Three Tips for Choosing the Perfect Rug

Arguably, the rug is the soul of a room. A foundation on which you can plan the color schemes of the entire space. A spec of yellow in your rug can be the inspiration for that cute yellow vintage lamp you saw in the thrift store last week. The black lines can inspire the black coffee table in your living room, or the black desk in your office. You get the picture. 

Choosing a rug is one of the most important decorating decisions you can make. Here's a few tips to help you through the process:

Make sure the colors compliment YOU first. 

Believe it or not, choosing colors based on some random Pinterest board can be a bad move. And it's a move that you will have to live with, and in. What kinds of colors do you gravitate towards? What are your neutral preferences? What kinds of colors look good on you? Don't let trendy color schemes make all of your decisions for you. 

Don't be afraid to choose colors that are vibrant. 

Many of us make the mistake of being too conservative when choosing colors. But vibrant splashes of color bring energy to a space. You don't have to go full on neon orange just to be weird, or buy some sort of Lisa Frank nightmare to be exciting. Little pops of bright colors go a long way, and can create some fun decorating opportunities as you fill out your space. 

Size matters. Shape matters. 

The point is...plan ahead. A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 6-12 inches of bare floor along the edges of an area rug. A common mistake people make is buying rugs too small for the space. Larger rugs actually make the space look bigger. So even though you're trying to save a buck, it may be best to allow a little wiggle room in the budget to get the size right. Tough love, folks. Generally speaking, square rugs look best in square rooms. Runners are for hallways. Round rugs create playfulness and are great for kids rooms or foyers, or even living spaces, if done right.