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Area rugs don’t get as much attention as they should for the role they play in room design. There are many benefits to using an area rug (even if you have wall-to-wall carpet) that often go overlooked.
Many times people avoid area rugs because they don’t know how to style them. So let’s check out the benefits and how to style area rugs in your spaces so you can feel confident adding these useful design pieces to your rooms!
Anchor Your Room
Area rugs help anchor your room and the furniture in it, supporting a cozy, comfortable, and welcoming space.
They can be used in pretty much any room of the home to create a cohesive design, add texture, and even add physical warmth from flooring like tile, laminate, and wood.
Design Tip: Area rugs should be big enough that they fit underneath your furniture (or at least mostly under your furniture). This helps create a larger looking space and brings your furniture together. If your rug falls short of your furniture, it can give the illusion your furniture is floating.
Reduce Noise
If you have a lot of hardwood, tile, or laminate flooring, it can get loud quickly between shoes, footsteps, toys, pets, and everyday life. Area rugs not only add textural and design elements to a room, but help reduce the noise produced from non-carpeted flooring.
Carpet and rugs can absorb sound, which can come in handy if you work from home and need quiet. So if you have hardwood floors and you’re hearing echo-like sounds (or don’t want to hear every footstep), consider adding an area rug to the room or runners in your hallways.
Add Visual Pathways and Zones
If you have a large open space, such as an open floor plan with little division between a kitchen and living room, area rugs are a great way to create that sense of division or “zone” between spaces. Runners can have the same affect and also create a visual pathway directionally through the house that’s inviting.
This can also be for a large open basement area, even used over carpet. Add area rugs to lounge spaces, rec spaces, and other areas to identity their “areas” as well as add more color and fun to the spaces.
Add Texture and Character
Adding an area rug can add texture and character to any room easily. From different patterns to bright, bold colors, they can quickly become a focal point and tie the whole room together. If you have solid-colored furniture and décor, consider a brightly patterned rug to complement, or go eclectic by mixing and matching patterns on your rug with other patterns in your room.
Consider area rugs as artwork that lies on the ground. Choose art that complements your space for size and your furniture.
Design Tip: If you have a large room, consider layering the same rug and putting them at different angles to add even more intrigue and design aesthetic rather than one really large rug. You can also mix and match your rugs with a standard area rug and a hide or other material to turn it up a notch. You’re sure to catch the eye and create a unique space by layering and angling.
5 Design Tips for Area Rugs:
- Colors don’t need to match. When selecting an area rug and trying to match an existing color in the room (or trying to match furniture to a rug color), stick with a similar hue. You don’t need to match it exactly. So if it has red, stick with red/pink hues.
- Size matters. As mentioned above, you don’t want your furniture looking like it’s floating. Most people get the wrong size area rug, and it’s usually too small. Make sure the furniture can sit completely or mostly on the rug. A correct sized rug and placement can also ensure safety from tripping over edges.
- Complement with color. The color of your rugs can warm your room as well as your furniture (and the materials used). Warmer colors can complement woods and metals used in your other furniture. Darker colors can make objects appear colder and smaller while lighter colors make them appear larger. Use lighter color rugs for small areas.
- Understand the material and care it will need. Wool rugs are the most popular, but there are also synthetic, silk, and other options available.
- In addition to size, it’s important to know how to place area rugs in each room. For a bedroom, the most preferred placement is partially under the bed with room on the three sides showing. For a dining room, you’ll want the rug centered under the table and enough rug that when chairs are pulled out, they still sit on the rug to avoid catching on them.
Did you know that Watson’s carries a variety of area rugs? Along with our wide selection of furniture, rec games, and spas, we offer area rugs and other décor to complement and complete any room. Contact us today to learn more.
