Everything That Goes Into Selecting An Area Rug For Your Home

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How Important Is A Rug Pad?

In short, a rug pad is almost always essential. And that’s because you’re investing in your home + when it’s a high-quality rug you want to take the utmost care of it. A good rug pad will absolutely extend the life of your area rugs.

Psst… remember “floor protection” from above.

Not only will a rug pad be softer + more comfortable walking underfoot but it’s an added layer of protection between your rug + your floors. And a lot of clients worry that area rugs will shift or “feel like they’re walking across the floor” and thus have to constantly reposition them but not only does a rug pad keep an area rug in place, it’s designed to minimize the breaking down of the rug fibers.

Here’s a quick list of how a rug pad helps:

  • Adds comfort + softness underfoot

  • Prevents the area rug from moving + thus increasing the safety in your home

  • Safeguards your floors as it’s a protective layer between the two

  • Extends the lifespan of your area rug by minimizing the breakdown of rug fibers

In terms of size, we typically use a rug pad that is the same size or no more than 2” shorter on all sides than the area rug itself.

Considerations When Layering Area Rugs

When layering area rugs there are a few things to keep in mind. But before we dive into what those things are, let’s talk about why we might consider laying an area rug.

Layering an area rug on top of another area rug can be helpful in really large open concepts to help establish a seating arrangement or act as a secondary or tertiary focal point. 

This can be done by placing a smaller area rug that mimics the shape of the larger rug or by adding to the edge or corner of the rug with a more organic shape that slightly overlaps (think cowhide).

What we often consider when layering any area rug is that a low pile area rug with minimal texture is your “base area rug” and then your “top area rug” can be more textural. If you do it the opposite way, where the “base area rug” has lots of texture then what you’ll end up with is a “top area rug” that will never sit flat + be walking about the room.

Color, Pattern, Texture, Material “Oh, My!”

We’ve talked about how at Elegant Simplicity, we view the floor as the 5th wall. Well, that’s because we know that when a specific room needs an anchor — color, pattern + texture can help. 

When a room lacks a pop of color or a bold pattern, when a space needs a neutral color to tone down what is going on around it or a subdued texture that doesn’t call much attention to itself — an area rug can be the perfect furnishing to introduce to the space.

Sometimes introducing color, pattern or texture can steal the show (+ that can be a good thing). Depending upon a rooms focal point, they can simply add to the comfort, cozy + intentionality of a space.

But the carpet material matters too because in the grand scheme of things — function should always precede aesthetic. In other words, your home should be curated for you. 

While most rugs can be cleaned professionally, if you’ve got lil tykes or pets — an area rug that absorbs imperfections in a not so kind way (cowhide) is going to be incredibly high-maintenance for you. 

Phew! That was a-lot amiright?!?!? And that’s simply everything that goes into selecting an area rug 🙂 Imagine how we consider window drapery, furniture, + artwork, etc…

We all want our homes to feel + embody an emotion. That’s why we use words to describe home as comfortable, cozy, intimate or purposeful. Making conscientious choices that really draw upon that feeling, that emotion, is what designing your home is all about. 

It’s why great design takes time. Because designing with this kind of clarity is what you ultimately want in your home. Because decisions around your home should come from a place of purpose, they should have a story and a meaningful reason why. 

So, don’t just settle on any area rug + check it off. And if that all sounds like a lot… Well, we’re here to help. If you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat

P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.



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