Rug or carpet: Which is which?
As with many things, size matters.
A large rug can be used to ground the space and define areas within a multi-purpose room.
It’s a rug unless it’s wall-to-wall carpeting.
When it comes to designing a room, no one element is necessarily more important than another, but none of them should be over-looked. You can coat the walls with beautiful color, dress the windows, buy new furniture and lighting too, but in the end…
The spiffed up décor won’t look great if you have neglected the floors.
Odpt to refinish or paint wood floors…or tile, stone, linoleum or cork them, but somewhere, you probably are going to want a rug or carpet.
A Variety Show
Rugs come in a variety of sizes from very small (otherwise known as a mat) to nearly as large as the room it’s meant for. There are a variety of styles for every need and budget. They also offer a variety of attributes aside from protecting wood floors and being soft and warm underfoot.
- A large rug can be used to ground the space and define areas within a multi-purpose room. Use a rug under the living room sofa and club chairs and you have visually defined the seating/conversation area.
- A rug will add color and is a natural starting point for your color scheme.
- Aside from providing a unifying focal point, you have also, by adding texture, created a scenario of greater richness and understated drama than before.
- Bonus: You can take it with you when you move.
Start At the Beginning
There’s obviously a good argument to be made for clarifying the style and mood you want for your rooms. There’s an even better argument to be made for creating a plan to build a design background for your style to live in.
One of the more difficult aspects of designing a room is to get into the habit of seeing the big picture of how all the elements will live together, rather than focusing on one detail before moving on to the next. Ask if each element relates to or complements the overall design.
Does the carpet (rug) match the drapes?
Is that a good thing?
If you are adding a rug (or replacing an existing one), obviously you will want a color (or colors) that relate to the furnishings, draperies and wall color. If you are furnishing an empty room, or building the design of a whole new living space, you can start with the rug as the foundation to determine your color palette.
Related Posts
Rug Selection Series – Part II – Antique Rugs: Valuable Old Knots
Rug Selections Series – Part III – A Variety Of Knots and Weaves
Rug Selection Series – Part IV – Fine Tune Your Selection
Small Space Solutions: Fooling The Eye – Part I – Your Jewel Box
Small Space Solutions: Fooling The Eye – Part II – Working It
Photo – http://www.starkcarpet.com
This article is a “How Does This Work?” Classic from the Decoding Decor Library. It’s represented here from an earlier archived article, reviewed, rewritten and updated as needed for your continuing home design education and convenience.
…because you never know when you’ll need the last word on how to select a rug.
Really nice explanation and very informative. Really nice blog!
Cynthia
Thanks for your kind comments Cynthia!
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