How to Choose a Contemporary Area Rug for Your Space

Art prints and indoor lights can certainly make your home look more stylish and unique. But the whole picture couldn’t be complete without the amazing touch of area rugs. Besides being a soft and warm underfoot solution, area rags have the ability to make the overall atmosphere in your home more appealing and homey.

Rugs can make or break a room. They are the perfect choice for bringing everything together, but only if chosen wisely. In order to do that, all it takes is following some basic advice.

Choosing a Contemporary Area Rug for Your Living Room

Consider the Colour of Your Floor

The colour of your rug should mainly depend on the colour of your floor. Some colours just don’t work together, so you should really pay attention to the combos. For instance, warm-toned timber floors can work great with warm rug shades, while light and modern floors would go perfectly well with white, navy, beige and grey rugs.

Chose Quality Above All

While colours matter, it is the quality of the rug that matters the most. Whether you’re looking to buy contemporary rugs made from natural fibres like wool, silk and cotton, or synthetic fibres like polypropylene and acrylic yarn, they should be of high quality.

Consider the Pile

When choosing a rug, it is also important to consider the different types of rug piles. Generally speaking, you can choose from a low, medium and high pile, and the one you choose will depend on different things. What you need to know about low pile contemporary rugs is that they are usually sturdier than medium and high-pile rugs. They are also more affordable and easier to vacuum and keep clean on a daily basis. Medium and high-pile rugs, on the other hand, are softer and look more luxurious.

Unlike low-pile rugs, medium and high-pile modern rugs are cosier and warmer when stepping on them. However, they are not the most recommended option for high-traffic areas since their hairs will flatten over time. Instead, they are better for rooms with lower traffic, while low-pile rigs are better for high-traffic areas.

Choose the Right Size

One of the most common mistakes people make is choosing a rug that’s too small or too big for their room. The general rule of thumb says that for average-sized rooms, you should leave about 25 – 50 cm of bare floor between the edges of the rug and the room’s walls. Now, depending on the size of the room, you can go as high as 60cm, and as low as 20cm. Regardless of the size of the rug, the rug should be positioned in the centre of the room, so all of its four sides should be at the same distance from the wall.

Incorporate Colour

Among the most popular colours for modern floor rugs are white and beige. While placing a white or beige contemporary rug will definitely look nice in most interiors, you should also consider the traffic in that room. If you plan on placing a white rig in a high-traffic living room, chances are you will regret it after a couple of days. Especially if you have little kids and pets.

Instead, you can choose the base colour to be white or beige with lots of other colours around it. Depending on the room and the most present colour in it, you can go for a combination of white, beige and grey, or white, beige and brown, white and blue, etc. The combinations are endless, you just need to choose a colour that will complement the rest of the room.

If you have smaller children and pets, it is best to opt for darker coloured rugs since they are easier to clean, and most stains are not too obvious on them. Additionally, it would be also better if you choose low pile rugs since they are easier to clean and vacuum.

Consider Adding a Transition Rug

In case you are a fan of the traditional looking rugs and their appealing design, you can always opt for a transitional rug. These rugs are a combo of traditional-oriental rug designs that incorporate contemporary style and colours. Even though you may not be able to imagine just yet how such a rug can complement your modern/contemporary styled home, you can be surprised by how such an eclectic element can revive a contemporary and modern room. Such rugs can act as the room’s focal point, making it look more appealing and inviting.