Not only do they add warmth and interest to your home, but rugs also really finish off a room. Area rugs are perfect for large and small spaces where you want to protect your flooring while softening the overall aesthetic. They’re also useful for delineating spaces so work well for grouping furniture in large open-plan rooms.
Whether you’re looking for something bold to add colour to a room, a textural design to lift a neutral space or just wondering how big you should go, here are some tips to make it a little easier when the time comes to choosing the right rug for your home.
Types of rug
The first thing to consider is the type of rug that’s right for you. You’ll need to think about where the rug will be used so you can determine whether you should go for a low-pile or high-pile style.
Low pile rugs
Low-pile rugs are great for busy areas of your home that get a lot of foot traffic, such as hallways or living rooms, as they will stand up to wear and tear better. A good underlay will make low-pile rugs more comfortable for sitting on – ideal if you’ve got young kids who will be playing on the floor.
Placing a rug under dining tables is a simple way to zone your dining space. Low-pile rugs are best here to allow dining chairs to move in and out freely, plus you can vacuum up crumbs easily.
High pile rugs
Cosy high-pile rugs, such as our Shaggy or Dakota designs, are ideal for low-traffic areas of the home such as bedrooms. And, they’re lovely to sink your toes into when you get up in the morning.
If you have wooden or tiled flooring, shaggy rugs introduce instant texture that brings added comfort to your home. These plush, fluffy designs create a luxurious finish that really ups the cosy factor in any space.
What size should you go for?
The best way to decide this is to measure out the area you want to cover. There should be at least a foot or two of visible flooring around the room. This will give you an idea of the size you’ll need before you set out to find your dream rug.
Our rugs come in three different sizes to offer plenty of options to suit your space. In a living area, generally speaking, all the front legs of the furniture should sit upon the rugs. Stay away from postage-stamp size rugs right under the coffee table as it will make your room look smaller.
At the same time, you don’t want to waste a lot of money buying a large rug that sits fully underneath the furniture as you’ll essentially be paying for a rug that you won’t even see. And if it’s in front of a sofa, then it should run the same or slightly wider than the width of the sofa.
Rugs for other rooms
In a dining room, the rug should be large enough so that when you pull out your chair, the chair remains on the rug. In most cases, you’ll also want to match the shape of your rug with the shape of your table, so rectangular tables suit rectangular rugs and round tables suit round rugs.
In a bedroom, you might want to consider two smaller rugs on each side of the bed or one that’s large enough to cover two-thirds from underneath the bed and at least a few feet on either side of the bed and in front of it.
What material should you choose?
Choose from a range of different materials depending on your needs and budget. Our Kennedy, Mayfair and Ohio rugs are hand-tufted and made from 100% wool to offer a naturally luxurious finish.
We also have a range of polyester rugs – designed to be hard-wearing and practical for every home. Be sure to utilise an underlay to make thinner rugs more comfortable underfoot. On the upside, they’re normally less expensive than wool rugs so if you tend to change the style of your room frequently it may make more sense to buy something you won’t feel guilty replacing every few years.
Finally, natural materials, like jute rugs, are great for high-traffic areas although less comfortable underfoot than wool or cotton rugs. However, they are very practical and don’t require as much care. Simply beating the rug outdoors will loosen any dust and debris and keep it looking great for years.
Remember there are never any hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating. The most important thing is to buy what you know you will love for years to come. Find the perfect rug for your home by shopping our latest rug collections. We’d love to see how you’ve styled rugs with your Oak Furnitureland pieces at home. Tag us at #OakFurnitureland and #GrowYourHome on Instagram.
