How to Choose the Right Rug for Any Room

Are your bare floors a total bore? There’s an easy fix for that — liven up the whole room with the perfect area rug.

Rugs do way more than cover a bare floor. They offer a comfy place for your feet to land, help define spaces, and are a great way to dress up (or down) a room, injecting style and color that help pull the whole room together.

The trickiest part of adding a rug is choosing the right one for your room. Do you want large or small? Round or rectangle? Abstract or floral? Wool or easy-care?

At Grandin Road, you’ll find a wealth of rugs in a variety of sizes, styles, and materials. Let us be your guide to finding the perfect fit.

Rug Size & Shape

Purchase too big a rug and your space may feel overwhelmed. Too small, and the room may appear unwelcoming or disjointed. Choosing a rug that’s sized juuuust right is a cinch, though, if you follow these tips:

• Use a rug that’s a little larger than the furniture footprint area. (Measure this area and add 6-12 inches to it.)
• Add a smaller rug to create a cozy, defined space.
• Work with the shape of your space to choose the correct rug size. For example, a rectangular rug in a rectangular room, with even spacing on both sides.

For more information on how to choose the perfect rug size, read more here.

Rug Style

While area rug styles are dependent on a lot of factors, like how the rest of your house is styled as well as your own personal preference, we can help you narrow down your options so you can easily update the look or functionality of a space.

• For a more feminine look, consider adding a floral area rug.
• Transitional and natural looks benefit from a more vintage-style area rug that looks aged or has Persian motifs.
• Abstract rugs work well in a modern-style home.
• Create a boho look by using darker, earthy-colored area rugs.
• Looking for an easy-care rug? Then our Baxter washable rug collection is perfect!

Common rug style and construction options

• Flatweave or Kilim. They’re often reversible, and an easy choice under dining room furniture.
• High-low. A textural look with plush and low-cut areas forming a pattern.
• Hand-knotted. The tufts and loops are knotted by hand, a very time-intensive process undertaken by skilled, trained artisans for lasting beauty and durability. Hand-knotted rugs shed very little because they can go through a more extensive washing process that eliminates most loose fibers as part of their creation; hand-knotting creates distinct, one-of-a-kind looks.
• Tufted or Hand-tufted. Tufted cut pile has no loops and is created without tying knots; easy to make, it takes less time to make, and are thus less costly than hand-knotted rugs; can shed more than hand-knotted rugs (tufts are attached using latex, which also adds cushioning). Shuttle equipment may be used during the hand-tufting process.
• Machine-made/woven. High tech machines create precision-crafted designs and rich patterns.
• Vintage-look. The “over-dyed” process involves repurposing an actual vintage rug with updated coloring or refreshed look. New dye machine-done weaving processes can also create brand-new rugs that look aged or distressed.
• Hand hooked. Traditional hooked rugs having a loop construction.

Rug Material

Perhaps one of the most important factors you should consider when purchasing an area rug is its material. At Grandin Road, we offer a wide array of performance rugs and natural fiber rugs. Learn which variety suits your lifestyle.

Easy-care Performance Rugs

For high-traffic areas, easy-care performance rugs can’t be beat. They’re durable enough to stand up to lots and lots of wear from both people and pets and can bear the weight of furniture, thanks to their tight-weave construction.These types of rugs last about 5 years on average, with regular professional cleanings. They tend to be less expensive than natural fiber rugs as well, which makes them great if you like to change your look regularly.

Easy-care Performance Rugs are made from a variety of materials.

Acrylic or Nylon Rugs 

• Most durable and expensive synthetic fiber (nylon is the most durable)
• Lower cost than wool
• The most resilient (least prone to crushing underfoot) synthetic fiber
• Colorfast performance, too
• Tends to require more regular cleaning
• Lifespan: average about 5 years, with regular professional cleaning; ideal if you plan to change your look and want to save money

Polypropylene Rugs 

• Less expensive than nylon or wool
• Called “performance rugs” for indoor/outdoor high traffic use
• Fade resistant
• Staining rare; cleans well
• Resistance to moisture, mildew, water damage, staining, pilling, shedding and static
• Treated with chemicals to become stain resistant (except to oil-based stains)
• Lower resiliency of fibers, so keep fibers gently brushed
• Must be kept away from high heat sources and high sun windows
• Lifespan: average about 5 years, with regular professional cleaning. Ideal if you plan to update your look regularly; save money, yet still get a good look and durability

Polyester Rugs 

• Least expensive rug choice
• Brilliant colors
• Performance points: very resistant to stains and fading
• Not as resilient as natural wool, so prone to crushing, like polypropylene rugs
• Not as resilient to heavy foot traffic (crushing) as wool is– may crush and mat
• Can be prone to dullness, and showing some wear and tear
• Life span: average about 5 years, with regular professional cleaning. Ideal if you plan to change your look regularly, want it for a low-traffic room, or have chosen a stricter makeover budget

Natural Fiber Rugs

Rugs made of natural/organic materials such as wool, cotton, jute, and sisal lend an earthy, natural vibe to a space. While they tend to be a bit more expensive, you’ll find that they’re super durable so long as they are professionally cleaned regularly. Plus, they’re more environmentally friendly than the synthetic varieties and are great for layering.

We also offer Natural Fiber rugs in several varieties.

Wool Rugs 

• Natural “spiral” structure of fibers keeps wool fibers from crushing down, so they are lastingly resilient under heavy foot traffic and heavy furniture
• Natural, effective noise insulators
• Typical wool rug takes about 3 to 4 months to weave, so it will cost more
• Most commonly woven from woolens (yarn of short wool fibers, for exceptional softness)
• Yarns hand-woven with natural materials (not created with chemicals)
• Smooth surface feels softer and more luxurious than synthetic rugs
• Kinder to the environment
• Flame resistant
• Easy to clean, and can look good longer between cleanings even if dusty or soiled due to the pocketed fiber structure of wool
• Life span: average 50 years, or even longer with proper care

Jute & Sisal Rugs 

• Often hand-woven out of natural, long jute fibers or sisal leaf fibers
• Organic, textured look
• Environmentally friendly; made from a renewable resource
• Coloring and natural look works with many kinds of decor
• Naturally durable
• Also ideal for layering under colorful flatweave rugs
• Easy care: just vacuum
• Life span: in low-traffic areas, jute rugs can last for years. Durable sisal rugs are also stain-resistant and long-wearing in high traffic area

Now that you know the type of rug you want, it’s time to get shopping! Check out all our options: Grandin Road area rugs.