You need your rug to set boundaries and ground your furniture. In a living room, your rug defines the conversation area, and it should be large enough so at least the front legs of the furniture are on it. Let’s get into the details.
Color and Pattern
When it comes to choosing an area rug, think long and hard about the color and pattern. Choosing a patterned rug can be a great way to add color and interest to a room with neutral furniture and walls. Likewise, a solid rug in a neutral color can be a nice way to soothe an eclectic room.
Texture
Think about how you want the rug to feel before you make a purchase. Wool rugs can add warmth and softness while natural materials like sisal and jute are a bit rough. Silk is soft and beautiful but also expensive and tough to clean. Take these things into consideration when shopping.
Size
This is the part in the rug-choosing game where you likely know the rules, and it’s usually best to play along.
A rug should fit the size of your seating area (which is not necessarily the entire room) and be as large as possible within it. Ideally, all the furniture will be on the rug, but front-legs-only is a good and common compromise. The idea is that when sitting on the sofa, your feet are on fabric, not floor. Under a dining table, you want to be able to pull the chairs back and still have them sitting on the rug.
When the seating area takes up the entire room (as is often the case), you also have to think about orientation: square rooms look great with square or round rugs, and rectangular rooms with rectangular rugs oriented in the same direction.
Using More Than One Area Rug
to add a little more interest or define your space a little more try layering area rugs on top of each other. It can add a little more color and pattern and it’s a particularly great trick for seasonal decorating. In the colder months layering rugs can add coziness, then in the summer you can edit them and create a lighter look.
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