Tips for Adding Area Rugs to Your Hardwood Floors

Your hardwood floor adds timeless beauty to your home. Whether your home is classic or modern, hardwood floors are unequaled in terms of their versatility and attractiveness compared to other flooring materials. When you complement it with an area rug, you have unlimited possibilities in how you decorate your living space.

Choosing A Color or Pattern

The area rug you choose should complement the colors in your space. Consider the wood tone of your hardwood floor. Whether the finish is on the lighter side or darker side will influence how your rug will look on the floor. Consider these guidelines when selecting a color that will go well with your floor:

- For a dark finish, select shades in white, beige, gray, soft yellow, soft blue with light contrasts, or a light color with blue or bright red accents.

- For a lighter finish, select earthy tones, moss green, pale orange, red, burgundy, or brown.

In addition, consider the color of your walls and upholstery and get inspiration from those. If your decor has a theme, the pattern of your rug should match the wall hangings and other decorative accessories in the space. You might want to look at home magazines or websites to get more inspiration. There is a wide range of colors and patterns available for area rugs, so you have many options. Always focus on creating harmony with the other elements in your space.

Use An Area Rug To Brighten A Room

If your furnishings have dark-colored upholstery, you can brighten up the room with a rug that has a lighter tone in the same color palette. The rug can have accents in a bright color that will further lighten the environment. 

Choose A Rug To Enhance The Functionality of The Space

The type of area rug you choose will depend on the function of the space. For example, for high traffic areas like a hallway, you may want a rug that has a flat weave that is easy to clean. A flat weave is also good for an office so your chair can move around easily.

If you usually like to walk around barefoot in the house, you can pamper your feet with an area rug that has a high weave. This will create a plush area that your feet can rest on when you are sitting at the sofa. Place a plush area rug in your bedroom by your bed so when you get out of bed every morning, your feet can be cradled in comfort and warmth.

A thick area rug is also great if you have young children who like to play on the floor. This will add an extra level of softness when they are lying down. They can play with their toys on the hardwood portion of the floor while they sit on the plush area rug. They will have the best of both worlds.

Choose The Correct Size

You need to consider the size of your room when you are selecting an area rug. Typically, the larger the room, the larger your rug should be. However, the size of the rug also depends on how you want to define the space of the room. 

For example, if you have a seating area in your living room, the rug should extend to each seating. It should be large enough so at least the front legs of your sofas and chairs can rest on the rug. A rug that is too small will make the space look unbalanced.

If you plan to divide a room into separate functional areas, choose a rug that is the right size for each specific area. A large living space with an irregular shape can be divided into different uses. Choose a rug for each space in the appropriate size that will complement the functionality of that space. Just keep in mind the overall theme of the bigger space so even though the space is divided, the look will still be unified.

Prepping The Floor For An Area Rug

Be sure to clean your floor properly before you place an area rug on top of it. If you are relying on a new rug to cover a dirty floor, you are damaging your valuable investment. Ground in dirt, oils, and debris can stain and do great damage to your hardwood floor if you do not properly clean it. Merely placing an area rug on top of this will make your floor permanently discolored. Therefore, use the proper procedures in cleaning your floor. Repair any scratches or visible damage properly. If you do not know how, consult with a flooring expert for assistance. After cleaning, wait for your floor to dry thoroughly before placing a rug on top of it.

Beneath your rug, you should always use a non-slip rug pad. The pad will prevent your rug from sliding around on your hardwood floor. Not only will the pad keep your rug where it should be, but it can prevent the rug from becoming a tripping hazard.

Using an area rug can complement your beautiful hardwood floor and enhance the versatility of your space. It also protects your floor and keeps it in wonderful condition.