To ensure your rug performs well and looks great for as long as possible, consider whether its materials and grain heights are suitable for your space. Next, you should decide on the size of your rug, which can affect the overall look of your room.
Materials
Through our research and testing, we have found trade-offs between natural and synthetic fiber carpets. Here’s a breakdown of the content you’ll most often find in each category.
Natural fibers
Cotton: Typically used for flat (pile-free) rugs, cotton is softer underfoot, more so than other plant-based rugs. It is also washable, but expect some shrinkage.
Sisal: Made from agave leaves, sisal is coarse and durable, but our experts say it dyes more easily than other natural fibers. If you’re considering it for the dining room or kitchen, where it might be prone to staining, carpet cleaner and blogger Lisa Wagner suggests treating it with a fiber protectant.
Sea grass: Like sisal, sea grass is durable. Unlike sisal, it does not hold stains well. However, this means that it is not easy to dye, so it only comes in a natural light green or khaki color.
Jute: This material is made from jute, grown mainly in Asia. Like other natural fibers, it does not provide much cushioning, but is a popular choice for under dining tables and in hallways because it is durable, lightweight and easy to clean.
Wool: If you have the budget, choose wool from sheep from New Zealand or the Himalayas. These are high quality wools that generally have stronger fibers and do not shed as much as lower quality wools from other sources.
Synthetic fibers
Nylon: Wagner told us she recommends this type of fiber if you’re looking for 5-by-7-foot rugs under $100. There are cheaper options, but nylon is generally easier to clean and holds up better to wear and tear.
Polypropylene: It’s not as strong as nylon, but it’s cheaper, Wagner says. “Most commercial office carpets are made from olefin, and that’s why in rooms with office chairs on casters and in entryways you see shading and it wears out,” she said.
Polyester: Like polypropylene, this material is fairly stain resistant, but it wrinkles easily on higher pile carpets. We have found that it can sometimes leave carpets feeling smooth and silky.
Rayon/rayon (also called bamboo silk, banana silk or rayon): These materials are made from waste cotton fibers and wood pulp. Even though they are made from natural materials, they are not considered “natural” fibers because they are highly processed to become the final product. They may look beautiful when they’re brand new, but Wagner advised us to stay away from them: “They’re likely to fade, wear out, yellow and become permanently stained with very little use.”
Pile height
The height of the pile (if there is one) determines how thick and soft the rug feels and how easy it is to care for.
Flat weave: Flat weave carpets have no pile, meaning there are no fibers sticking out. This is a good budget rug to cover a large space or a high traffic area. They don’t pick up as much dirt as shag rugs, so they’re easier to vacuum or wipe with a damp cloth. Some of them are even machine washable. Many of them are reversible, so if they do get dirty, you can simply flip them over to the clean side.
Low, medium or high pile: Low-pile rugs have threads that typically extend 0.25 inches from the rug backing. The surface is flat and supportive, but also provides more cushioning than a flat-weave rug. Rugs with fibers longer than 0.25 inches are considered medium pile, while those longer than 0.5 inches are considered high pile. The higher the pile, the softer and softer the carpet will be—and the more difficult it will be to clean.
Plush: Also called shag carpets, these carpets have a pile height of more than 0.75 inches and are the most difficult to clean.
Ideal rugs for different rooms
Not every type of rug is suitable for every type of room, so choosing the best style for the space will help you keep your rug as clean as possible and extend its lifespan.
Kitchen: You don’t need a rug in the kitchen, but it can provide a stylish and comfortable place to stand while you work at the stove or sink. A kitchen rug should be easy to clean. This usually means something that can be easily thrown into the washing machine, such as a flat-weave or low-pile rug. Small rugs or runners work well in this room—for example, you could place a runner on the floor next to a counter.
Dining room: An area rug will add a down-to-earth feel to your dining space. Your dining room carpet should (as in your kitchen) be flat or low-pile, not only because it’s easy to clean, but also because it will prevent chairs from scratching the floor and also allow you to move them around easily.
Bedroom: A bedroom rug should feel good underfoot and make the space feel cozier. It will experience less wear and tear from heavy traffic than rugs in other rooms in your home, so this is an opportunity to try a higher-pile rug or a lighter color.
Living room: An area rug in your living room can help define your space. If you wear shoes indoors, a living room rug should be more durable than a bedroom rug and easier to clean, like a flat-weave or low-pile rug. If your home doesn’t allow shoes, you may want to invest in something softer and easier to clean, like a deep-pile or plush rug.
Children’s room: A colorful rug is a quick way to make a child’s room look fun and magical—you can use colors and prints that would look too outlandish in any other room in the house. Consider a high-pile rug next to your bed or reading chair to create a soft surface to curl up on, and a low-pile or flat woven rug near your play area.
Carpet size
Imagine where you would like your rug to be. Then use masking tape to mark where the perimeter will fall. Now measure the dimensions of this taped area.
Ideally, the rug should go under all the furniture in the room, leaving a few feet if it’s not against a wall, says Jessica Probus, author of the book. Home Decor Cheat Sheets: Everything you need to know to live in style. This arrangement makes the room feel more unified and grounded. But if you’d rather not spend the money on a large rug (or don’t want to vacuum under furniture), Probus’s general advice is to buy a rug large enough to partially fit under each piece of furniture, or consider placing an accent rug in strategic places.
So, a rug in the living room that extends beyond the coffee table and sofas as you see below brings the room together.
However, a rug placed partially under each seating area, as shown here, can get pretty close to this effect.
Similarly, in the bedroom, the bed and nightstand should fit on the carpet. But if you want to avoid the expense and maintenance of a larger rug, choose a pair of smaller sizes and place them along each side of the bed, as shown below.
For the dining room, your rug should be large enough that you can easily pull chairs out without hitting the edges. This means, at a minimum, a mat that extends about 2 feet (but ideally 4 feet) beyond the table, as you see here.
#favorite #rugs #room #trending #[now:year]
