There are many benefits to using a rug in any room. No matter what style you go for, from the uber-modern minimalist look to the farmhouse living room, there is a rug for every style.
But why bother with a rug? Will it really help your room look better and does it really ‘go’ with modern living room furniture?
Lift the ‘Look’ of the Room
You have everything in place. Everything just as you want it. You have taken hours of research to find the contemporary furniture that creates the modern living room that is stylish and functional. But is there something missing? A rug can lift the look of a room. One way is by injecting a vein of colour that is eye-catching, but without starkness. This Atlantic blue striped rug is just one of many solutions.
Supports a key piece
There is a need for a rug to have the right dimensions, as much as there is for it to fit the space in terms of style, colour and appeal.
You may have selected an item of furniture, such as a black leather sofa as the focal point, the shining star that instantly attracts attention. You need to support this piece, whether it is a reclaimed wood coffee table with considerable age, a beautiful living room sideboard or a contemporary sofa that is simply delightful.
Wool rugs can support a piece. Match the colour of the rug and its style with that of the piece you want to support. A great colour for bringing out wood tones or contrast with the coolness of a marble coffee table is red, like this red patchwork rug.
Emphasise the space
The right size rug brings the room together. But it also needs to be the perfect colour.
This grey rug, for example, would look well in a space where the overall colour scheme if neutral but warm.
Create a focal point
The rug is an important addition in many living rooms because it is the focal point.
In order for any design scheme to be successful, there needs to be a reference point for the eye. Also known as a focal point, the rug is ideal because you can attract attention to it with shape, but with colour too.
Design and pattern can help it stand out too. The deep red of this rug, along with the emphasising grey swirls of colour is an ideal example of texture being added to a room with a red and grey rug.
Add Warmth
When interior designers talk about ‘adding warmth’, they are talking of adding texture to a space. The different textures of fabrics and materials stop a space being ‘flat’ and cold to the eye.
To add warmth, choose sumptuous fabrics and with rugs, this means a looser pile so that it caresses the toes.
The mix of chenille cotton and wool in a rug is luxury for the feet, ideal for adding warmth to your living room.
Adds a Twist
There is something delightful about adding a little cheekiness to a space, an item, a colour or a shape that is not expected.
Whimsical without being childish, a rug can add a sense of something extra to a space. As well as pattern, there is colour to play with.
This rug, with understate copper tones, would come alive in a space in front of a brown or black leather sofa.
Not Just for the Fireside
A rug was, and still is, commonly used to protect the floor in front of an open fire. But it is not just for the fireside.
With the right size, pattern and colour, it can be the platform that emphasises a piece such as a wood table or the beauty of a leather Chesterfield sofa.
Or it can be a piece of art work in itself…