The Fool-Proof Guide to Choosing the Perfect Rug

Top things to know about choosing the perfect rug:

• Always make sure to measure your space before choosing a rug.
• Consider how different rug materials will feel and function in your home.
• Use your rug to pull out colors and tones from your space.
• Be intentional about the scale of your rug pattern.
• Use a mockup tool to visualize what different rugs will look like in your completed space.

Choosing the perfect rug is no easy feat, and because your rug takes up a lot of visual space in your room, it can significantly affect how your space looks and feels. The right rug can bring dimension, pattern, tone, and texture to your room and complete your look, while the wrong one can swallow up your space and create visual chaos.

If you're wondering how to choose the perfect rug and have become overwhelmed by all of the options, here is our fool-proof guide to selecting the perfect rug.

Make sure to measure your space.

Before you fall head over heels for a rug and design your entire home around it, measuring your space is critical. One of the most common mistakes when choosing a rug is buying one too small. The larger the rug, the more expensive, but it's worth investing in one that fits your space rather than needing to re-evaluate after realizing it shrinks up your room upon arrival.

While there are standard size recommendations for each room, as a general rule of thumb, the most important thing is to ensure that your rug is large enough so the front legs of each piece of furniture can land on the rug. You can opt for all furniture legs on the rug for a more traditional look. Floating a rug in the middle of the room can work, too, especially if you're incorporating a rug with an abstract shape. If you find a rug you love that is too small, you can always layer rugs on top of each other and leave a few inches of space in between each.

Get familiar with different rug materials.

Knowing which material of rug you want is just as important as the style or color, especially if you're designing a high-traffic area and need to prioritize durability. In spaces with a lot of foot traffic, you might consider outdoor rugs made out of PET fabrics or rugs made with -resistant materials. Rugs made with ultra-durable polypropylene are a great kid and pet-friendly choices for areas like the kitchen, mudroom, dining room, or entryway. Shag rugs might be best for spaces that don't get as much foot traffic — think the living room, bedroom, or even an office.

Consider the tones and colors you want to pull out of the room.

Rugs can be a great way to bring a space together, especially since they often have more than one color or tone and can create harmony with your color palette. You can even use a rug as a jumping-off point to create a color palette in your space. The right rug can also be a great way to add contrast to the tones in your room. If you're finding that you have too many cool tones or warm tones, you can bring in dimension by using contrasting tones in your rug.

Be intentional about the scale of your pattern.

Every great space utilizes a pattern, and a rug is one of the easiest ways to bring prints in. When it comes to the type of pattern you incorporate on your rug, scale is everything. A rug with a large-scale pattern can draw the eye into the floor and make your space feel smaller, while a rug with a small-scale print can make it feel larger. Depending on your goals for the room's aesthetic, you might want to create more visual space for an open and airy feeling or less for a cozy and intimate effect.

Use a mockup tool to visualize your rug in your space before you purchase it.

Before you make the final decision on your rug, make sure you love it by utilizing an interior design mockup tool and "try it on'' in your space. Spoak's intuitive design tool Viz makes it easy to switch out the rug in your mockups until you get it just right.

A few of our favorite rugs:

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