Choosing area rugs – A well designed room is built from the rug up
When you venture out to find quality home furnishings to change the look of your house, you need a starting point, an element of inspiration upon which the final results will rest. Choosing area rugs can be paralyzing if a person doesn’t start with some direction. Industry leaders suggest choosing one item to anchor the room, one distinctive piece that will set the parameters for all of your other choices. Good interior designers say that a well designed room is built from the area rug up.
Good design is a process, an experiment of sorts as you come to understand what really works with your unique lifestyle and with what makes you feel “at home.”
7 Criteria for choosing the perfect area rug
Like purchasing wall art, there is a lot to know about rugs, and your decision should be an informed one.
1. When looking at area rugs, try to find one that will make you smile every time you look at it.
Crafted from colors that reverberate with history, and designs that come from the heart and mind of the individual creator, a quality Oriental area rug will bring a distinction of taste and depth to your living space.
Providing warmth for your home is an investment in itself. Pay attention to how a space makes you feel and don’t pretend to “like” ideas based on trends. An area rug should comfort a room and your soul.
2. Take your time when choosing an area rug as it will be an heirloom item you can pass down for generations.
Investment in a rug as a functional art piece will get your creative juices flowing. If you choose wisely, a rug will be the one part of your room that you will never have to change. It will provide a road map for your design without setting mind-numbing limitations.
3. Choosing area rugs based on function.
Many home designers are surprised to learn that Rugs from Tibet, Turkey, Asia, Afghanistan, Romania, India and Pakistan may have very different styles + textures and durability. It’s important to discuss your specific needs in choosing an area rug.
The wear and tear of pets and children and just general traffic can be hard on any flooring. That’s why a quality rug is so perfect for the active home. They are durable, easy to clean and the natural pigments resist soil and fading even in the harshest environments.
Kilim area rugs represent a perfect example of a great durable and brilliant art piece. Just have a look at the many Kilim area rug applications here.
It’s important to discuss your needs with a reputable area rug dealer before purchasing. Pangaea can help! Just contact us or call us at 303-679-4447.
4. Ensure that even after purchase, your area rug dealer will honor exchanges in a given time frame.
Most good area rug dealers will not only help select a rug, but come to your home, install and offer exchanges to ensure customer satisfaction. Many high volume vendors like Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn charge like prices, but do not offer such high end services. Why not get the bang for your buck and accept professional design help?
5. Size does matter.
- Use this rule of thumb: Choose an area rug that is at least 6 inches from the wall but no more that 2 feet.
- In large spaces, purpose two area rugs for some depth and interest.
- In living rooms, area rugs should extend beyond the coffee table and at least the first set of legs on sofas.
Pangaea Carpets offers unparalleled service before, during and after your area rug purchase! Just give us a call at 303-679-4447.
6. Make sure the area rug is sourced from an ethical dealer and is created by a skilled adult artist.
The sale of ethically sourced fair trade rugs allows the weavers to earn a living wage while their children are in school. The best of this category are Rugmark-Certified or GoodWeave certified, meaning that the carpets are made in safe and fair working conditions without the use of child labor. The Rugmark and GoodWeave labels ensures that the carpets are created out of natural organic wool and are dyed with botanical pigments.
7. Visit a home furnishings showroom (instead of purchasing online) to see and touch the brilliance of your area rug.
The web is a great place to do…well a lot, but nothing comes close to the real thing. Inspecting the brilliant texture and color in an area rug gives you a new level of design aesthetic. What looks great on a screen, may not even come close in reality plus, a home furnishing showroom offers tons of ideas!
Choosing area rugs can be a fun process if you know where and how to shop. Finding an art piece for the home and designing around it, is a great anchor for any space. Even if you have no experience with interior design, give it a try…there is no wrong answer!
Did you like this post? Was it informative? Give some feedback below or share your area rug designs on our facebook page!
All good ideas to think about when purchasing an area rung
I did not know about how far from the wall. .etc.
I am so pleased to find this article! I always struggle when I’m buying rugs….they always end up being too big or too small. These tips are very helpful for choosing right area rugs. Thanks.
Beautiful infographic! I definitely need to hire your graphic designer.
Thanks for the article. The material used in making the rugs is also very important to consider. Avoid cheap synthetic rugs as they won’t last as long. Do you want your house to be spectacular, go for a woolen rug or any other piece made from natural fibers.
I agree choosing area rugs is very important as it is the main decoration of your home and very important. Thank you for sharing this amazing idea.
We have this project in our subject that we use used clothing then make it into a rug. This is interesting!
I agree that a great area rug can completely change the look of a room.
When I choose what area rug I put on a place in my house, I usually go for color and size. I dont want it to be so overpowering.
Thanks for sharing this technique with us, this is really helpful. Keep it up!
I LOVE these tips! It may sound strange but I have wall to wall carpet, and I’m looking for an area rug to spice up the place a bit.
This is so true, the right area rug can change so much in any room. We just bought a beautiful African style rug for our living room and its an absolute game changer!
I like the design of your interior. this is so amazing!
Thanks so much for the tips! They are all helpful!
All the tips given helped me a lot!!
The traditional rule of thumb is to measure the seating area and select a rug the closest size up. This allows all of the furniture legs to rest on the rug for a unified look. For a more modern look, break the rules using smaller rugs that fit the front furniture legs (or no furniture legs).
will these rules apply if the furnitures we have use 5 legs? (don’t ask.)
of Course
Great tips for choosing an area rug. I’ll keep it in mind!
How do I choose an area rug for my living room?
There are a few criteria to consider such as room-size, furniture-size, wall color and floor color.
Standard living room sizes are 6×9, 8×10, 9×12 and 10×14.
Use a tape measure to determine which size is best and then select a design that you like.
As always, it is best to begin a design project with the rug.
How do I choose an area rug for my living room?
I am currently finding inspiration to choose which rug would fit best for my new home. Thanks a lot for this.
I’m currently in the process of choosing a rug for my home office! Thanks so much for sharing.
Helpful insight here, and I really love these infographics. I have a blog myself and would love to see what software/app you use!
I love your 3rd point here, as I’m using my new area rug for my home office and I need something that allows my chair to roll around easily. Don’t want it getting stuck on the rug!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us!
There’s a lot that goes into deciding what sized area rug to purchase for a space. Thanks for sharing your insight!
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It is always tough to pick a rug, you never know how you are going to feel about once it is in your house!
If possible, try to find a brick & mortar source for your rugs.
A reputable dealer should allow you to try rugs in your home on approval for free so that you can judge for yourself.
A quality rug can be a big decision not only because of the price (compared to cheap rugs) but also because it will anchor and set the tone for the whole room.
For this reason, it is always easiest to START with a quality rug as the foundation of any design project.
Wow, this is really helpful! I am currently designing my home and this is of great use.
Yeah, that’s right. I learned something new today. Thanks for helping us how to choose.
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Thank you for sharing this! I found this very useful. 🙂
Great post! Thanks for this information, appreciate your effort for this blog.
Thanks for providing this helpful information! We’re finishing our basement right now, and it’s helpful to see the ways to consider the right rug to use.
Thanks for sharing this article!
Thanks for the wonderful share. Your article has proved your hard work and experience you have got in this field. Brilliant!
I love this post. An area rug carpet can make a HUGE difference in a room! THNX
I install hardwood floors for a living and I ALWAYS suggest to my clients to find an “in-person” area rug distributor rather than shop online. The quality of a rug can really make or break a room!
Any tips on how big the rug should be? For example if my space is 8×10 then how big should the rug be? Is there a specific ratio to follow?
Best to leave at least a foot of space between rug & wall.
Trying to decide if we want an area rug for our customer waiting room, or just a standard ugly industrial one.
Great article. Thanks for sharing.
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Great post! Thanks for sharing these criteria in choosing area rugs.
My cousin has been thinking about getting some different rugs for her front hallway so that it will look a lot nicer. She would really like to get some help from a professional to choose what matches with the decor most. I’ll be sure to tell her about how she should choose some different styles, texture, and durability to meet her specific needs.
Such a great article , this is one of the things that seem easy until you actually try to do it!
Thank you so much for sharing this “7 Criteria for choosing the perfect area rug”, this will be very useful for me!
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