An area rug adds a crucial level of style to a room. Even if you like sleek modern style with dark wood floors, an area rug will add warmth, color and design to your living room. Use it to define a conversation area and pull all the colors of your room together. You can use an area rug over neutral carpet to add more color and style to a room; this can help ‘cozy up’ a larger carpeted living space. When choosing an area rug, consider size, style and color, and material to find that perfect combination of fashion and function for your living space.

Rug Sizes and Shapes
Area rugs typically come in rectangular, round or oval shapes. In a living room where an area rug is typically used to anchor the seating area, rectangular and oval shapes will be the best choice for most situations. The sitting area will typically include a couch and loveseat, and/or side chairs gathered around the area rug. To keep the grouping of furniture in scale with the area rug, the area rug should be large enough to accommodate the entire coffee table or ottoman and it should extend the entire width and length of the couch. You can either have your seating pieces surround the edges of the rug, you can let the front feet of each piece of furniture sit on the rug, or you can choose a rug large enough to completely contain all the feet of your furniture. Typical rug sizes are 4×6, 6×9, 8×10, 9×12 and 11×14 feet.

Choosing Style and Color
When deciding on a style and color of an area rug look to the color of your walls, furniture and other accessories as well as the patterns and designs of the room. If your room contains bold colors and multiple patterns, a solid rug colored rug can ground the space. On the other hand, if your furniture and accessories are more subdued, you can use a bold patterned rug to add a dose of color and design to the room. You’ll find an incredible selection of styles, colors and designs at furniture, department and discount stores as well as online stores and catalogs. When shopping in stores you’ll find that bringing along fabric samples of your furniture and wall colors can help you narrow your choices, even if you later translate those choices to catalogs and online sources.

Choose Material by Considering Lifestyle
Rugs are made from either natural fibers like wool and cotton, or synthetics such as nylon and polypropylene. Ease of care and your lifestyle should be top considerations when choosing a fabric. A retired couple with no children is likely to need a less stain resistant carpet than a family with children and pets. Popular eco-friendly materials include cotton, wool, jute and sisal. Wool is desirable for its durability, softness and easy care quality. Polypropylene is the most stain-resistant choice and nylon is extremely durable. Cotton is less durable and a good choice where foot traffic is at a minimum.