By Coastal Style NZ
A rug is an investment piece, so it’s important to get it right. By applying our tips as part of your selection process you’ll end up with a rug that endures year after year and season after season, and is a beautiful feature of your coastal style home.
1. Invest in your rug wisely
With so many options available, how do you narrow them down? Our first and most important tip is to look for a rug that will last for many years and still look as good as the day you bought it.
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Characteristics to search for include:
- Rugs that have been handwoven on looms rather than machine-made, utilising knowledge handed down through the generations and giving each rug its own special individuality.
- A backing and braided edge on the underside to help keep the rug straight and flat by providing strength and stability, and meaning it will wear better and last longer (did you know that most rugs actually wear out from the bottom rather than the top?).
- The use of primarily natural fibres that are chosen for their beauty and longevity. Wool, cotton, viscose, bamboo silk and jute are all good options.
- One that is reasonably heavy, and thereby more densely woven. The heavier a rug is, the more material and thickness it has, which means it will sit on the floor better, stand up to wear and tear, look more luxurious, feel plusher underfoot, and provide more warmth in the cooler months.
- Ensure you know the recommended use of the rug, for example a rug intended for low traffic areas such as a bedroom will not last as well in high traffic areas such as a living room or dining room than one that has been designed for that specific purpose.
2. Consider both rug colour and texture
It goes without saying that the colour of the rug needs to tie in well with your interior décor – it should enhance but not overpower it. In a coastal style home you can’t go wrong with a neutral tone; look for creams, greys and sandy beiges, and keep it light and airy.
If you want to try adding some subtle colour take inspiration from beach side locations like the Mediterranean and Caribbean with warmer but earthy tones, and keeping it soft and soothing rather than bright and brazen.
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With a key component of coastal style being the incorporation of natural textures in your home, a rug gives you a great opportunity to do this on a large scale. This can be achieved through the use of patterns, the way a rug has been woven, and the height of the pile.
A final thought for consideration is the suitability of different colours and designs for different areas of your home. Light toned or solid colour rugs are suitable for low-traffic areas such as the bedroom, whereas two-toned or patterned rugs are better for high-traffic areas such as the living room or dining room as these will camouflage dirt and spills.
3. Rug size matters
In general, the easiest format of rug to work with is a rectangular shape because it helps define an area that furniture can be styled around. For large spaces, you can also consider layering two rugs that work well together.
When selecting the size of your rug, be careful to measure the space it is to go in carefully and try to adhere to the following sizing rules-of-thumb:
- Living rooms – to anchor your furniture the rug should be large enough for the front legs of your sofas and armchairs to sit on it, and it should overlap your furniture on either side.
- Dining rooms – your dining table and all chairs should sit comfortably on the rug even when the chairs are pulled out.
- Bedrooms – the rug should go under the bed and stick out at least bedside table-width on either side and at the end. It doesn’t need to sit under bedside tables but the upper end should be lined up just in front of them.