Tips & Tricks for Easy Area Rug Shopping

Buenos dias mi amor! How are you on this fine Wednesday morning?! I hope you’re feeling bright eyed and ready to take on the day. Or at least maybe on your way to feeling like that once the coffee kicks in. And if you don’t drink coffee then you must be some kind of superhero and I bow to you. Soooooo this past weekend my husband and I were talking about how great our new area rug looks in our living room. He’s actually commented on how much he likes it several times and as we were chatting, we had to laugh about all of the awful area rugs I’ve purchased over the years. I mean, I’ve made some realllllllly questionable decisions, like that time I bought a giant black and green rug for our living room. Eeesh. Let’s just say it didn’t look so great. And the truth is, I had no earthly idea what I was doing when it came to buying an area rug. But as we were talking I realized that I’ve learned a thing or two about rugs–how to pick them, what to avoid, what to consider, etc. I’ve figured out a few things that have helped me avoid my old mistakes, so today I want to share some tips and tricks for easy breezy area rug shopping. I hope these help guide you through the whole rug buying experience and make it a little more simple!

Consider Your Style

Ok, first start by thinking about your style and how an area rug will fit into your home as a functioning element of decor. Do you love a modern look? Something more industrial? Bohemian? Cozy farmhouse? Once you can define your style and what you love, you’ll be able to narrow your search significantly. And if you’re shopping online, a lot of websites will even allow you to choose a style filter while browsing area rugs. For example, Wayfair has about a dozen style options to choose from in filters.

Once you’re on the area rug page, just click the button that says “SEE ALL FILTERS” then scroll down until you find the tab “STYLE”. That’s where you can choose which what style of area rugs you’d like to see. Snazzy, right? So easy and super helpful!

Patterns vs Solids

Next I’d recommend thinking about if you’d prefer a solid colored rug or one with some kind of pattern or geometric design. There area a zillion different patterns you can choose from–stripes, oriental, plaid, there even rugs with polka dots! It’s totally a personal preference, but always think about what other designs/patterns you already have going on in the room where the rug will go. For example, do you have bold curtains with a floral design or maybe stripes? Or possibly even a patterned sofa. If so, I’d lean more towards a solid colored rug just to be safe. Based on the mistakes I’ve made in the past, I can tell you that it’s super tricky mixing patterns. But if your furniture and curtains are solid colors, then a rug with lots of pattern would be a great fit–just what kind of design you’d like. Once you make that decision you can narrow your search even more.

Consider the Rug’s Purpose in Your Space & Material

After you’ve nailed down your style and what type of design you’d like, the next step is to consider what function the rug will be serving in your home. Is it purely a decorative piece in a sitting room that might not get a lot of traffic or will it be in your living room where the kids play on the floor? Knowing what the purpose of the rug will be is super important because it will help guide your decision when it comes to what kind of material you want. For example, the rug under the table in our breakfast nook is an affordable jute rug from Target. I went that route because I wanted it to be super durable and able to handle lots spills/cookie crumbs/stains, etc. It’s rough to the touch and definitely not the most comfortable rug, but it still warms up the space and it’s great for all the wear and tear! But when it comes to our living room I wanted something super soft and comfortable so I went with a synthetic rug. Martial will also determine cost–wool rugs are quite expensive, while a synthetic rug is typically much more affordable.

Choosing the Right Size

Choosing the right size area rug is actually pretty simple. There are a ton of “rules” out there, but my approach is pretty simple: bigger is better. If you’re buying a rug for your living room, I’d recommend at least at least 7×9 or 8×10 size rug. Doing something smaller like a 5×8 won’t look as good unless your room is teeny tiny. As for the dining room I’d recommend a 5×8 if your dining table is smaller and fit for four chairs. If it’s any larger an 8×10 sized rug would probably the best way to go. In my honest opinion, the only real mistake you can make is putting too small of an area rug in your space, so spend a little more and get the big one!

Color, Color, Color!

So I think the trickiest part of choosing the right area rug comes when it’s time to choose the color–it really does set the tone for the entire room.. This can feel totally overwhelming because there are a zillion options out there, but it really goes back to your personal home style. My tips is to first start by thinking about two things: the color of your walls and the color of your furniture. How do you want the rug to coordinate with those things? Do you want it to be bold and make a statement or should it be soft and complimentary to the room? Personally, I think the key is making sure the color of the rug stays in line with the color scheme of your space. For example, if your walls are a light shade of blue, you might want to go with a rug that is a soft shade of gray. They don’t have to match, yet they should compliment each other. But it’s definitely a personal choice! Just choose carefully and try to think about how you’ll feel about that color as time goes on. Will you still love it a year from now?

An area rug is the anchor and foundation of any room, so getting it right is pretty darn important. I hope these tips and tricks for easy area rug shopping have been helpful and I hope they keep you from making a few of the super fun rug buying mistakes I’ve made in the past. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today!! Here are a few other posts you might want to check out:

Everything You Need to Know About Jute Rugs

Beautiful & Affordable Farmhouse Style Area Rugs

5 Tips to Choose the Perfect Paint Color

And here are few area rugs that I love:

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