How to Choose the Right Rug for a Room

Choosing the right rug for a room can be a challenge! After all, a rug is one of those final pieces that that can make or break the overall feel of a space. There are so many things to consider when choosing a rug and in this article, I’m going to discuss each one. Hopefully, I can help make your search for the perfect rug a little easier!

Budget

Before you even consider what the rug will look like, you need to take into consideration your budget and how much you want to spend. This will help you know where to start looking.

When thinking about budget, keep in mind that a rug is something that you will most likely not keep forever. It’s an easy change when you want a little different of a look. With that being said, you may not want to spend thousands of dollars on a rug.

Size

There are several standard sizes for area rugs including 3×5, 4×6, 5×8, 7×10, 8×11, and 9×12. There are several factors to consider when choosing the right rug for your area. The first one to keep in mind is that the rug is meant to add a touch of style, color, and bring the room together, not to cover up all the floors. Most flooring such as hardwood is very expensive. It is important to allow this flooring to show and the rug to only be an accent.

If you would like more info about choosing the right rug size for a living room, we wrote an article about that.

Also when considering the rug size, think about the placement of the furniture and other things around it. It’s important that the rug doesn’t get in the way of doors or other things that may cause a problem or an annoyance.

Look and Feel

A rug really is an important part of the room and the look and feel needs to be cohesive with the other components of the surrounding area. Choosing colors that contrast well is a great idea. For instance, if your walls and flooring are both light colored, you may want to go with an overall darker rug that doesn’t just blend. A darker rug, not necessarily extremely dark, will create some much needed contrast.

The overall feel of the room is also very important. Is your room more relaxed or more of an elegant theme? This is definitely something to consider while looking at both the color and material of a rug. Muted, lighter colors lean towards a more serene setting, while colorful rugs add some fun and vibrance into an area.

Rugs can often become the focal point of the room. When a room is very neutral in style and color, a rug tends to take over the personality. It can be the main source of color and personality of the room. On the other hand, if the room is already busy and filled with lots of colors, the rug may need to be more neutral to where it will be a calming feature to the room.

Location

The location of the rug is very important, not only in the color but mostly in the material you choose. For example, a jute rug is more of a casual feel and wouldn’t normally look the best in a formal dining room. Although I will say, there are times I love mixing the glam with a few relaxed pieces.

It can work but would have to be the perfect setting. An example would be an older historical home with brass chandeliers and using a more relaxed jute rug with fringes. However, if you are going for an overall classier look you should probably choose a vintage style rug.