How do I choose a floor rug?
Let's talk floor rugs...a really important choice in any space, with the ability to add so much (or impact dramatically!) to the look and feel of a particular space, be it a living room, bedroom, dining room, study, or even the outdoors.
What do we think about before landing on the perfect choice for a client? Take a look below for a few of our favourite tips, and answers to some frequently asked questions, alongside photos of some gorgeous rugs we’ve selected for our beautiful clients.
Start with the mood and concept
Perhaps we sound like a broken record, but always start and here and if in doubt, always come back to the mood and concept to remind yourself of what you need. What is the overall look and feel that you are trying to create for the space? Being such a large piece, a rug goes a long way at making or breaking this vision, so it’s important that it accentuates the mood and concept rather than heads in a completely different direction!
Consider how the rug will be used
Children, pets, moving furniture, foot traffic - these are all important considerations in choosing a floor rug. After all, if it’s not practical, it’s beauty will quickly wear off. Be sure to consider if it can be vacuumed easily, and if dining chairs will be difficult to move in and out.
Low pile or flat weave rugs are typically the easiest for areas that need to be cleaned often (eg. under a dining table, or even the living room if you have any pets or crumb-creators!)
Select a colour that will be forgiving if it needs to be - often a significant expense, a floor rug is not usually an item that you want to be replacing regularly.
If the aim of having a floor rug is to create a plush feeling underfoot, make sure you look for chunky weaves or thicker piles that will feel luxurious (just keep in mind the challenges that it may present).
Outdoors, choose one designed for the outdoors. These are made from fabrics designed to withstand sun and water - just read the details carefully before purchasing.
What else is going on in the space?
Furniture, cushions, bedding, wall art, flooring - all of these things demand some amount of ‘visual attention’ and add ‘visual interest’. You need to consider everything as a whole, not as individual items, to really figure out what type of rug is needed. For example
At our Transitional Farmhouse project, we selected a low pile rug in a mid-tone neutral colour with a low pile, and a subtle navy pattern. It is perfect for a space that will receive lots of passing foot traffic, it adds a bit of interest without taking away from other gorgeous details in the open plan area whilst still zoning it as it’s own space. The navy pattern also connects beautifully with the colour of the kitchen island.
So… should I choose the rug first or last??
The answer: you can do either!
If you find a rug that you absolutely love - it’s completely okay to start with it, and build the room around it. For Miss H’s room, this gorgeous rug was one of the first selections made (along with the wallpaper of course!), because of the colour and pattern that fit perfectly with the mood and concept, then we built the room from there. Read more about this room here.
If you start with other pieces first, or have existing items, for example, a sofa, sideboard and some art, you can work to find a rug that brings everything together or adds that missing element. In our Grasmere project, we selected a stunning rug that doubles as the ‘art’ in a space with lots of windows and a simple colour palette.
How big should the rug be?
The general rule - go as big as you can! Perfect proportions make even a small space appear generous. Map it out on the floor if you need to, and always play with what the bigger rug size will look like, just to be sure. A few basic tips:
Living room: at least the front legs of all sofas/armchairs should be on the floor rug
Bedroom: make sure the size you choose leaves enough room to hop out of bed and onto the floor rug (and you do want to see lots of the gorgeous floor rug after all!)
Dining room: don’t let the chairs ‘fall off’ the rug! Sit at the dining table, pull the chair out far enough to be able to leave the table, and this is how far the floor rug should extend on each side.
Do you have a question that we haven’t answered? Please get in touch and let us know!
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