Rugs and carpets have been used to add warmth and personality to homes since ancient times.
No matter how far we’ve progressed or how the interior design trends change, rugs remain a go-to element in home decor.
A rug is a versatile and enriching object that not only decorates the room it’s placed in but also has a few crucial practical functions.
First Things First: The Practicality of Rugs
Rugs are, in fact, great insulators. They can minimize the draught in your living room and make it warmer.
At the same time, they absorb noise and lessen the transmission of sound, which comes in especially handy in case you live in a flat.
Not to mention how soft and comfortable they feel under the feet as you navigate your home.
Area Rug Placement In the Living Room
The right rug placement can help the living room appear more cohesive. There are a few ways to go about it.
1. Placing All Your Furniture on the Rug
Interior designers use this placement trick to create borders inside the living room space. Placing the key living room furniture on the rug basically frames your seating area.
This creates visual balance and symmetry and adds more style and harmony to the space.
Another popular designer’s trick is to at least make sure that the front legs of your central furniture pieces are on the rug.
2. Center the Rug to the Key Parts of the Living Room
The fireplace is the element that dominates the room. If you have a fireplace, it would be a good idea to center your area rug to it – and, of course, your seating furniture should follow.
In case you don’t have a fireplace, center the rug to your windows. All in all, center it on the main architectural elements of the living room.
3. Keep the Living Room Traffic in Mind
Make sure your area rug doesn’t intersect the main pathway of your living room. This can not only disrupt the balance of the room, but someone could also trip on the rug’s edge.
Another major thing is to keep your rug’s edges and corners away from the door because they’ll most likely get in the way.
Irreplaceable Decoration
Rugs can save your living room from the salon effect. Especially if your stylish furniture is matching, there is a possibility that your living room can come out looking like a furniture salon.
This means it lacks the very needed personal touch and warmth.
Decorative blankets, throw pillows and rugs are the only decorative elements that can achieve this.
Let’s go through some popular area rug ideas for your living room.
1. Prioritize Color
Area rugs can have a transformative effect on the living room. You should prioritize getting a bold and colorful rug in two instances.
The first is in case you have a mainly neutral and muted-looking living room and you’d like to add a splash of color to it.
A colorful rug can make the entire room look lively and open.
The other is in case your living room is rich in bold colors and patterns and a neutral rug doesn’t measure up.
Either of these depends upon the harmony of your living room and your personal wishes.
2. Choose Spherical Design
Rounded edges in furniture, decor, and also rugs introduce softness into the living space.
This creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the living room and makes it easier to relax.
3. Introduce a Pattern
If a patterned rug caught your eye, then it’s best to let it rule the decor of your living room.
This means to keep the remaining decor and furniture mainly simple and monochrome, in order not to stifle the effect of your new rug.
4. Simplicity at Its Finest
Perhaps it’s the absolute simplicity you’re looking for?
If that’s the case, keep your area rugs neutral, beige, brown, or gray, and create a bold effect with the other elements – such as the striking blue couch in the above picture.
5. Mix & Match for a Tailored Look
Match your rug with the curtains, furniture, and decor you already have in your living room.
This makes the overall room appear tailored and carefully designed. It has the potential to elevate the style of your living room to a whole new level.
6. Home Decor Process Turned On Its Head
The usual way most of us go about furnishing and decorating our living rooms is to buy the biggest furniture, commodes, a TV, a coffee table, wall art and mirrors, and then, at the end, a rug.
What if you did the very opposite?
If you have a basic idea of the style you wish to achieve, get the rug first. And from there on, buy the rest of the decorating elements to match.
7. Stripes for a Sleek Look
Stripes add balance and structure to any room. Paired with modern, sleek furniture, a striped rug can make the whole space appear elegant and sophisticated.
They can either widen or elongate the room, depending on their direction. Choose the one that your living room needs.
8. Ethnic Charm
Area rugs with geometric and ethnic patterns have been all the rage in the past few years. They can make a modern room appear warm and charming in an instant.
9. Go Natural
Plant fiber, fur, and wool are the rugs that never go out of fashion.
Depending on the way you match them, they can make your living room appear rustic, coastal, or elegant.
In Conclusion
Rugs are not only a welcome, but a necessary addition to a home. Specifically, they’re needed in a living room, where most families spend the largest portion of their free time.
You don’t want to miss out on the style and warmth that the right rug can bring to your own lounge.
And if you’re wondering which material to go for, interior designers seem to mostly agree that wool rugs are the optimal choice.
They’re cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, long-lasting, and easy to maintain.
