How to choose a rug
How to choose a rug
Choosing a rug can be a stressful decision to make as there are many factors to consider. Firstly, the colour you choose needs to match the rest of your decor such as your cushions, lounge and wall art. Next, it's important to pick the correct size rug, as a rug that is too small will look out of place and a rug that is too large may cost you more than it needs to. Thirdly, the type of rug should be considered, do you want something that is super soft and fluffy or a harder wearing low pile rug for high traffic areas. All these should be considered before the decision is made.
Start with the rug
If you are decorating an entire room the most common advice from interior decorators is to "start with the rug". This means choose the rug before you pick any other decor. The reason for this is because then you can use the rug as an anchor for the rest of the decor in the room. Rugs are also generally one of the more expensive decor items you will buy for the room so it will probably be changed less than something such a cushion covers.
Colour
The colour or colours you choose in your rug will be dictated by many factors, but the first thing will be whether you are starting from scratch decorating the room. If so then you can go wild and choose anything that takes your fancy, knowing you will be able to use this to set the mood for the room and choose decor to match it later. If however you are just wanting to freshen up the room or perhaps replace an old rug which is more often the case, then your choices may be a little more restricted.
Take a look around the room, if you have alot of colour and texture in your other furniture and decor, it may be wiser to choose a more plain style of rug to go with the decor you already have. If, however you feel the room needs a bit of a lift, then don't be scared to choose a heavily pattered or brightly coloured rug as this might be just the thing the room needs.
Add some colour!
Beautiful Stripped Rainbow Kids Rugs
You can also help unify the look of the room by adding some wall art, cushions or perhaps a vase in the same colours as your new rug.
Material
Rugs come in a variety of different materials such as wool, heat set polypropylene, jute, BCF (bulk continuous filament polypropylene) and more. This can be a little confusing so we have a little guide below to help you choose a material for your rug.
Wool: Hardwearing and soft, wool is still the gold standard fibre in rugs and for good reason, it will last for years and its luxurious underfoot. Great for high traffic areas. Wool is a little less stain resistant than synthetic fibres so we recommend cleaning stains as soon as you notice them. The drawback with wool is generally they can cost quite a bit more than synthetic rugs.
Wool rugs in soft pastel colours can make a room feel more inviting.
Heatset Polypropylene: Feels very soft to the touch and is one of the hardest wearing piles. This fibre is also very stain resistant so great for high traffic areas.
BCF Polypropylene: Generally our cheaper rugs are made from this process. These rugs are well priced but wont wear as hard as the more expensive Heatset Poly and Wool rugs. That said however they will last for years if cared for and are very inexpensive so you can update the look of your room with out breaking the bank.
Uber Cool Black Rug Grey Ivory Rug
Jute/Sisal: Jute and sisal rugs have a natural look that can really bring and organic feel to a room. While these rugs are very hard wearing its important to note they will are a little harsher underfoot than some of our other rugs and also can stain easier like all natural rugs so its important to clean up stains as quickly as possible.
Tumu Hand Woven Tribal Jute Rug
Size
We often get asked what size rug people should buy for their house. This one can be hard to answer as there are a few things to consider such as furniture and room size.
Small Rugs - Small rugs are usually from 150x80cm up to 170x120cm. Great for small living areas and bedrooms, these size rugs can be used to highlight furniture pieces as well.
Medium Rugs - The standard size for a medium rug is 230x160cm. Our most popular size rug. Great for under the coffee table in your living room, bedrooms and home offices.
Large Rugs - 290x200cm, good size for most lounge rooms, and dining rooms. This size will allow you to have the feet of your furniture on the rug which generally looks better than having a smaller rug.
Extra Large Rugs - Extra large rugs are generally considered to be 330x240cm to 400x300cm. Extra large size rugs are great for large living rooms, 8-10 seat dining settings, master bedrooms and large entertaining areas.
230x160cm can go well at the end of your bed
Thanks for reading our guide, and we hope this helps you on your journey to finding a new rug.
If you need more help please send us an email to info@floorsome.com.au
- Brett Ryder
