Design is interpretive: loose on boundaries and deeply personal.
But there are a few elements of design that need to follow some science. Lighting is one and rugs are definitely an other.
Almost every room needs a rug – it defines space, adds a textural element, can inject some luxury and warmth and can anchor furniture. That said, finding the right piece is always a challenge which is why it often sits first when I am starting a design project. It can set the tone and in large part, makes the other decisions in the room easier. It widdles them down anyway.
I lean on a few musts when I start the rug hunt which often turns into a real slag. Important but exhausting.
Size it Up
Some designers will tell you to get the biggest rug the room can take and the largest you can afford (with their sales person cheering loudly behind them). No. I am all about negative space so really like for a rug to sit centered with a generous exposed floor perimeter. Why bother with an area rug if you are planning on running it wall to wall?
My rules are a bit fuzzy but simple: I like for all of the furniture in the room to relate to the rug in the same way. So if the front legs of your sofa are on the rug then the front legs of your occasional chairs should be as well. If your sofa sits entirely on the rug – guess what? So should your chairs and side tables, lamps, you name it. It just creates balance and makes the rug a design element, even if it is just introducing some texture, not an afterthought.
Art on the Floor
My design philosophy is – and always will be – one statement per room. If you are choosing strong colour or pattern or both for your rug, keep your other elements quiet. There is nothing that does my head in more than walking into a space and my eyes darting around the room, unsure where to land, because there is too much to look at. I have chosen to use gorgeous rugs in the past – either inherited, vintage, outrageously expensive so I don’t have a choice – and they definitely become an art detail in the room. But then I design around, not in competition with it.
Turn in Over
You don’t have to be an expert to be able to tell the difference between an excellent quality rug and something mass-produced. Flip it around – if the pattern is the same on the reverse, you are likely looking at a piece that is handmade.
Tufting is also another clue. A tufted rug skips the hand knotting process so it is like sewing the fibre in and out of the loom and then cutting the loops. They just don’t last as long but are definitely more affordable. I love when I am pitched a “hand-tufted” rug….lipstick on a pig. Tufting is tufting.
Be Fibre Aware
What a rug is made with is as important as how it is made. Wool rules from a durability perspective but artificial fibers have a strong presence in the market because of their affordability. Just understand what you are buying – for example, bamboo silk is not silk. Silk is used usually along with wool to add a lovely sheen and some elegance to a rug. It is expensive. It just is. Bamboo silk is a synthetic that has the same effect but is a lot cheaper and less durable.
The Dark Side
Every rug of decent quality will have a light side and a dark side – it is just the way the pile sits – so from one angle colours and patterns will be deep and rich and from the other, usually much soften and more subtle. Just consider it in the way you orient a rug in your space.
Approvals? Yes please.
A rug is not a sweater so it isn’t enough to love it and cross your fingers that it fits and it will go with your favorite jeans. Most reputable rug purveyors offer an “on approval” option which gets a rug delivered to your home, layered into your room giving you an opportunity to see it in situ. Always take this Door Number 1 option. Always. Even if it means you have to pay for the rug prior. Smarter spend if you can return it. And definitely get them to show you the light and the dark sides in the space. Rugs are freaking heavy – let them do the lifting.
Media Source: The Rug Company