Choosing the Perfect Rug for Your Room

Whilst it may seem like a relatively simple decision, choosing the right rug for a room can be deceptively difficult. With so many different rug designs and sizes to choose from, from small, large to round rugs, like all interior design decisions, it’s all about creating a sense of identity and individuality. The right choice of rug can make all the difference to the look and feel of a living space, and if done right can tie everything together perfectly.

Practical considerations like budget and space come into consideration, of course, and the perfect rug needn’t cost the earth. Regardless of your budget or what you’re working with, there are a few tips which can make choosing the right rug for any room an absolute breeze.

Which size is right for your room?

This really comes down to personal preference. How do you want the room to look? Is the rug to be the centrepiece of the room and define the style of the rest of the space?  Or would that detract from the rest of the room?

There are a few options for you to help you decide what is right for your room. The first option is whether you want the rug to be the defining visual element on the floor. If you want the rug to provide this aspect for the room, leave about 12-18 inches between the edge of the rug and the wall. This will provide a nice separation between the style of the rug and the flooring underneath.

The second is a “two leg” option. This is more economical than the previous approach, and doesn’t have the rug as the defining element – rather the furniture is the defining element. Or you could go for a small rug and just have your coffee table on it. The size of the rug you go for really depends upon what you want it to do.

What style is right for the room?

Again, this really is down to your personal preference, as there is no correct style of rug. However, a rug that looks good on the computer screen in isolation might not work well with the rest of the room. There are some simple rules to ensure you get it just right, though.

First, you must know your colour contrasts. You’re more often than not going to want the colour of the rug to contrast with that of the furniture. In this case, it could be beneficial for you to look up colour palettes online – there are many interior design tools and blogs which can help. Visual contrasts are appealing and help a room flow correctly. Of course, you may want to keep it monochrome and simple – that is entirely your choice if you feel it is your style.

Secondly, you need to recognise that patterns belong in one place. If your furniture has strong patterns, choose a plain rug to avoid a clash. The same goes for a new rug – if you really like the look of a patterned one, make sure your furniture is plain (you may want to consider replacing your furniture or buying new covers for it). Let the rug do the talking if you want it as a centrepiece. Constructing a room design requires a delicate balance which can be easy to get wrong.

Thirdly, be careful when it comes to texture matching. In a similar way to pattern matching, the texture of a rug can be easy to overlook. There’s no hard and fast rule here, but one thing you could consider is matching the texture of the rug with your cushions. Fluffy rug? Choose fluffy cushions. Tight-knit, firm rug? Match it with smooth, firm cushions.

Final Thoughts…

You can browse physical showrooms and get design ideas from there, or you can browse thousands of rugs online at The Lifestyle Magazine. Whatever your style decision is, make it your own and start your journey to having an eminently Instagrammable living space.