The days of wall-to-wall carpeting might be over, but that doesn’t mean your floors should be bare. The easiest way to update a room is with a rug, and no room is complete without one. These accessories are true essentials. But finding the right rug isn’t always easy. With so many different styles, materials, sizes, and designs available right now, it can overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be.
When choosing your rug, remember to read the label and see what material it is made from. Gallacher recommends picking wools that are easy to clean but have a rich quality that takes color well.
I recently spoke with Samantha Gallacher, rug designer and founder of Art+Loom, to learn more about how to choose the best rug for any space as well as what’s on-trend right now. She shared this incredibly helpful and practical advice when it comes to choosing the right rug.
Current Rug Trends
Gallacher tells me that uniquely shaped rugs are a major trend right now. They are a particularly good choice if your furniture is arranged in an unusual way. “Art+Loom has seen great popularity with designing something very custom that is shaped to the style of the room. People are loving amorphic-shaped rugs that pool out into the space allowing designers to get creative with their floor plans.”
Size does matter when it comes to choosing a rug. Remember, more is more. “When in doubt, go bigger than you think.
Another favorite trend of Gallacher’s is mixed media rugs, which can instantly make any room look more interesting. “Mixing multiple materials and playing with varying pile heights can create heavy texture. It also adds dimension to the space.”
Art+Loom recently launched a collection of mixed media rugs that are paired together with a zipper allowing two completely different mediums to be ‘zipped’ together for one rug design.
Stair Runners are another trend. Gallacher suggests opting for ombre designs that pool out at the bottom of the stairs. These are also useful for families with young children or older people who may slip on bare wood. A rug will create instant traction.
How To Choose Right Rug For Any Space
Once you have an idea of what style of rug you’re interested in, it’s important to make sure what you want is suitable for the space. That’s because you want the rug to compliment the other pieces you already have in the room. Conversely, Gallacher explains, “If you want the rug to be the ‘statement’ piece of the room, then tone down the other pieces to let the rug do the talking.”
Going custom is the best way to assure you get the right rug for your room, says Gallacher.
Other factors to keep in mind are kids, pets, and whether or not the rug will be in a high-traffic space such as in the living room or adjacent to a front door. If you’re looking for a rug to stay clean looking in a high-traffic space, it’s best to opt for a darker rug.
Your pets may also influence your decor choices. For example, if you have light-colored dogs that shed, you will find yourself constantly vacuuming a black rug.
Read The Label
When choosing your rug, remember to read the label and see what material it is made from. Gallacher recommends picking wools that are easy to clean but have a rich quality that takes color well. However, she says, “There has been a lot of innovation in recent years with materials. People are dabbling in recycled nylons and solution-dyed acrylics, not just for stain resistance and durability but also for sustainability component.”
Your pets may also influence your decor choices. For example, if you have light-colored dogs that shed, you will find yourself constantly vacuuming a black rug.
She also warns against buying bamboo and banana silk rugs. “While they look good at first, they really don’t have any durability, and when they get wet, they can lose their sheen and make the rug look old and weathered.”
Size Matters
Size does matter when it comes to choosing a rug. Remember, more is more. “When in doubt, go bigger than you think. The larger your rug, the larger the space feels. Often people will make a rug too small and makes the room feel busy and disjointed. If you are looking to save on square footage of the rug, then you can run it in front of nightstands, etc. It should also go at least one foot under a sofa,” the designer tells me.
Go Custom
Going custom is the best way to ensure you get the right rug for your room. If you are doing this, Gallacher emphasizes the importance of choosing a unique shape because it can play off the shape of your furniture. This is also an ideal choice for less traditional floor plans.
