- Will your rug be the signature piece in the room? When selecting the perfect rug for your space, you must first decide whether it is going to be the statement piece in the room that “steals the show,” or whether it will be a rug that anchors the space and ties together the colors and patterns in the signature fabric for that space. Or, do you want your rug to be natural sisal, jute, or grass rug that lends simplicity and texture to your space? Either way, you want to ensure your rug and fabric choices do not compete with one another in color, complexity, or scale. Define its purpose and go from there!
- What is the best material to use in your space? A wool rug is going to give you the most longevity, durability, and is much easier to clean than most rugs. However, they are often a little pricier! A grass, natural sisal, or jute rug is going to show wear more quickly, be a little more difficult to clean, and may need to be replaced a little sooner. However, these rugs often provide texture and a more natural look that cannot be accomplished any other way. It may be the perfect rug for a low traffic area or just the rug you need to use for a layering technique. Just make sure you are thoughtful regarding its placement – you do not want a jute or sisal rug in a space where chairs are being pulled back regularly and will cause significant wear or in a playroom where your 10-year-old is going to use it as a backdrop for a crafting station.
- What is the appropriate size rug for your space? This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to determine unless you have done it a hundred times over. In most situations, a good general rule of thumb is to draw out your space with the furniture plan in place and plan to select a rug that fits under the front ends of each piece of furniture at least 4+ inches all the way around. A rug that extends far beyond the back of each piece of furniture can tend to make a space feel much smaller, whereas a rug that fits under the front ends of the furniture tends to make the room feel larger. Similarly, a “floating” rug that does not touch under the edges of the furniture generally does not serve the purpose of anchoring your space, so you want to be careful not to select a rug that is too small. Rug sizing guidelines for under a dining table is a little different. In those cases, your rug should be large enough for a chair to be pulled out from the table, so aim to allow for approximately 18” of rug around the entirety of a dining table to accommodate dining chairs (this is perhaps the biggest mistake made in selecting proper rug sizes).
Most importantly, do not underestimate the impact of the perfect rug. A room can feel incomplete without a rug to anchor your design. Be thoughtful and always GET THE RUG!
