Do you have hardwood or another type of hard-surface flooring? Are you struggling to create some sort of boundary between different areas in an open living space? Are your feet freezing when they hit the ground, or is the sound of your dogs’ clickety-clack driving you crazy?
Answering yes to any or all of the above questions is a sign that you need a little more throw rug in your life.
Throw Rugs Offer Amazing Solutions To Basic Design Dilemma
That subtitle may seem like a bit of an overstatement – but it’s not! Throw rugs offer solutions to a myriad of design – and even lifestyle – issues that crop up along the way.
Let’s address some of the ways you can apply throw rugs to improve your day-to-day life.
To add warmth and warm up a hard-surface floor
Personally, I’m a big believer in hard-surface floors. You only have to tear up carpeting – and the pad underneath – one time in your life to know why wall-to-wall carpeting is a bad and risky enterprising. Ever had allergies? Ever had mold? Ever wanted to live amidst layers of dust and particulate matter that can’t be eliminated no matter how much you vacuum? ‘nough said.
Even so, life with hard-surface flooring requires the application of a throw rug here and there. Firstly, they break up foot after foot of the same surface. Secondly, they’re much warmer on bare feet – especially in the winter months or first thing in the morning. Finally, throw rugs add visual warmth, because even an area rug in a traditionally “cooler” color will add a softer look to the hardness, and that translates as “warmer” overall.
Show us what you meant by your furniture arrangement
In a traditional home, with segmented living spaces, area rugs are usually the central stars – located underneath the coffee table, for example, or perhaps as a runner in a long hallway.
These days, however, area rugs have a more important role to play; they anchor space in open floor plans so we know what each of your furniture groupings means. Aaah! That one over there anchors the reading and conversation corner, while the larger area rug over there is clearly meant to define the TV zone. The rugs create visual boundaries that may not be as visible otherwise, and it makes our brains happier to see all that nicely organized space.
Note: Size matters in the world of area rugs. Being too small or too big will cause problems. Try to find rugs that are large enough for all of the furniture legs to fit on or none of the legs to fit on. Only the front end of a couch or chair is fine too in a pinch. It shouldn’t wrinkle or bunch up because it doesn’t lay nicely along a wall edge (try to leave at least a few inches there) or an adjacent furniture piece.
Give us a little texture or pattern to sink our eyes into
When you look around at your interior design what do you see in terms of texture? Wall, floors, and tables are all hard surfaces. Even certain couches – particularly the contemporary, shiny leather versions – can appear more “hard” or “sleek” than soft. If this is the case in your home, area rugs are a very simple way to add texture.
You don’t have to get a high-pile shag for this – even a woven jute rug will suffice. The point is to bring something texturally different into the space to balance what’s there already.
I’m including a pattern in this category too because patterns can add texture as well. Patterns, particularly geometric or viny/floral patterns can add a different dimension to the space. If you’re someone who’s less comfortable adding patterns to a room, let your area rugs do the work for you. Patterns on the floor can be diminished a bit if part of the rug is covered by a couch or a chair and they are less intrusive than when they make an appearance via upholstery or wallpaper.
You can also layer your area rugs – using a larger, patterned rug on the bottom and then a solidly-colored rug on top – a smart choice if a pattern is attractive but feels too bold or too busy for your taste.
Don’t forget to think about comfort and safety
I like to use area rugs for comfort as well – in the kitchen where I stand to work (designer outdoor rugs work great for this because they’re attractive but durable and easy to clean). I use them underneath my favorite reading chair so my feet can rest on a soft, warm surface. Consider placing them in front of your bathroom vanities, and to protect stairs and hallways from wear-and-tear.
That being said, area rugs can be major trip or slip and fall hazards, so make sure to use the anti-slip mats underneath them to prevent them from sliding out from underneath you. Also, get rid of any rugs that curl up around corners or edges; it’s only a matter of time before someone trips and falls. In the dining room, be thoughtful about how they work – or don’t work – when chairs are scooted out and back in so nobody unintentionally tips over.