Choosing a Rug for Your Home

A rug is a great way to add color and texture to a room and it’s especially ideal for renters who are often barred from painting walls. It’s also an easy way to define a seating area, add warmth underfoot or hide dirt and debris that may have been tracked in from the outdoors. Rugs are especially useful near entryways, in mudrooms and in hallways where wood floors can quickly show wear.

For children’s rooms, a colorful rug offers a fun canvas to let their personalities shine through. A bright rug can be an anchor for a chair, bed or reading nook and the colors can easily be changed when they tire of them (or outgrow them).

Rugs provide a visual anchor in a room and a sense of balance. If you subscribe to Feng Shui or similar beliefs, a rug slows the flow of energy in a home, helping everyone feel grounded and calm.

To choose a rug, start by picturing the space and placing masking tape to mark where the perimeter would fall. Then, measure the dimensions of that taped-off area to ensure you’re purchasing a rug that is the right size for the room. The rug should be big enough to accommodate the main furniture grouping (in a living room, that’s usually the sofa and side tables; in a bedroom, that’s the bed and nightstands normally). And don’t forget to add a rug pad – it’s not just good for protecting the rug but can also prolong its life by preventing it from sliding.