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Home / Trends & Styles / How to Add Area Rugs to Freshen Up Your Decor
Whether you are looking to complete a quick room makeover or need a last-minute update for the holidays, area rugs are the perfect additions to help refresh your favorite rooms with softness, texture, color, and pattern. No matter what stunning combination of shade, visual, and construction you opt for, area rugs instantly lend visual interest and enhance the design theme you aim to achieve. Also, the eye-catching rug options on our Twenty & Oak can help become valuable protectors of your beautiful floors underneath, keeping spills and abrasive particles from ever touching the surface. Not to mention the added softness can help cushion the wear-and-tear and noise of foot traffic.

For all the fantastic reasons why we adore these accent pieces, here are a few key considerations to keep in mind when adding area rugs to your floors:

How to Find The Right Size Area Rug 

 
Every room in the home will present different dimensions, but properly sized area rugs will fit each space perfectly, lend balance and proportion, and help unify all the décor. Start by measuring your room dimensions and remember that rugs are listed by the width dimension with varying lengths.
 
  • To enhance an entranceway or foyer, a 2’x3’ rug is a great starting point, and you can adjust the size as needed. Start with a 2’ rug for your elongated runners and select a length up to 12’ to cover your entire hallway.
  • For larger spaces, open floorplans, and master bedrooms, try using a bigger 10’, 11’, or 12’ area rug that will allow you to fit all legs of a couch, table, or bed on the rug while also framing open space.
  • For transitional spaces, a 3’ rug is usually a great starting point to tie in these smaller areas.
  • In guest bathrooms, a 1’x2’ area rug will serve this space perfectly and add soft comfort underfoot.
  • Don’t forget your outdoor spaces either: An outdoor patio will probably call for at least a larger 8’ rug made of weather-appropriate material to cover the exterior space.
When selecting rugs to balance furniture and minimize negative space, medium-sized 4’ and 5’ rectangular and rounded rugs will help add proportion to rooms with smaller beds and coffee tables.
 
  • In your dining room, we advise purchasing a rug that’s large enough to fit all legs of the dining table to ensure seating and dining are uniform. If the shape of your dining room table is square or rounded, match the shape of your rug to mirror the table cohesively.
  • Depending on the amount of furniture in a medium-sized bedroom, an 8’ or 9’ area rug may fit the sweet spot for a perfect arrangement.


How to Coordinate an Area Rug With Your Decor

 
From rustic chic to eclectic, sleek modern to coastal cool, there is an area rug that will coordinate within any room design! Start by leaning into the color scheme and motifs of your favorite décor theme.
  • Cool grays, creams, and charcoal tones will blend into a modern layout seamlessly, and you can use geometric patterned rugs to add visual interest.
  • Nautical blues and white pairings, and woven rug constructions will work impeccably for a coastal chic room.
  • Classic checkerboard patterned rugs, vintage visuals, and rural motifs are easy go-to’s for rustic rugs full of charm.
  • For eclectic, Bohemian appeal, consider a fun, plush shag rug or an eye-catching animal print rug in an interesting color scheme!
Depending on the mood you aim to set in the room, use rug colors to boost your preferred vibe:
  • Use lighter tones to brighten the space
  • Try a vibrant yellow to add confidence
  • Consider bold red to take up the energy
  • Utilize soothing blues and greens to lend tranquility and reassurance.
You can also rotate your rugs to match seasonal décor or use a stunning abstract visual as a statement piece. Coordinating area rugs within a room design simply boils down to your goals within the space! 


What Precautions Should You Consider When Choosing an Area Rugs
 

 
As you add area rugs to your floors, you do need to ensure that the backing of your rug is suitable for your flooring type to prevent damage! For instance, you should avoid using area rugs with synthetic rubber or latex backing on genuine hardwood floors. Whereas natural rubber is eco-friendly and kind to surfaces, synthetic rubber is processed with chemical agents that can cause biochemical reactions, discoloration, or dulling of hardwood flooring finishes.

Do NOT use area rugs with rubber backing on your luxury vinyl floors: Luxury vinyl floors contain chemicals that react with both natural and synthetic rubber, which is triggered by sunlight, and will leave the flooring stained. Rubber backing will also react chemically with laminate floors, which will trap air between the rug and floor and create molding and discoloration.

If you are using area rugs in areas that will experience moisture, it is extremely important to ensure that the rugs feature latex backing to prevent the rug from moving when wet and causing falls or injury.

However, since latex sticks to the floors, area rugs with latex backing will leave a sticky residue that remains on laminate flooring and luxury vinyl flooring that is difficult to remove, and you may risk scratching the floors to do so.

It’s extremely wise to use indoor-outdoor mats to help scrape debris from footwear before entering the home, just make sure to use mats with latex backing at the outside entrance.

We are ready to help you match the perfect area rug backing with the floors in your home for successful protection:

Talk to Our Flooring Pros for Advice


One of the greatest benefits of designing with area rugs is that you can switch them out as often as you prefer! A seasonal design refresh is easy to achieve with eye-catching area rugs. In addition they can add soft comfort throughout the home, help protect your floors and introduce gorgeous color and pattern that can transform the way your familiar rooms feel!
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Twenty & Oak Flooring Stylists are a team of flooring professionals dedicated to selecting beautiful floors that are not only functional, but offer high design, unique style, and great looks for the modern American home. 
 

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