Tips for Selecting an Area Rug

Design

Many people make the mistake of thinking that the first element to designing a room is the color of the walls. However, most designers will tell you the wall color is one of the last things you should pay attention to.

An empty room can easily be designed around an area rug. Use the rug colors to set the tone for furniture, draperies and wall paint colors. If your area rug has a pattern, with a background color, choose that background color for your walls. Pick a less dominant color in your area rug as an accent color for throw pillows and other accessories.

When adding an area rug to a room that has a lot of muted, soft colors, a rug with a dark black or brown border might be just what the room needs. This is especially true if you haven’t used black anywhere in the room…one decorator we know says you should always have at least one black accent item in a room, for balance.

Color

One decorating secret to choosing colors is to start with your favorite color and add white to it. That way you won’t end up with too much of a good thing!

Light colored area rugs will tend to open up a room, so if you want to make a room seem more spacious, you might want to pick a lightly hued wool rug.

You can’t go wrong if you have a fabric swatch (or two) with you when picking out an area rug. Don’t be afraid to mix larger prints with smaller prints in a room…as long as they are in the same color palette. Mixing patterns can add interest and fun to your décor.

Size

Designers have long known the value of using an area rug to define a room’s space. Placing furniture around a 4’X6’ or 6’X8’ area rug will create a more intimate sitting area in a larger space.

If you are looking into a room sized area rug as a topper for a hardwood or tile floor, be sure to leave at least 8 inches of exposed floor material around all sides of the area rug to give it a natural framed look.

Area rugs look wonderful in a dining room. To pick the right sized area rug for a dining room, measure the top of your dining table and add 4 feet to both the width and length. This will allow space around the table for pulling out chairs.

To determine the right size for your area rug you need to consider the shape and size of your room. For a rug to make a visual impact in a 4’ x 6’ space, for example, choose one that is 3 ’x 5’.

Here are some basic guidelines for rug sizes:

8’ x 11’ or larger: This size is best suited for large formal dining rooms, spacious living rooms or a family room or great room.

5’ x 8’ and 6’ x 9’: Smaller family rooms and mid-sized living rooms, an entrance foyer, den or office.

3’ x 5’ to 4’ x 6’’: Entrances, kitchens, bathrooms or used as accent area rugs under tables.

Rug Runners: Although run runners can also be used as accent rugs, they are usually used for hallways and stairways. The average rug runner is about 2’ x 6’, but a runner can be any length or width.

In fact, when it comes to shapes and sizes, you are only limited by your imagination. At Natural Area Rugs you can custom area rugs in any shape from octagonal to oval.

We think that the most important thing to remember when choosing an area rug is to pick something that you love. Decorators will tell you that picking a rug just because you think you should, when you really aren’t thrilled with it, is a big mistake.

Don’t pick a rug you can live with…pick a rug you don’t want to live without!