Not all rugs and runners will perform the same on all floors and in all situations. Choosing the right rug for you and your lifestyle isn’t as straight forward as you may think. We hope by providing an insight into how rugs perform on different floors you can apply a few tips to help you make a more informed purchase. Reviewing this guide will help get you started.
Choosing the perfect rug for your home is not always an easy task but can be done when you apply a few tips. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a rug for your living room, dining room, or a runner for your kitchen floors or your bedroom, it can be a challenging task to take on.
The following guide will help you with this to-do and ensure that you are happy with your final decision and purchase. Why wait any longer to complete the look and achieve the right feel under your feet in your home? Review the following advice so you can get started choosing the right rug for your floor type.
Carpeted Floors
One situation you may find yourself in is trying to choose a rug for a carpeted floor. While this flooring type already provides comfort and insulation, you may not consider adding a rug to these types of floors in your home. However, you shouldn’t overlook the possibility of adding one so quickly. You can effectively transform your carpeted bedroom or living room by including texture and a splash of colour in these spaces.
You may not realise it but even a slightly different shade can make a significant difference to the overall colour scheme of the room. Use patterned rugs to alter the tone and formality of the space as well. Choosing the right rug will require you to select the right colour and pattern, deciding between a thick and thin rug, and then weighing the level of texture and what style you want to go with. For instance, a shaggy rug on a thick pile carpet might be too much. Monochrome colours such as black, white, or grey are easier to work with when you are looking to add a harmonizing shade to match your carpet. The heavier the carpet the better it will lie on your floor. Try to avoid flat weave rug constructions, such as sisal rugs, cotton chenille weaves, kilims, and thin budget Wilton qualities. Even with a good quality non-slip rug underlay the base may be too soft which can permanently damage the rug. Plain carpets will give you more scope to use a patterned rug while adding texture and more choice of colour.
Laminate Floors
Another task you may have to tackle is choosing a rug for laminate floors. This flooring type has been around for a while but is still a growing trend in modern homes. It remains a popular choice throughout the home among homeowners alike due to its appearance, reasonable price point, and easy installation. All rug types can be used on this type of flooring, although we would strongly advise using a non-slip underlay to hold the rug in place. Keep in mind though that it can be cold to the touch and may lose heat from your room since it’s a cold surface and thin material. In this case, adding the right rug can effectively take care of this problem.
Use a rug to inject a burst of colour onto laminate flooring that’s usually simply toned. Also, confirm that your rug can withstand spills and is easy to clean if you choose to put it in areas such as your kitchen or bathroom. Synthetic rugs and flat weave polypropylene rugs are the perfect choice for this location. A new rug will not only add warmth to your spaces but also texture and style and you can really go any way you want with this when it comes to putting rugs on top of laminate floor. Consider investing in a heavy tufted rug or a carved-pile rug for the perfect touch.
Stone and Ceramic Tiles
You might also have stone floors or ceramic tiles in your home that you wish to dress up. These are hard, cold surfaces that are not commonly used in new homes in the UK. If you have stone or ceramic tiles in your home, then you should embrace them for what they are. They are beautiful and classic floors that can quickly be decorated and warmed up with the right choice of rug.
Use a rug on these floors to effectively warm up your space. Instead of walking on a hard and cold surface, your feet will enjoy a soft and thick element to walk on. You may want to think about placing down a sheepskin rug or luxury wool-style rug, which will make the room and your floors look more elegant. Include a rug as a way to brighten up and create more interest in the room with the right colour scheme such as eye-catching reds and blues that pop or analogous colours. Traditional Persian and Afghan style rugs really work with natural stones, marble and ceramics, bringing a warm glow to any living space in your home.
Hardwood Floors
Next up is choosing the right rug for your hardwood floors. Completing this task correctly will largely depend on what type of wood flooring you have. If your floors are dark, then opt for a natural shade or neutral tone that will lighten everything up. If your hardwood floors are on the lighter side, then you’ll want to add tones that are darker and richer.
You’ll have more pattern options and brands to choose from if you have lighter wood floors since they’ll show up nicer on the pale backdrop. When using patterns on dark hardwood floors you may notice that they don’t show up well or the room can look too busy. For dark wood, go for an earthy vibe that includes green and brown tones. A pattern might distract a bit from the beautiful wood grain but with the right rug it won’t bother you and you’ll be glad you have a warm rug to walk on.
Scandinavian style rugs including shaggy, loop pile and natural rugs have an affinity with natural wood floors and can create an instant calming ambience in what can appear to be a bare wood floor. Use softer, thicker piled rugs that are luxurious underfoot in the living room and bedroom. A short cut pile rug in natural fibres or synthetic yarns can add a focal point and are extremely durable for high traffic areas such as living rooms and dining rooms.
LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles)
Luxury vinyl tiles are today's ultimate aspirational floorcovering for homeowners in the UK. Becoming more popular, as market leaders such as Amtico launch groundbreaking collections where the only restriction is your imagination. These stunning floors are being used throughout the home. If you have these floors in your home, then you’ll certainly benefit from putting down a well-placed area rug or hall runner. In high traffic areas a rug or runner will prevent scratches and damage from grit or dirt being tracked into your home. Choose a luxurious shaggy rug to add soft texture or pop of colour in the living room or bedroom. It’ll also feel nice to walk on your floors with bare feet when you have a rug to enjoy. It’s all about choosing a rug that not only looks good but will hold up over time given your lifestyle.
Choosing a Rug to Suit Your Lifestyle
The best design and colour choice for your home are very subjective, you should go with your personal style and enjoy the experience of choosing your new rug. We would however advise using appropriate materials for where the rug will be placed, how it will be used and how it will be maintained. High quality wool is still the nirvana of rug fibres for high wear areas and appearance retention. Today, this quality of wool is only available in a handful of machine woven ranges, traditional hand knotted rugs and high-end bespoke rugs. If you have the budget, these are certainly worth every penny and will last a lifetime. The most popular rug fibre sold in the UK is now polypropylene. This fibre along with polyester is derived from the petrochemical industry (oil). Some of the latest synthetic materials offer excellent value for money, are easy to clean and will shed far less than a low-grade wool rug. Although the fibre is highly resistant to household stains and water repellent, polypropylene has a low melting point, and the pile can fuse and flatten quickly in areas of heavy traffic. That said, the fibre is excellent if you have a busy home where spillage or accidents with pets can be an issue. Flat weave loop pile polypropylene rugs are excellent for use in busy kitchen areas and outdoor rugs.
Choosing the Right Rug Size for your Room
There is a huge range of styles, sizes and colours available to buy online and in store. It is rare to start with a blank slate. Sometimes you may want to cover an existing floor and a large rug can be the perfect choice and budget to create the right feel for your room. Opting for a smaller rug is fine to add an accent colour to harmonise or contrast your wall colour and accessories. Using a larger rug creates more impact and is more practical in Dining rooms. Use the graphic below as a general guide.
Photo Credit: Carpet Plus Online
Tips When Shopping for a Rug
It’s also important to address the best ways to go about shopping for an area rug and to review some tips that can help. Start by measuring the space and getting the right size rug for the room and furniture based on what look you’re trying to achieve. Also, read up on and know your weaves and fibres before making a decision. Once the perfect rugs are placed in your home properly then make it a point to take good care of them. The most vital aspects or factors when purchasing a new area rug are size, texture, and colour. Get it right for your flooring type and you’ll be pleased with your rugs in the end.
Conclusion
You should now feel more informed and confident about choosing the right rug for the type of floor in your home. It’s not an easy or quick task but if you take your time and do it correctly then you’ll be satisfied with the look and feel of the rugs in your home. Use rugs to add texture, function, colour, and warmth to any room in your home.
Are you ready to get started shopping for the perfect area rug? Here at Rugstore NE, we invite you to check out our large inventory of quality rugs in a variety of styles, materials, brands, and colours. We promise you’ll be delighted and excited about all the options and price points as well as the quality of our rugs overall. Please reach out with any questions you have, as our customer service team is standing by and ready to help you choose the right rug for your home and flooring type.
