A good quality handmade rug is an investment; something that you want to really love and that draws together your space. So how do you choose a piece that fits perfectly in your home? I’ve listed a few suggestions below to help guide you with sizing, pile and colouring.
Colours
Choose colours that complement other items in your space, but certainly don’t be afraid to be bold! If you have fairly neutral décor, a boldly coloured rug will add warmth and personality. If you’re creating a calm space, such as a bedroom, using softer colours will help to soften and relax the room. Obviously colour is down to personal preference so choose colours that speak to YOU. If you choose a rug because you love it, it will never go out of style.
Pile
Pile is another thing to consider when choosing a rug. If you want a cosy-under-your-feet carpet, go for a medium to high-pile rug. They may take a little more work to keep clean but I love soft, lush carpets in the bedroom and living room. If you’re putting the rug in a high-traffic or “messy” area such as a kitchen, entrance hall, hallway or bathroom, I would choose a flat woven rug or a low pile carpet as they will be easier to maintain. One thing to bare in mind when using a rug in a high-traffic area is that you don’t want it to slip around when you walk on it. You can avoid this by placing a plastic mat underneath it, choosing a heavier rug (although that tends to mean higher pile), or anchoring edges of the rug under heavy furniture.
Living Room
Ideally a rug in the living room will tuck under the front legs of the couch/es and armchairs at least, drawing the space together. However! If you’re totally in love with a smaller rug and want to use it in your living room, I’d suggest layering it over larger piece (preferably a neutral rug) which will give the same effect as using one larger rug. Anita Yokota is a pro at rug layering, as you’ll see in the photo below, so if you’re after some inspiration, head over to her page!
Bedroom
In you have a double bed or larger, I would suggest placing a rug just under the foot of the bed. The rug should be a little wider than the bed. If you want to go all out, you can place a large rug under the entire bed. Often the center of a rug is the most interesting part and so it can be sad to hide this under the bed… but if it works for you, go for it! If the rug is going in a room with a single bed, choosing a rectangular rug to sit next to the bed is your best bet. You can choose a rug that's a similar length as the bed and either have it start a couple of inches from the side of the bed or slightly tucked under the side of the bed.
Bathroom
Believe it or not, rugs are great in bathrooms! The sizing will obviously vary greatly depending on the size of your bathroom. Placing a mini rug in front of the sink will give your bathroom a lovely lift and luxe-factor. If you have a bath tub, a slightly larger rug next to the bath always looks great.
Kitchen/Dining
Placing a large rug under your dining table and chairs always looks great in my opinion. Make sure you choose a rug that will withstand the weight and constant pulling in and out of chairs. The rug should ideally be large enough that when the chairs are pulled out, they still sit on the rug. This ensures you won’t be driven mad by your chairs constantly catching and pulling up the edges of your rug. As for your kitchen, if you have a narrow kitchen, a runner may be the perfect solution! Otherwise, if you kitchen is more open or square in shape, placing a rug that is a few inches smaller on each side than the counter is your best bet. This is another opportunity for rug layering – if your dream rug looks a little small, layer it on top of a larger piece.
At the end of the day, you can really play around with sizing by layering rugs, placing them at different angles, and even placing two complementary rugs side by side. My suggestion for colours would be to choose something that you love, rather than following a trend. A carpet will last generations and you don’t want to feel that it’s outdated in a couple of years’ time because you chose something to suit the current trends. If you love it, it’ll be timeless.
Let me know if you have any other suggestions to add or if this has been helpful in the comments below!