Tag Archives: Rugs

12 Ways to Work With Rugs for Warmth and Beauty

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Try these ideas for rug placement, style and size for a pulled-together look and a great feel underfoot.

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Besides the fact that they have the ability to transform a space, rugs can define a style, soften an echo and even serve as a starting point for decorating a room. Rugs provide the cozy factor to most rooms. Here are a few suggestions for working with rugs in your space.

Traditional Living Room by Bear Mountain Builders
Bear Mountain Builders
When you find a rug you really love, use a glass coffee table with it. Why cover the beauty up with a piece of opaque furniture? Glass tables are not just for modern interiors. They work perfectly fine in traditional and transitional spaces, too.
Shabby-chic Style Living Room by SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.
SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.
A wide-striped rug will expand the room. This choice of bold black and white stripes sets off the palette and seems to widen this cozy room. Note how the pattern and palette are repeated in the pillows, making this statement unmistakably about contrast.
Transitional Living Room by MuseInteriors
MuseInteriors
A geometric pattern can be paired with solid or patterned fabric. It may seem contrary, but geometric patterns look great in the most traditional spaces.
Contemporary Dining Room by Callaway Architects, LLC
Callaway Architects, LLC

It’s very important to select the right size rug for your space. If you’re buying a rug for a dining room, it’s best to have enough rug for the chairs to slide in and out without getting caught on the edge of the rug.

Traditional Living Room Traditional Living Room
Don’t be afraid to use large patterns. If this look appeals to you, consider solids for your furniture fabrics with smaller patterns on pillows. Notice that the colors from the rug are repeated in the pillows, but with very different patterns.
Transitional Bedroom by Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home
Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home
When selecting a rug for a bedroom, consider the bed size as well as the bedroom size. The edge of the rug does not need to go all the way under the bed.
Beach Style Living Room by Margaret Donaldson Interiors
Margaret Donaldson Interiors
If bold color under oot is not your thing, then go for texture. A textured rug can add just as much dimension to a room as a bold color can. Notice that a similar texture to this rug is repeated on the ceiling.
Transitional Living Room by Robbins Architecture
Robbins Architecture
Use a rug in a room that has to do double duty. Create a connection between the two functions of the space. For example, this rug placement creates a casual connection between eating in the dining space and relaxing in the living room.
Traditional Living Room by Kristen Rivoli Interior Design
Kristen Rivoli Interior Design
Consider custom touches. Most wall-to-wall carpeting can be cut into area rugs. Custom rugs can be notched around fireplaces or other architectural conditions. Cut rugs can be surged on the edges or banded with a coordinating color.
Contemporary Living Room by Kathryne Designs, Inc
Kathryne Designs, Inc
Rugs can be used to define traffic lanes as well as spaces. Consider using runners to transition from one space to another or to add interest to a space with an exaggerated length.
Mediterranean Family Room by Mark Ashby Design
Mark Ashby Design
Finally, why not consider rugs as art? If you have a special rug that is valuable or unique, consider hanging it as a focal point over a mantel or bed.

10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just Right

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Finding a dining room rug that is both practical and stylish is no easy feat. Fluffy pile can permanently trap every crumb from the table. Too-small rugs can trip up chairs. But a good rug can bring color, texture, warmth and style to the dining room — making the hunt well worth the effort. Read on for 10 tips for choosing the just-right rug for this hardworking room.
Beach Style Dining Room by allee architecture + design, llc
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1. Err on the side of too big. A dining room rug should have at least 24 inches of extra room on all sides of the dining table to allow enough space for guests to pull out chairs without tripping over the rug. To be sure you are getting the correct size rug, measure your dining table, then add 24 inches or more on each side and mark the area directly on the floor with painter’s tape. If the marked areas fall well inside your other dining room furniture, consider sizing up.
Transitional Dining Room by Sutro Architects
 Photo Source

2. Pick a flat weave or short pile rug. Because spills are inevitable, and the ease with which you can pull a chair back is important, flat-weave or low-pile rugs are the practical choice in the dining room. Keep the shag rugs, Moroccan carpets and other thick, fluffy rugs in the living room, where they will require less cleaning and maintenance.

3. Use the rug as a jumping-off point for decorating. If the rug is one of your first purchases for the dining room, you can use it to set the tone for the space and develop a color scheme. Pull the lightest or background color from the rug to use as a wall color, and bring in a bolder hue from the rug as an accent in the room, on chair cushions or in artwork.

Eclectic Dining Room by Logan Killen Interiors 

 

4. Choose easy-clean materials. Generally, pure natural fibers like cotton and wool are the simplest to clean at home, and synthetic blends are the most difficult. The exception are indoor-outdoor and stain-resistant rugs that are made to withstand scrubbing.

 

Contemporary Dining Room by SHED Architecture & Design
 Photo Source
5. Try carpet tiles. These interlocking carpet squares can be configured in whatever size and shape you need, and come in a wide range of hues, patterns and textures. What makes them a smart choice for the dining room? If a stain sets into one square, you can replace it without buying a whole new rug.
Farmhouse Dining Room Farmhouse Dining Room

6. Feel before you buy a natural fiber rug. With an affordable price tag, great texture and classic look, natural fiber rugs — including sisal, jute and sea grass — have a lot going for them. But where natural fibers like cotton and wool tend to be easy to clean, these natural materials can prove to be trickier. The key lies in the texture of the rug — the finer and smoother it is, the easier it will be to clean. On the other hand, it can be nearly impossible to remove ground-in food from really nubby natural fiber rugs.
Contemporary Dining Room by Leverone Design, Inc.
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7. Match rug shape to room shape. Have a square dining room? Try a square or round rug. Rectangular room? Use a rectangular rug. Echoing the shape of the room with your rug brings a pleasing feeling of order to a space.
8. Match rug shape to table shape. Round dining tables look great with round or square rugs. Rectangular and oval dining tables work well with rectangular rugs. Square dining tables tend to work best with square rugs, though a round rug could work for a more playful feel.
Eclectic Dining Room by Callwey
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9. Avoid light hues. Unless you use your dining room more as a workspace than for dinner parties, it’s probably best to avoid white and light-colored rugs in this space (as beautiful as they look). Of course, white is not the only rug color to watch out for. Any pale hue is going to show dirt and spots sooner than deeper, richer colors.
Modern Dining Room by BWArchitects
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10. Look at the larger space. When choosing a color and pattern for your dining room rug, look at it as a piece in the larger puzzle of your space. What color are your dining chairs and table, light fixtures, flooring, and wall color? If you have an open floor plan, what other rugs are you already using in the space? The rug you ultimately choose should fit naturally with these other pieces.
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