Photo by Rebekah Westover 

A rug is one of the most versatile (and statement making) pieces you can add to a space. They are the perfect foundation to ground and delineate furniture groupings. Like a work of art, a unique piece can set the tone and mood for a room, adding depth, character, color and pattern. Beautifully time-worn and distinctive, vintage rugs are pieces to be enjoyed and treasured for decades.  

Here are some considerations for picking the perfect rug for every room.

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Cost

Vintage rugs are an investment that will last as long as your home, and can be passed along for future generations. They are worth every penny, but if you want to get the look for less cost and commitment, consider incorporating a smaller vintage rug in an entry, bathroom or hallway. Another option is to layer a smaller one under a coffee table over a larger area rug you already have. 

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Color

Start with tone. Does the room where it’s going feature more cool tones, warm tones or is it neutral? If it’s warm, choose a rug with richer tones of rust, ochre, mustard and cream. If the tones are cooler, zero in on cool greens, blues and grays. For a neutral room, you can continue the look with a neutral rug, or create contrast with a warmer or cooler rug. Contrary to conventional thought, rug colors don’t need to ‘match’ the other colors in the room. As long as the tones are complimentary (warm, cool or neutral), it’s hard to go wrong.  

Another trick is to look at a predominant color in the room where the rug will be and find a rug that uses that color in small doses or features a color that is complimentary on the color wheel to the predominant color in the room. Remember, you aren’t going for an exact match--you want something that compliments and enhances. 

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Pattern 

Look at the scale of the pattern in relation to the size of the rug. Is the pattern large and bold? A rug with bigger, eye-catching patterns will be more of a statement-making piece, whereas a rug with smaller, more repetitive patterns will tend to blend into the background more. Consider other focal points in the room. If the room lacks a strong focal point, a statement-making rug may be just the ticket. If there is plenty going on in a room already, consider a more neutral foundation.

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Size

Take note of the furniture arrangement that will sit on your rug. An easy rule of thumb with furniture legs on rugs is that whether the legs of the furniture are all the way on the rug, off the rug, or only front legs are on, it should be the same for all pieces of furniture in the grouping. 

For instance, if two sofas are facing each other on top of a rug, the rug should be large enough to accommodate all four legs of each sofa or it should be small enough that only the front legs of both sofas are on the rug and the back legs of both sofas are off. If you’re unsure, before purchasing, try marking off a section of floor with masking tape to see where a rug will lie in your room and make sure it will work with your planned furniture arrangement.

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

Photo by Rebekah Westover 

For help selecting a rug, you can reach us via our online chat feature or at [email protected].