How To Choose A Rug For Your Home

Choosing a rug for your home can be a daunting task. 

Not only is it a pretty expensive purchase, but it’s also something you see and use everyday, so you have to make sure you made the right choice, otherwise you will regret it.

Luckly, there are plenty of options out there, in all price ranges, sizes, materials, colors. The key is to know what you want…and what is suitable for your space. 

I’ve recently gone through the process of choosing a rug for my living room myself, so I know how to choose a rug that is perfect for a space. I’m here to help you with the tips & tricks that helped me choose the rug that we now love. 

So here are the 4 things you need to do (and consider) before actually buying a rug:

1. Measure your space 

When it comes to how to choose a rug, size is probably the first and most important step. And how do you tackle this item on your list? You measure your current rug. 

That’s what I did. I measured the rug I had at the moment, wrote down the size, and then I talked with my boyfriend to see if we would need a bigger or a smaller one. We both thought the one we had was the perfect size, so we stuck to that one. 

But you might have a different situation to deal with. 

If you’re replacing a rug, do the previous steps I mentioned. 

If you’re moving into a new space and don’t know what size you need, here are steps you need to take:

• Sketch a layout of the room, and add all the important furniture pieces, preferably with their respective sizes. That means couch, shelfs, armchairs, tables, etc. 
• Figure out, taking into consideration the length of the furniture pieces, how long should a rug be in order to come close to, or go under the couch, for example. I recommend a larger rug that goes all the way under the furniture because it makes the room seem bigger (a smaller one has the opposite effect). 

By doing this, you will have a pretty clear idea of the size you need for the rug. Step one completed!

2. Take into consideration environmental & traffic data

Before going online and buying the rug of your dreams, you need to ask yourself some questions, and the answers to the questions below will definitely influence your choice:

• Who uses it? By that, I mean who usually walks over it, of course. Is it just you and your partner, or do you have kids and/or pets? You need to take into consideration the fact that kids sometimes spill stuff, and dogs and cats leave hair all over. 

• How often? Will this be a front door rug or an office one?There are different types of traffic for each room, so make sure you choose wisely. If it’s a front door hallway rug, it will need to be sturdy. If it’s an office or bedroom one, you can go with softer shades and materials. 

• How is the outside environment? If you live in a muddy place, for example, that means your rug will get dirty fast, so I suggest you don’t get a beige or white one. Or similarly, if you live in a colder area, you might want to get a thicker, softer material for the hard winters.   

3. Decide on material and the feel of it

Deciding on the material of the rug can be tough, because there are many types of rugs out there. Here are some of the most common rug materials you can choose from:

Wool Rugs. 

Pros: handmade, valuable, long-lasting, soft to touch. 

Cons: expensive, sheds for a while (requires constant vacuuming for the first few weeks/months).

Cotton Rugs. 

Pros: inexpensive.

Cons: fades quickly, doesn’t repel stains.

Jute and Bamboo Rugs.

Pros: natural material, inexpensive. 

Cons: difficult to clean.

Faux Fur Rugs.

Pros: good alternative to animal hide, rather inexpensive.

Cons: prone to shedding, harder to clean.

Polypropylene Rugs.

Most rugs on the market are made of synthetic materials.

Pros: affordable, easy to clean, fade-resistant.

Cons: not environmentally friendly

If you want to invest in a quality rug, I recommend going for the wool one, it can last tens of years. If you’re the type who needs to redecorate every 2 years, get a Cotton or Polypropylene or Polyester one. 

4. Decide on a color and/or pattern

This will probably be the easiest step of the process, when it comes to how to choose a rug for your home: the color and / or pattern. You probably started with this step, am I right? Most of us do.

It’s time to decide if you want a color or a pattern. 

First, think of the room where the rug will be. Is it small and/or crowded? I recommend going with a lighter color / pattern, so it can brighten up the room.  (p.s. If you’re dealing with a very small room, here is how to make a room seem bigger)

Then think of the other furniture pieces and the wall colors. Make sure the rug color / pattern matches the vibe and tone of everything. Pinterest is a great place for inspiration and decor ideas. You can create a board with rooms similar to yours and see what kind of rugs they used. 

If you want a pop of color or something to attract attention in a very simple and minimalistic room, go for a powerful color / pattern, like red / orange / bright blue, and so on. 

But if the room is small, or crowded, or the center pieces are the furniture ones, choose a classic beige, grey or light blue rug that can be easily cleaned.

Where to shop for rugs

You’ve learned how to choose a rug. Now it’s time to actually buy it. 

Here are the top places I recommend checking out for rugs: 

Amazon. 

An obvious choice, I’m sure. Here are 3 rugs I particularly liked:

• nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe Area Rug- link here: https://amzn.to/3zVp7tW  

• Loloi Loren Collection Vintage Printed Persian Area Rug – link here: https://amzn.to/3d8x5Gw 

• Lattice Trellis Collection Rug – link here: https://amzn.to/3h1YpqR  

Boutique Rugs. 

Found this lovely store last year, whilst looking for a rug, and loved it. It offers fast & free shipping, 10% Cashback and more. Here are my favorites:

• Bestseller on the website: Munchie Area Rug– click here for more info 

• Godalming Area Rug – click here for more info 

• Ardoch Area Rug – click here for more info

So here we are. This is how to choose a rug for your home. I hope the post was useful for your journey of redecorating your house. Let us all know in the comments if we should add anything else to the list!