The use of rugs in the design of space began in ancient times, and today this tradition does not lose its relevance. Rugs in the interior perform several important functions at once. They are responsible for the aesthetics of the room, act as both a background addition to the furnishings and an accent solution that stands out from the overall design and attracts attention. On the other hand, such design elements become a source of additional comfort. They provide warmth to the feet, protect the floor covering from scratches, dents, and create sound insulation.
Modern interior designers quite often use similar solutions in their projects. Some of the recommendations of professionals regarding the choice of rugs should be taken into account.
Manufacturing Materials
One of the main values is acquired by the material from which the rug is made. The performance of the product, its appearance, and service life depend on this. A variety of options are available to buyers, but the following materials are most popular:
Wool. These are natural fibers from which durable, high-quality models are obtained. A woolen rug can be made both industrially and by hand; its minimum service life is from 30 years. Thanks to the use of wool, the products are incredibly soft, cozy and warm. But natural fiber also has disadvantages: demanding care, the possibility of flowers burning out under the influence of sunlight, and high allergenicity.
Silk. Included in the segment of premium models. A silk rug is distinguished by a shiny surface, softness, wear resistance, retains the original color palette well, and even does not lose its shape over time.
Viscose. Outwardly, they practically do not differ from silk models, but in terms of cost they are more affordable. The viscose rug is just as soft, lightweight, durable, and easy to care for. Most importantly, it is hypoallergenic.
Bamboo, Jute, Sisal. Natural materials are suitable for furnishing almost any space. They are especially appropriate in the interiors of the kitchen, hallway. Quite pleasant to the touch, practical, durable.
Combined Composition. To improve the properties of natural materials, manufacturers offer models of mixed composition, adding up to 20-30% synthetic components to the fibers of wool, silk, cotton (most often acrylic, nylon, polyester). Thanks to this solution, it is possible to increase the wear resistance of rugs, reduce the cost of their production, and simplify their care.
Pile Length
The choice of rugs for the interior is based not only on the appearance of products, colors, but also on the performance of the models. The defining parameters here are pile height and weave density.
The height of the pile affects the softness of the coating, determines its appearance, the resistance to creasing and the complexity of care depend on it. According to this criterion, there are the following types of rugs:
Lint-Free Or Short-Piled – their villi length does not exceed 5 mm, due to their unpretentiousness and ease of maintenance, they are an ideal solution for placement in rooms with high traffic (corridor, living room, kitchen);
Medium-Pile – the height of the villi varies in the range from 5 to 10 mm, it is relatively easy to care for such products, and therefore they are laid in rooms with a moderate intensity of stress;
Long-Haired – the warmest, most comfortable, have villi with a height of 10 mm to 10 cm, ideal for arranging children’s rooms, bedrooms.
As for the density, this parameter characterizes the number of nodules (villi) per one square meter of the product. The normal indicator is the density at the level of 200-300 nodules per square meter. m. The villi can be presented in the form of loops, another option is a velor surface when the pile is cut. There are also models with a combined pile.
Color Solution
There are general recommendations regarding the selection of colors. So, a children’s room is usually decorated with products in bright colors, a living room or bedroom – with pastel or monochromatic models. But in most cases, everything is quite individual, therefore, when choosing a rug for interior decoration, it is worth remembering a few details:
- The simplest thing is to buy a rug and curtains in a single color scheme, this is a classic combination of textiles in the interior.
- Rooms with bright wallpaper, catchy prints on furniture upholstery require calmer, monochromatic solutions on the floor. And vice versa – laconic decoration of walls, furniture is emphasized by bright accents of ruging.
- The floral or geometric pattern of the rug to unite the space should be supported in the decor of walls, furniture upholstery, curtains (just select one element from the list so as not to overload the interior).
- The traditional solution is to choose the color of the rug, playing in contrast with the shade of the flooring. Dark parquet goes well with a beige rug, a red-brown floor will perfectly “make friends” with an emerald or ocher rug, a light floorboard will look advantageous with models of warm colors, and gray with lilac.
Rugs In Different Interior Styles
An important role in the selection of rug is played by the overall style of the space. Each style has its own characteristics, which should be traced even in small details.
Classical rugs are characterized by neutral colors, symmetry of the pattern, regular shapes, and natural origin of materials.
Products in the style of minimalism are usually monochromatic, discreet, short or medium nap.
Art Nouveau rugs usually have a monochrome palette, floral motifs and smoothly curved lines are present in the drawing or ornament.
The fusion style should be supplemented with a rug with a bright futuristic pattern; a non-standard shape is perfect.
The Provence style rug is distinguished by a light palette with a predominance of beige, milky shades, the pattern is delicate floral or rustic.
Rug For A Specific Room
The method of arrangement, size, and shape of the rug is selected depending on which room it will decorate. There are various options here.
Living Room
Now it is not customary to lay a rug on the entire surface of the floor. It is necessary to leave at least 10-20 cm on each side – this way it will be possible to visually expand the boundaries of the room. But usually products are placed in a soft sofa area:
- In front of the sofa and armchairs, stepping back from furniture by 10-20 cm;
- Under the furniture so that the edge of the rug protrudes at least 20 cm.
The second placement option is for zoning the premises. Here, one small rug can be used, for example, near the window by an armchair with a floor lamp, or several models of the same type for the visual separation of a soft sofa group, a dining area, a reading area, etc.
Bedroom
In small rooms, the rug is laid so that it fits under the bed, but does not go under the bedside tables. Spacious bedrooms are decorated with a rug so that it can completely go under the bed, protruding from its edge by more than 20 cm. An alternative solution is to replace the large rug with two small ones, placing them on each side of the bed.
Children
Here it is worth using cozy long-haired models. You can use one large rug or two smaller ones. The main thing is that they cover the surface near the baby’s bed and in the play area.
Kitchen
Due to the high risk of contamination, you should not lay expensive models made of natural materials with high pile in the kitchen. Products with a combined composition or completely synthetic are more suitable here. They are placed in the cooking area, retreating about 10 cm from the edge of the furniture, as well as in the dining area. The main rule is that the group of dining furniture fits on the surface of the rug, otherwise, when the chairs are moved, the edges of the rug will bend.
Hallway, Corridor
The high permeability of such premises necessitates the use of wear-resistant rugs. These are, as a rule, acrylic or viscose lint-free models. They are easy to clean, do not collect dust, dirt. In rooms of the correct shape, you can use both square and rectangular or round models. If the room has some nuances of layout, then you need to choose the rug more carefully, for the specific features of the interior.