Minimizes injuries from falls to children and seniors.
- Reduces noise by absorbing sounds.
- Infuses color, texture, and pattern into a room.
- Are portable (can take them with you when you move).
- Covers floor damage.
- Defines the space in a room.
- Unifies room’s furnishings.
- Can change the look and feel of a room instantly.
- Anchors the main pieces of furniture.
Tips for using rugs in your décor:
- Make a small space seem larger by using a light colored area rug.
- Create intimacy and set specific borders for furniture arrangements by using darker colored rugs.
- Pair less complicated designs with more intricate patterns.
- Blend floral patterns with more contemporary geometric designs if the color palettes are similar.
What size rug do I need?
A room-sized rug…. designers often choose one that extends to within 12 to 18 inches of the wall or baseboard. If possible, the same amount of bare floor should be exposed on all sides of at least on parallel sides.
A dining room rug…. measure your tabletop and add at least 4 feet to the width and length (2’ on each side) to find the minimum size rug for your dining room. This extra length and width provides space for the chairs to be pulled out from the table comfortably.
A round dining table calls for either a round or square rug.
A bedroom rug…. usually an 8’ x 10’ works under a queen size bed and a 9’ x’ 12’ under a king. Place rug 2/3s of the way under the bed.
Unsure of the size you need? Sofas and chairs in your seating area should sit completely on the rug, halfway on the rug or their legs should just touch the edge of the rug. To be sure, tape off the area with masking or painters tape to help you determine the size.
Add padding under a rug not only to keep it in place but to help extend the life of the rug (area rugs wear out first on the bottom…not the top) and to absorb sound. Use the wool felt pads on hard-surface flooring. Be careful using the non-skid pads. Over time they will stick to the floor and leave a film.
Thank you for reading my article each month. ReDESIGNS by Ava’s goal is to help you create a beautiful place where you and your family can come to be loved, refreshed, and encouraged.
