Area Rugs and the Various Ways You Can Arrange Them

Many elements of interior design go into adding to the character of a room. These can be in the form of upholstery, decor, lighting, and so on. One element that — if applied masterfully — can stand out as well as shape the appearance of the entire room is an area rug. This versatile piece of craftsmanship has an arsenal of properties pertaining to both aesthetics and function. Not only does it bring that extra bit of color and texture to a room, but an area rug can also provide comfort as well as calmness due to its ability to absorb sound. When style and imagination come into play, there are vague limits as to how you can incorporate rugs into your living space.

What exactly are area rugs?

An area rug is basically a scaled-down version of a carpet. As opposed to wall-to-wall carpets, you can find area rugs in a variety of sizes, the most common of which are 5’x8’ and 8’x11’. Moreover, the portability of rugs is a major advantage over full-scale carpeting, which tends to be inconvenient to replace.  Area rugs are also available in a variety of patterns, colors, as well as textures, leaving you with ample options to get creative with. The versatility that rugs provide makes them a must-have element of interior design.

Define or Connect Spaces

Whether it’s a hallway, a dining area, or a living room, area rugs play a major role in highlighting the spaces. In hallways and corridors, a runner rug can paint a visual path that covers the significant length of the area. A living room rug, whereas, can affect the perception of the room’s size depending on the set-up. For instance, placing furniture around the rug can make a small room appear bigger than it is. In bedrooms, an 8’ x 10’ rug can unify a queen-sized bed with other pieces of furniture such as a poof or a fauteuil. Area rugs are especially prominent in open-floor plans where they essentially define the multiple seating as well as dining zones.

Besides defining spaces, area rugs can also connect them. Having similarly colored rugs in bordering rooms can establish a visual unification between the two. One setting that may welcome this application of area rugs is an enfilade.

The Purpose of Area Rugs in Interior Design

Use for Sound Absorption

You would be amazed at how versatile rugs can be in both function and aesthetics. One of the functions that carpets generally provide is sound absorption. It’s no wonder that sound engineers make use of them in recording studios. If you live in an apartment with neighbors who can be loud sometimes, a carpet can help cancel out a fair amount of noise.

Getting Familiar With a Carpet's Functions

Go Vertical

Who said rugs are supposed to be on the floor? An eccentric way to exhibit a beautifully patterned carpet is to treat it like the piece of art that it is — by hanging it on the wall. You can proudly display this rebellious choice of a wall piece using either velcro, a curtain rod, tacking strips, hooks, or casing. Besides serving as a unique element of interior design, wall rugs will absorb excess noise from adjacent rooms.

Unique Ways to Showcase Your Rugs

Choose Originality Over Function

There is no reason why you can’t bend the rules of carpeting, especially if it involves a bold choice. For instance, you can forego function by replacing an ordinary bathroom mat with a fancy area rug. However, as you go ahead with an unconventional element, you may want to make sure the fabric is suitable for the room in question; an area rug for a typically humid bathroom may have to be low-pile and synthetic.

Making a Statement With Area Rugs

Layer Up

To create a fusion of patterns and colors, you can have a pair (or more) of overlapping rugs as a feature element. While you could play it safe by layering a textured or a slightly patterned rug above one with a neutral tone, a bolder choice could involve pairing two patterned rugs with different color schemes. However, whether or not the colors are cohesive can make or break this adventurous style. Round rugs can be an interesting choice for experimenting with this method.

Experimenting With Area Rugs to Achieve an Interior Design Purpose

Incorporate Texture

An ideal way to introduce a pinch of texture to a relatively flat setting is through a thickly woven rug. Shag-piles are prime options for this purpose as they provide texture ever so generously. Whether it’s for added comfort or a design style, you can place a shag-pile rug in a bedroom to cozy up the place, or in a common room that could use a new dimension. In the latter case, a faux hide rug can be an ideal — and ethical — choice for a rustic living room interior.

Types of Rugs That Add Texture to a Floor

Accentuate the Design Style

When you are setting up a room in a certain design style and you need that one final touch to tie it all together, an area rug can be the cherry on top. Elements such as color or pattern can reinforce the cohesiveness of the design scheme. A rug with the right elements contributes to a well-orchestrated interior design. A Persian rug, for instance, can be an ideal choice for a Victorian-style living room whereas a jute rug can go hand in hand with a Scandinavian design.

Coordinating a Floor Piece With Other Elements of Interior Design

Inject Color

To introduce a splash of color to an otherwise subtle room, an area rug with a warm hue will do the trick. Bathrooms can be an ideal place to achieve this method of design as they are typically known to be rather silent in terms of color. However, you could also use a vibrant-colored rug to vitalize any other room where lighter tones might be dominating the palette.

How to Introduce Color into Your Room

Unify With Furniture

If you have a beloved set of furniture that you would like to bring attention to, a stylish area rug can lay the foundations for a picturesque design. A couple of accents that match the rug would then complete the style. There are many different scenarios where you could achieve this unification. For instance, you could highlight an antique chaise lounge with a more modern choice of a rug paired with a similarly patterned throw pillow. 

Using an Accented Rug to Highlight Your Favorite Furniture

Make it a Centerpiece 

While many area rugs are meant to blend in with the rest of the design elements, others are vibrant enough to steal the spotlight. If you have a novelty rug that you’re too proud of, you could make it the focal point of the room and allow the rest of the elements to revolve around it. One advantage of choosing a rug as a centerpiece is that — since it is below your direct field of view — it won’t be as intrusive as a heavily patterned wallpaper, for instance.

Area Rugs That Will Own the Stage

Re-Purpose as Upholstery

Throwing away a beloved rug that has seen enough wear and tear can be hard. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to. While you can’t display it anymore (at least not as a carpet), you can still salvage a portion of the rug to upholster a small piece of furniture or even an old set of throw pillows. Not only will re-purposing allow you to revive two different pieces, but it will also provide you with a one-of-a-kind element that adds character to a room, making it your own.

How to Salvage a Damaged Rug