Area rugs are a great way to add style, texture and color to your room décor.

In fact, area rugs are often used to anchor a room and give it a foundation from which to select other interior design elements.

For instance, by picking an area rug with bold lines and bright colors, you can begin to imagine what color wall paints, furniture and window covering fabrics and décor accessories will make sense for the room.

Here are some important factors to consider when purchasing area rugs, whether you decide to go with fine quality, handmade oriental rugs or inexpensive machine woven area rugs:

Area Rug Sizes

Start by sizing up your room and the area to be covered; scale is important and you want area rugs to be neither so big they overpower the room nor so small that they get lost in the space.

Typical area rug sizes are 4 by 6 feet, 6 by 9 feet or 7 by 10 feet; although many other sizes are available. Choose smaller size rugs if you plan to put them under a coffee table.

Smaller sized area or scatter rugs can also be used in areas such as next to a bed, in front of a doorway or in front of the kitchen sink.

An 8 by 10 foot area rug or even larger should be used to cover the majority of a room.

Area Rugs and Rooms in Your Home

Another important consideration in selecting area rugs will be the room in which you intend to place the rug. Traffic and usage, moisture and humidity and theme and décor all go into deciding what type of rug and material will be best suited to a particular room.

Living or Family Room Rugs

For use in a family room, great room or living room an area rug is commonly placed in front sofas and chairs, or below a coffee table.

If your living room has hardwood or wood laminate flooring, select an area rug that will leave about eight to ten inches of flooring exposed around the perimeter.

Leave plenty of space between sofas and chairs such that when seated, both feet will be on the area rug.
In a large living space you may use more than one area rug.

Dining Room

Leave space to pull chairs back from the table so that the back legs remain on the area rug; the legs will catch on the edges of your area rug otherwise.

Stairways, Hallways & Entrances

Use patterns and colors that contrast with the carpeting, stone or other flooring materials in these areas of the home; darker colors and dense patterns create nice contrast.

Select a durable wool pile area rug with a cotton foundation, which is strong and doesn’t tend to loose shape, since traffic is heavy on stairs and in hallways and entrance areas or the foyer.

Bedroom Area Rugs

Since the bed tends to take up most of the floor space, an expensive Persian or Oriental style area rug will be wasted in the bedroom in most cases.

Smaller area rugs tend to work best in the bedrooms, placed at the foot of the bed or on either side of it.

Matching Areas Rugs to Your Furniture

Always start with the end in mind and consider the complete look your room should have; if you start with modern décor and clean, simple lines, area rugs may be used to add a bit of texture, but should be in keeping with the room theme and overall style.

Area rugs can often add the most color of any element you add to a room décor and should not be an afterthought; this is a mistake many people make and most designers will avoid making!

While not usually the centerpiece of a room design, an area rug may either be more neutral in order not to distract from the furniture, windows, fireplace, television or other focal point, or can be selected to enhance and play up such focal points. What you don’t want is to have your area rugs compete with the primary focal point in a room!

One or Multiple Area Rugs in a Room

A single area rug is the general rule in most rooms and helps pull together the colors and fabric patterns of your furniture, window coverings, artwork, etc.

However, if the room is very large, it is more common to use multiple area rugs, with designs and patterns intended to provide separation between areas of the room, without being so dissimilar that the room design loses cohesiveness.

If you use more than one area rug in a room, they should always complement one another and one should be larger and dominant in size. Avoid using smaller rugs that look alike in the same room.

Area Rug Colors

If you are adding an area rug to a room which is already furnished, then your area rug colors and patterns should complement the upholstery fabrics.

If you are repainting a room, pick up the colors in your area rugs when selecting wall paint colors.

Remember that light color area rugs will tend to make your room look more spacious, while deeper, richer colors will add a cozy feel.

Area Rug Durability

Wool is the best choice for rugs used on a floor as it is more durable than synthetics. Silk rugs of higher quality are better used to decorate walls, where they won’t be subject to abusive and wear and tear.

Chromium dyes are consistent in color and tend to fade less if subjected to direct sunlight, whereas area rugs that use vegetable dyes have a natural patina of color for a more casual feel.

Area Rug Shapes

Rectangular shaped area rugs are most common, but you may have a room that lends itself to a round or octagonal shape rug; use your creativity in selecting the right shape for your area rugs!

Buying Rugs Online vs. Locally

If you know what you are looking for you can find great deals online; but be sure you can return a rug if it does not fit your room or the quality does not turn out to be what you expected. Buy area rugs only from a reputable dealer who guarantees the products they sell.

Good luck and happy rug shopping!

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