The Rug Guide
Size & Styling Tips for Buying a New Rug
Rugs can be great for adding texture, design and warmth to your room, but finding the right one for your space can be tricky. We’ve put together some tips to help you choose the right size and style of rug for you!
Size
The first thing to consider when choosing a rug is making sure you’re picking the right size for your space. Having a rug that’s too big can 'swallow up a room', and a rug that’s too small can completely throw off the flow of your space. Rug sizes will vary depending on the space that you are intending it for, so we’ve created a helpful guide with rug sizing tips for common areas in your home:
Style
Now that you know which size rug you need for your space, it's time to decide on a rug that works best for you and your lifestyle. Here are a few things you should consider:
Construction: It’s important to make sure that you love the look of your rug, but above all it needs to suit your current lifestyle. For example, low traffic areas are great for more delicate, higher pile rugs as they won’t need to weather a lot of wear. However, if your living area needs to accommodate a lot of traffic as well as pets and kids, you’ll want to consider the cleanability and durability of your rug. Lower pile wool blends & polyesters are great for these sorts of spaces. Indoor/outdoor rugs are also a great option for entryways and mudrooms as they are typically dirt repellant and easier to clean.
Style: There are a few things to consider when choosing the look of your rug. If your space already has a statement piece (i.e. vibrant wall art, patterned accent wall, etc.) you might want to stick with a more neutral rug so as not to create a competing visual. However, if you feel like your space could use a splash of colour or some more depth, consider going with a statement rug with a fun print or colour. Another thing to think about is the flow of your space. Open concept areas should feature rugs that complement each other, so as not to have conflicting styles in one large visual area of your home. On the other hand, if your house features more closed off rooms, you can play around with different patterns and colours throughout without worrying too much about the rugs clashing.
Layering: A super common question among homeowners is whether you can layer an area rug over wall-to-wall carpet. The answer is yes! As long as the area rug you choose stays in the same colour family as the carpet, you can absolutely layer them. You can use the same sizing guides above for layering area rugs over full floor carpet. Another way to layer rugs is choosing a smaller area rug to layer over a larger area rug. This look works great in larger spaces like living and dining areas. We recommend choosing a neutral rug for your bottom, largest rug and a complementary smaller rug with a different texture to lie on top. This technique is a great way to add that extra bit of depth and detail to larger spaces. See below for how to choose the right sizes when layering multiple area rugs.
One of the most important tips we can give you is to always use a rug pad under your area rug. This is so important for the durability of not only your rug but also your flooring underneath. Rug pads help lengthen the life of your area rug, and they also help prevent scratching and scuffing on your flooring. If you ask us, rug pads are always a must. Fun fact: if you can’t find the right size rug pad, you can always cut them to size!
We hope this guide provides you with some useful tips on finding the perfect rug for your space. No matter what, we want you to love the rug you choose. Still feeling unsure of what to buy? We’re here to help! You can use the Live Chat feature on our website, DM us on Instagram or email us anytime at info@crownandbirch.com. Our customer service team can provide styling tips, size suggestions, or help you with anything else you might need along the way. Happy shopping!
-The Crown & Birch Team
