A Complete Guide to Buying Your Perfect Rug

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We have been on a mad rug hunt now that we’re trying to furnish our dining room space. After a good six months of having a big ‘ol empty room, we finally landed on the one. There were so many goodies we came across and learned about so many rules to follow when choosing a rug, so we wanted to spare you all the pain of research and create one whopping big guide for you.

How do you choose the right size?
How do you know the right style?
Do you go round, square, or rectangle?
Do you do crazy colors and prints or play it safe with neutral?
Where do you find a quality rug and still stay within your budget?

Have no fear. We’re here to help. We’ll answer all of these questions for you in this post.

Rugs bring so much warmth into any space. Our dining room feels a million times cozier now that we have a couple of rugs in the room. Not only do rugs bring warmth, but they also help to bring YOUR style into your home and add character, color and texture.

Ideas to Consider:

Size

Depending on the space and the furniture in that room, it will help you quickly decide on how big or small you’ll want your rug to be. You want it to be big enough to make and statement, but yet you don’t want it to overpower the room.

Color over Pattern

Pay attention to the color first before you dig into the perfect pattern that you want. You want the rug to help you tie in all of the other pieces within the room. I’m all about being colorful, so for our dining room we chose a rug that had sprinkles of almost every color. That way if I get sick of other items in our room, I know I’ll be able to change them out, and the colors will still tie in with the rug.

Decide your Style Vibe

Are you going for a coastal vibe, modern boho, mid-century modern, tropical, traditional? Our dining room is more eclectic, so we were looking for a rug that brought the colors from our music room and the dining room together.

Layering Rugs

This is a fun new way to add texture to your space that we’ve been loving on. To do this, add a smaller and more simple rug on top of a larger, more bold rug. Just make sure the top rug doesn’t overpower your bottom rug.

Make an Impact

If you can only splurge on making one big statement, an area rug is the way to go. It’s an investment and something that will last you forever. Make sure to check the quality and care requirements for your rug because you want to be sure it stands the spills of time.

Room By Room

We rounded up some of our favorite rugs for your dining room, living room, bedroom, outdoors, and hallways. Each room and furniture setting also has its own set of rules for sizes and where the rug should be placed, so check out the infographic for the set of rules in each room.

Dining Room

• Ensure you can pull out the chairs and that they remain on the rug.
• The rug should be at least 2-3′ larger than the size of your dining room table.
• Typical sizes for dining room rugs vary depending on the size of the table, but 5×8′, 8×10′, and 9×12′ are standard
• If you have a circular table, find a circle rug to compliment the shape.

1. Ryland Rug | 2. Floressa Power Loom Light Blue | 3. Brandt Tibetan Light Blue/Beige and Ivory Area Rug | 4. Clair Dark Gray Round Area Rug 5. Shugart Sealife Multi-Color Rug 

Living Room

• Make sure all the legs of the furniture are on the rug, by one foot.
• Typical sizes for the living room include 8×10′, 9×12′, 10×14′
• Have at least 6″ on the sides of the the furniture

1. Isaac Synthetic Kilim Multi | 2. Ivory Printed Faux Cowhide Area Rug | 3.Chunky Wood & Jute Natural Rug 4. All Roads Texture-Striped Flatweave Rug 5. Hand Loomed Shine Rug

Bedroom

There’s a couple of ways to play around with rugs in your bedroom. You either want to bring the rug all the way under your bed or leave it 1/4 way under the end of your bed.

• Make sure the rug doesn’t go completely under your nightstands.
• Make sure the rug extends past the bed at least 1 foot from the end.
• The typical size for a queen bed is a 8×10′ rug and for a king bed is a 9×10′ rug.

1. Floral Wool Tufted Area Rug | 2. Abstract Tufted Area Rug 3. Cream Moroccan Wedding Shag Tufted Area Rug | 4. Chunky Knit Wool Woven Rug | 5. Pink/Red/Yellow Geometric Wool Tufted Area Rug

Outdoor

• Use rugs that are suitable for outside.
• Make sure the rug can withstand getting wet.
• Allowing an open border of about 18 inches around an outdoor rug is typical.
• Natural fibers like sisal, hemp, jute, and seagrass are very strong and sustainable.
• Synthetic materials allow for patterns, but are also easier to clean.

1. Gianna Kilim | 2. Neutral Tweed Mirage Indoor Outdoor Area Rug | 3. Blue and Ivory Geometric Strip Indoor Outdoor Rug | 4. Boho Kilim Indoor Outdoor Rug | 5. Kulpmont Hand-Braided Gray Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug

Hallway Runners

• Most hallway rugs are typically 2 – 3 feet wide.
• The length varies from 6 ft, up to 14 feet.
• A rule of thumb is to have about 4 inches of floor visible on all sides of the runner.

1. Jenny Cream Runner | 2. Billie Hand Tufted Gray/Ivory Runner | 3. Newburyport Beige/Orange Runner | 4. Jebediah Blue Runner | 5. Aliyah Pink Runner

Material:

There are so many different types of material used for rugs, so it’s hard to know which one is the best for your space. Each material has its own pros and cons and should be used for a specific purpose. If you’re wondering what material to look for in a rug, keep reading below.

Wool

Wool is a super soft rug material and since it’s a natural product made from sheep fleece, it helps to purify the air. The fibers are soft and durable, so this material is great for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms.

Cotton

This material comes from cotton plants, so it’s a natural material as well. It’s known for being affordable and easy to clean, so it’s great for kitchens, playrooms, and casual spaces.

Viscose

This is a man-made fabric from the cellulose of wood pulp. Since this material has a high sheen, it requires more careful cleaning. It is less expensive than silk, but still has a beautiful look. It’s best in bedrooms and rooms that get less traffic.

Jute

This coarse texture is great for outdoor use and a more casual room. Natural materials, like jute are less likely to trap dust and other allergens. Jute is a natural fiber that is spun into large strands and woven together to create area rugs. It’s great in living rooms to add texture.

Nylon

This is a popular synthetic fiber that easily mimics other materials. The plus side to a man-made rug like nylon is that it’s durable, easy to clean, low maintenance, and more stain and water-resistant due to the make up of nylon. This material is perfect for kids rooms, living rooms, and high traffic areas.

Polyester

This stain-resistant fiber is a great alternative to other natural fibers because it’s less expensive and more durable. These rugs last the test of time since you can vacuum and spot clean them and they are more fade-resistant than other materials. Since this material is very durable, it works well in hallways and living rooms.

And there ya have it! Our complete guide to buying your perfect rug. Happy shopping!