Area rugs are a thing of beauty. Adding warmth, colour and texture to a space, they can help pull a room together, making it more cohesive and polished. While you don't need or want an area rug in every room in your house (like your mudroom or bathroom), there are places in your home that can benefit from this floor treatment both functionally and aesthetically.
Here are three spaces that were made for some area love.
1) The Bedroom
It doesn’t matter if your bedroom is already carpeted. Layering rugs are in, and a beautiful area rug will add a cosy and luxurious feel to your sleeping space. Out of all of the rooms in your home, this is the one where you should spare no expense when it comes to creating a chill, relaxing vibe, and nothing says total bliss like the feeling of a lush, sensuous rug under your feet first thing in the morning.
The size of the rug you’ll want will depend on the size of floor you’d like to cover, but if you only want it placed under the bed, aim for an 8 x 10. If you have a chest or seating area at the foot of the bed you’d like included, go bigger with a 9 X12 or even 11 X 14. Of course, the size of your bedroom also matters, so make sure these larger rugs can fit the space comfortably.
2) The Living Room
Living rooms are all about elegance and refinement. Unlike your den or rec room, they are a place to be enjoyed beyond people in your immediate family. It’s an area for entertaining. A stunning area rug will add elegance and comfort to this space, making it seem at once refined, and welcoming. It will draw the room together, creating a unity between furnishings, as well as guests.
When selecting the ideal rug for your living room, be sure to account for your existing furniture. Your rug by no means has to ‘match’ the furniture, but it does have to gel with it. You wouldn’t want an Aztec inspired area rug in a room that featured hand carved oriental furniture. Nor would you want an ornate Persian rug in a living room that was uber minimalist. But you could put that Persian rug with the hand carved furniture, and you the minimalistic look could mingle with the straight lines and bold colours of the Aztec inspired rug.
3) The Dining Room
Unlike your kitchen, most dining rooms are not made for everyday eating. Like living rooms, they’re made for entertaining guests, and this is why an area rug is a must-have in this space. It helps create a sense of occasion and subtle luxury – and since it won’t be enduring the constant spills and foot traffic of the kitchen, it will be able to withstand sporadic splatter without being any worse for the wear.
The size of the rug you will want will depend on the size of your dining room table. Your guests should be able to pull or push out their chairs without going over the edge of the carpet, so make sure there is room to move.
Area rugs certainly aren’t for everywhere, but there are a handful of rooms in your home that will warm up and light up thanks to the warmth and beauty of these ecumenical floor accessories.
