I recently bought a new area rug for our living room and I have to admit, it was a nerve-wracking decision. There are so many options available in different materials, textures, patterns, and colors it is hard to know where to start. It took a bit of time and patience, but ultimately I got a rug that I love and that works beautifully in our living room so today, I thought I would share a few tips about how to buy the right area rug.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT SIZE

Choosing the “right” size rug really depends on the overall look you are trying to achieve. The question you should ask is, do you want all of your furniture to sit completely on the rug, which makes it a far more prominent feature in the room, or do you prefer to have just the front legs of your furniture sit on the rug making it less prominent in the room.

When I was shopping for a new living room area rug, I knew I wanted all of my furniture to sit on the rug so I measured the length and width of my existing furniture to get a minimum size. I also wanted the rug to be a prominent feature in this oversided room, so I added extra width to my measurement so the edge of the rug would be more visible.

By contrast, our outdoor patio rug is centered between the furniture and makes much less of a statement in the overall space.

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLOR AND PATTERN

I think this is the hardest part of rug shopping. I have had a few different color rugs in my living room and each one created a completely different look. Similar to wall to wall carpeting, a light colored rug will create a very different look in a room than a warm or dark colored rug.

When determining what color rug to choose, ask yourself if you want to lighten up your space, add warmth or color or perhaps make a bold statement.

For example, the textured, cream area rug pictured above adds a light and bright element to my living room especially when it sits on a darker wood floor. This accentuates the darker sofas in the room but blends well with the linen-colored chairs. It also creates a very neutral palette which allow the possibility of adding different accent colors seasonally.

By contrast, the dark blue patterned rug above creates a much warmer look in the same room and the sofas blend rather than contrast. The multiple colors throughout the pattern of this rug also make it easy to add seasonal accents.

And in our cottage bedroom, the bold pattern of this Kilim Rug makes a big statement and sets the mood and style for this room. Choosing a color or pattern for an area rug can be a daunting task, but if you have a goal in mind (lighten up, add warmth, make a statement) it will help you to narrow down the options and get you started in the right direction.

Thanks to sanctuaryhomedecor for the tips!