Area rugs can greatly contribute to the character of a room. Even a vacant hallway can gain an instant identity from the color and texture a rug adds. An area rug, for example, can become the defining point of a room without one. As home to top rug manufacturers, Hickory Furniture Mart would like to share some professional designer insider insights in choosing the perfect rug for your own home decorating project.
Before you buy a rug, the budget isn’t the only issue you need to consider. You should first think about how much foot traffic the room the rug will occupy will receive. This will help you decide the type of material your rug needs to be. Furthermore, take into consideration the amount of work that material will need to keep clean.
Types of rug fibers include cotton, acrylic, wool, olefin, and plant fibers. Wool and cotton rugs, for example, are easy to clean. However, wool rugs are more durable than cotton. Subsequently, wool rugs are better for high-traffic areas. On the other hand, plant fiber rugs include materials such as seagrass and bamboo. They are easy to maintain, turning them over to reduce damage from heavy traffic, making them suitable for family rooms and living rooms. However, they cannot withstand moisture, and therefore are not suitable for bathrooms and bedrooms.
Once you have fine-tuned your rug selection by primary function, you need to decide on the rug size. We suggest you keep the size and shape of the room the rug will rest in mind. Think of the room as a frame and the rug as the painting or photograph occupying it. The placement should have a framing effect. For instance, a 4’ x 6’ room is best complemented by a 3’ x 5’ rug.
Finally, much like paint, a rug’s color can affect the character of a room. A light-colored rug can give a room the illusion of being more spacious. Therefore, reviewing rug swatches for color and material/texture is highly recommended when using rugs in your own home design project.
What determines your overall room’s style more—your area rug or your paint color?