For most people who are redesigning their space, a rug tends to be an afterthought. It’s understandable though because it’s on the floor, your furniture is usually on top of it, you walk all over it. An area rug might not seem important, especially if you just tore up a bunch of wall to wall carpeting and don’t want to cover up your beautiful hardwood floors. But if you walked into a room without any rugs, you would notice something was missing. While it doesn’t have to be a work of art, a rug does an amazing job tying your room together and providing a little bit of warmth and comfort to your space.
We carry some of the best brands in the rug industry and offer a wide range of styles and sizes, so it’s virtually impossible to walk out of our Monterey furniture store without one in hand or on order! But before we show you are favorites, let’s talk about how to choose this essential piece.
Finding the Right Size
It is so important to measure your space before hunting for the perfect rug. While you don’t have to draft up a blueprint of your entire room, understanding how much space you have between sofas, in front of your bed, or at the main entrance so you don’t pick one that’s too small. You can usually get away with picking a rug that’s a little too large, but go the other way and you suddenly have a very awkward arrangement of furniture.
Now, there aren’t any rules you need to follow, but it’s safe to find a rug that can fit the front two legs of your chair or chairs, sofa, or bed. A floating rug will work in front of an entrance or as a runner down the hall or in front of your kitchen work space, but don’t let your rug float in the middle of your living room. You want to walk all over it! If you are able to place the first two feet of your furniture on the rug, you will actually be able to enjoy it. And not only will it bring more comfort to your space, it will tye together all the design elements (like colors, shapes, and overall style) in the room. Typically, living rooms will be able to fit 8 x 10 or 9 x 12, but every room and every home is different so it might take a little bit more math and finagling to make it work for you.
Form and Function
It’s totally fine to fall in love with the bright white shag rug, but maybe don’t put it under your dining table. Not all rugs are created equal when it comes to function, so it’s going to be very important to consider pile, materials, colors, and craftsmanship in relation to its use.
If this rug is going to be in a high traffic area, like the entrance to your home, the hallways, and kitchen, do your homework and understand how the rug was constructed. A hand knotted rug, while typically more expensive, is going to withstand the tests of time. Each thread in the rug is knotted by a skilled craftsman who spends so much time and energy to create a single piece. Because these cannot be mass produced, you can be sure that they are incredibly durable and aesthetically beautiful. A hand tufted rug, however, uses a machine to shoot pieces of wool through a canvas backing. Although these can look handmade, they aren’t created with the same amount of care and won’t hold up nearly as long.
Pile refers to the density of the fibers in the rug, so if it is high pile, it’s probably something like a shag rug, low pile might be a woven rug. As mentioned before, pile is another important aspect of choosing the location of these rugs. A high pile rug, like the Cozy Shag Rug by Loloi, is plush and luxurious, and would be amazing under your bed in your bedroom or in front of your favorite reading chair. This is for a location in your home that isn’t tread on constantly because it’s supposed to be enjoyed occasionally. You wouldn’t put this under your dining table or in front of your kitchen station because the high pile will pick up crumbs, spills, and dirt from your shoes. We recommend using a low pile rug for those locations for easy cleaning and high durability.
Finally, color wraps up the location question. Like before, white rugs should not be at your entrance, but rather in your bedroom or living room so it has a lower chance of getting dirty. Choose a rug with more colors or patterns in those high traffic areas so stains and dirt can kind of blend in.
Tie Everything Together
Style is subjective, but we can recommend some simple guidelines to help you decide which path you want to take when it comes to how you pull your room together with a rug.
Stick to the color scheme of your room, but don’t be afraid to add an extra color in your rug. If you haven’t strayed from your established “white, black, grey and blue” furniture, find a rug that incorporates at least two of those colors, and adds a contrasting pop of pink or orange. It will tie all the pieces together while inspiring some potential accessory themes as well. If your room is a bit eclectic with colors and styles, an ornate oriental carpet will make your room feel much more collected and considered.
If you tend to be a little more minimalist with your patterns and design, choose a rug with texture. You may not be straying outside of your comfort zone, but texture will add some depth to an otherwise flat space.
A coastal home isn’t complete without a natural fiber rug. Sandy colors, ample textures, and casual understated patterns will make you feel like your walking along the beach! Or take your home to a slightly more luxurious state with a neutral colored shaggy rug that reminds you of the foamy ocean waves.
Our Favorite Brands
Loloi
Loloi is one of the best known rug brands in the high end interior design industry. Along with area rugs, Loloi offers hundreds of throws, pillows, making it easier than ever to accessorize your home. This manufacturer prides itself using traditional, old world techniques to create beautiful and modern rugs. Hand dying the wool and weaving are just two of the techniques implemented in their practice and while they might require more time, you can see and feel the craftsmanship in this labor of love.
Although I have mentioned “traditional” techniques and “modern” rugs, Loloi has a wide range of styles in just as many colors. Choose from an elaborate and traditional runner for your hallway, a rainbow area rug for your kid’s room, a bohemian patterned rug for the screened-in porch, or a plush shag carpet to wake up to in the morning.
Jaunty
Jaunty is one of the most popular brands among our customers because it offers a wide range of styles and covers many price points as well. Jaunty offers rugs at hand woven, tufted and knotted quality, and it shows! Revolutionizing the 18” square sample, Jaunty helps all our customers take home prospective rugs to see how it might look in their space.
Dalyn
Dalyn is a very unique supplier. Not only do they offer tons of rugs in different styles, but they have some collections that allow you to almost totally design one yourself! Dalyn has a “paint by numbers” type program with tons of different outlined patterns, just pick the hues from your color scheme.
Favorite Rugs
Cozy Shag by Loloi
This Cozy Shag rug by Loloi is one of our top favorites. Available in eight colors ranging from neutral beige to bold plum, the Cozy Shag works in any and every bedroom and provides cozy comfort morning and night.
Promenade Collection by Loloi
The Promenade Collection is an entirely different animal… literally! Made from 100% hand stitched cowhide, this collection is one of the more contemporary pieces from Loloi. There are eight different patterns to choose from, all crafted with small rectangular and square pieces of hide. Choose from the simple yet dynamic striped rug, or the ornate and geometric version that will dress up any space.
Kensington Collection by Jaunty
The Kensington Collection by Jaunty is a great take on a traditional rug. This collection abstracts the traditional pattern, turning the paisley-type patterns into a Rorschach ink-blot look but with more interesting colors. Offered in six colors with two different general designs, the Kensington Collection is perfect for anyone who’s taste is on the bold side of transitional.
Tuscany by Jaunty
Jaunty tones it down a bit with the Tuscany Collection. Inspired by the more traditional flourishing design seen in Italy or the Mediterranean, this collection has a subtle elegance that will fit with any traditional home.
Horizon by Jaunty
One of the simplest collections by Jaunty, the Verona Collection offers the perfect rug for minimal, modern, or coastal homes. These rugs have subtle variations in the weaving, appearing solid at a distance but patterned up close. The variation of hues give the rugs depth, providing a little bit of interest in this simple design.
Manhattan Collection by Dalyn
We recommend this Manhattan Collection to many of our customers because it is one of the few rugs that are customizable. Simply browse the forty or so color samples that are available in the collection to determine what will best suit your scheme, and choose the pattern that compliments your style. There’s no question you won’t find the perfect area rug with all the options available.
Bring a Sample Home
All of our rug manufactures offer sample squares and color blankets allowing you to take a few options home to test with the rest of your furniture. Stop by Mum’s Place to speak with one of our many talented designers about choosing the right rug for your home, and learn why we’ve been voted Monterey’s Top Furniture Retailer three times this year.
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