A rug revolution

We are hoping to purchase a period property when we move later this year, a place that has some original features and fingers crossed wood flooring we can bring back to life, but even with the most beautiful floors they can at times feel cold or lacking a little spark and thats when purchasing the right rug can make all the difference to a space and works just as well on tiled or carpeted floors. The main bonus about investing in a few well made rugs is that its still a lot cheaper than re-carpeting or replacing your current flooring yet can make a huge impact.

There are however a few rules that you need to follow or take into consideration as well as some tips that will help you to purchase the right rug for the right room and thought I would share them with you.

1. Size - its really important to make sure you buy the right size when choosing a rug because if you get it wrong you can make a room look very cluttered. Smaller rugs are better for highlighting smaller pieces of furniture such as a coffee table which larger ones are more suitable for lounges, dinning rooms etc and can be tucked under furniture. Longer thinner rugs or runners are perfect for hallways and can make create the illusion of space. Just make sure if your rug is going to be placed near a door opening that it will fit under the door without causing any issues or tripping hazards.

2. Style - you need to decide what look you are trying to achieve and where in the home you actually want to place a rug, buying one simply because you like it could be an expensive mistake as it needs to fit in which your interior style and space. A few things to consider would be how much foot-traffic this rug will see, do you have children, pets, do you want to inject some colour into a room or just some subtle texture with the use of patterned or graphic rug. Decided if you want to opt for a classic look such as a hand woven Persian or Oriental rug or a more modern and contemporary style, stores like Carpetright are a great place to start as well as discuss your needs with one of their knowledgeable staff members.

Colour  - feature rugs can be a piece of artwork in their own right and is a great way to inject some fun and playfulness into your room so don't be afraid of pattern, geometric print being very popular choice at the moment and work particularly well in a minimal Scandi inspired space as you have to be careful not to clash with too many colours. If you have a lot of prints and artwork on the walls you could opt for a more neutral rug that will still bring a sense of warmth to your home.

Maintenance - well made quality rugs can last for years although you must take into consideration your lifestyle and how much foot traffic your rug is going to see, also if you have small kids or pets you cannot be too precious over it as it will see some spills and should be harder wearing. You will also need to do some maintenance and as a rule of thumb medium-to-high pile rugs should be cleaned   properly once a year as vacuuming along cannot remove all the dust, hair and allergens. Low-pile rugs should be shaken out outside every couple of months and rugs made of natural fibres should be kept out of areas where they could see big spills as they can't really be cleaned and this could cause permanent damage, although on the plus side they don't show minor dirt and stains as much as other fibres.

If you are looking for a way to bring either warm, colour or a little bit of pop into a room don't overlook your floor space as it's such an easy way to switch a room up a little bit by simply adding a rug and don't be afraid to try out something new, maybe a colourful handwoven natural rug or geometric one.


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