The living room is the essential room in your house. Whether it’s a big living room or a small one, it should be spacious and attractive with appropriate decoration. You want to spend the most effort designing your living room because it is where your family spends a lot of time.
Most designers agreed that a living room needs a rug to be complete.
A living room rug is a large-scale item that impacts your living room looks and feels.
Choosing a rug for your living room can be intimidating.
Choose The Right Rug For Your Living Room
With so many options out there, finding the best one can be like trying to solve a puzzle.
Go too small, and your living room can look awkward. If you choose the wrong colour, you may end up with a space that gives you a headache!
The right rug may live in your home for decades. The wrong living room rug will serve as a daily reminder of the money you wasted. It also reminds you of the money you’ll have to spend if you want to replace it.
The right rug will add comfort and style to your home. Your living room rug may outlive many of your furniture.
When looking to buy a rug for your living room, you have already decided where you want it to go. Of course, you have already decided what kind of style you want. You have narrowed down the possibilities to two or three options on which you’d like to take home with you.
You may need to consider the home decor style that you want for your living room. Thus, you will need to look at the colour, shape, material and more.
What size rug will best suit your living room?
Your rug is one of the most critical decor pieces in your home. So, make sure you pick a rug that fits the size of your living room.
The right size rug can make a big difference in the look and feel of your living room. Make sure you have enough room to walk around and enjoy your space.
Many people assume that a small rug is the best way to decorate a small living room. If you have tiles or floorboards in the space, it is the opposite.
Your Living Room Rug’s Size Does Matter
The general rule is to get the most oversized possible rug to fit your room. Ensure still leaving spaces around the living room rug. These negative spaces provide a frame for your living room rug and furniture. A larger rug can give depth to the living room and make it inviting.
If you have a smaller room, you want to choose a smaller rug. If you have a large room, choose a larger rug. Yet, small rugs can make a room look small, so choose a larger size when looking through the size options. The smaller rug may be the cheapest, but it may not be the right size for your space and can thus be a waste of money.
Your Furniture & Your Rug – A Perfect Match
Your furniture should rest on the edge of the rug. So, you will determine the shape and size of the living room rug.
It’s important to consider how you’ll be using the rug. Will you be sitting on it? If so, you’ll want a larger rug that will fit the seating area.
If you have a large living room, you should also consider the size of the furniture.
So, you’ll need a rug that’s larger than the furniture.
Make sure you take into account the orientation of your room. A rectangular space looks best with a rectangular rug. You can position the living room rug in the same direction. In comparison, a square room would better suit a round or square rug.
It also helps ground all pieces like the sofa, side tables, and pouffes. So despite all your urges to go small, go big here.
Make sure you place all your furniture on the rug. Otherwise, at least have the front legs of your sofa on the living room rug.
When the legs of the furniture are not all on an area rug, the room can look unfinished or unbalanced to the eye.
If you don’t have the floor space, keep it consistent by placing your furniture legs off your rug. You can use the rug as an accent.
Your Style Your Rug
Consider the style of the room that you want to create.
If you want to create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere, you’ll want to choose a smaller rug.
If you’re going to make a bold and vibrant atmosphere, you’ll want to choose a larger rug.
Which material should you choose?
Consider how you want it to feel underfoot when choosing an area rug. Luxurious rugs with a smooth surface and elegant material are challenging to clean. You should consider the durability and the amount of traffic in your space before you choose
Here are some common materials and textures you’ll find when looking for area rugs:
Kilims
These rugs are an excellent choice for your home. They are easy to clean, durable and are versatile.
Kilim denotes a pileless rug of many uses produced by flat weaving techniques.
Kilims are famous for their eye-catching designs, which enhance the look of spaces.
Natural
The most popular floor covering for high traffic areas is natural rugs. Natural rugs are usually made from sisal, jute, or seagrass. They’re usually made in neutral colours and are often very affordable.
Overdyed
The overdyed rugs’ distressed look creates a unique look that suits spaces with a moderate amount of traffic.
Tufted
Tufted wool rugs are a great way to introduce warmth, luxury and subtle texture to your space. They are durable and can last for a long time in areas where there isn’t as much traffic, limiting wear and tear.
What type of rug should you choose?
Choosing the correct type of rug for your living room can be tricky.
If you’re looking for an affordable rug, you should choose a decorative living room rug.
If you’re looking for a high-quality rug that will last a long time, you should choose a hand-knotted rug. If you’re looking for an easy to clean living room rug, you should select a hand-woven rug.
Hand-knotted rugs are the most popular type of rug. Hand-knotted rugs are famous for their durability and the fact that they are unique.
Hand-woven rugs, also often referred to as hand-loomed rugs, are made from natural fibre. Hand-woven rugs are hand-made.
A shaggy rug may not be ideal with toddlers or young children as it can hide food and tiny toys.
Should you go with a pattern or solid colour rug?
Your rug should act as a canvas for the rest of your home’s interior. Neutral colours can become a feature of your room. Pops of colour and pattern can become the focus of your space.
If you want to create an inviting atmosphere, choose soft colours like cream or a warm brown. If you prefer something bolder, you can go with a more colourful rug.
Your rug will also reflect the colours in your room.
Consider the colour of your walls and the pattern of your furniture when choosing a rug.
If you have an existing colour scheme, choose a complementary shade to help tie in the rest of the furniture.
Avoid a design that clashes with the larger pieces of your room.
The clashes will create a busy look that will only distract from your living room furniture. You could match your sofa to the second most dominant colour in the rug.
Don’t just choose black or too white rugs for living room spaces.
While black and white rugs are the most common, they look bland and dark. A living room rug with a lighter, brighter colour scheme will brighten the space.
Black and white rugs are popular because they complement several different interior styles. But don’t be afraid to make a bold selection by choosing a floral pattern, geometric or Persian style rug.
Of course, choosing a rug colour is entirely a personal preference.
Avoid Visually Cluttered Space
If your interior already has a lot of colours, then stick with a neutral shade or a solid colour that complements the larger furniture pieces of your space. Patterns are a great way to add interest and give your room a lift.
For a vivid and colourful room, use your decor’s one or two colours to choose your living room rug. So the hues don’t clash with one another, creating visually cluttered space.
You need to pay attention to the pattern and its visibility. If the rug has the print in the centre, it may get hidden with the coffee table.
You don’t want your rug to blend in with the existing floor, so make it stand out by choosing a contrasting colour.
When should you buy your rug?
The rug is the anchor to a whole room and is used to discern the colour of the sofas, cushions and throws. It’s best to buy a rug first and style from the floor up.
If you’re adding a rug to an established room, matching the existing accessories and soft furnishings can be challenging. Consider changing these to create a cohesive look or opt to test before you buy.