Imagine this: you’ve just remodeled your living room, and you can’t quite figure out why it doesn’t work. You have that beautiful, brand new sofa and matching lounge chair. You have a nice set of small tables that accent them perfectly. You’ve painted the walls a relaxing color, matching your new furniture well. Even the new window coverings are perfect. But something still isn’t right.
It may be the floor coverings. Maybe they just don’t work with the room and the furnishings.
 This article was originally written for my 2012-2013 position at lifestyle and furniture retailer Haiku Designs. Go check them out here, they are great folks. |
It’s a simple thing to overlook, as we often don’t think about our feet when we’re redoing a room. But rugs and mats can be very important to the overall feel of the room.
The color and the texture of the rug can impact how it works with the other elements in the room. Not to be overlooked is the comfort of the rug, and the amount of traffic that will be in the area. You also should consider eco-friendly, natural and organic rugs versus synthetic rugs.
Starting with the general look and feel you want for your rug is a good first step. For example, here is a room with a recycled paper shag rug:
Here is the same room, with a bamboo rug:
The rugs are vastly different, each one changing the feel of the room. One might have more formality, the other more inviting. One looks softer, the other more sophisticated. It just depends on what you see in each style and texture of rug, and how you want that to influence the environment in your home.
You should also consider the balance of comfort and the amount of traffic through the rug’s area. If it is a high traffic area, the shag rug above might not be the best choice. It could fray and separate with the increased wear and tear, more than usual. Choosing a woven rug, like a jute, seagrass, or sisal rug, might be a better choice for those areas.
On the other side of it, if you have a quiet, comfortable area in your home, a shag rug might be a better choice. It’s softer on your feet, and even comfortable for those times when you might sit on the floor. Something like a tight weave or bamboo might be less comfortable for that situation.
Much like furniture, you should also consider the materials that the rugs are made of. You’ll probably be living with your rugs for a long while, so choosing eco-friendly and healthy rugs is a great idea.
Synthetic fibers used in many rugs and floor coverings create a myriad of problems, both in their manufacture and their disposal. Substantial amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere during their production, and materials with known carcinogens are used and produced in the manufacturing process.
Instead of synthetic polystyrenes and petrochemical-based fibers and dyes, rugs with natural materials such as jute, bamboo, wool, sea grass, and recycled paper are better for you and your home. Eco-friendly rugs don’t off-gas toxic chemicals into your home, and they are good for the planet since they produce less waste and energy use in the manufacturing process.
There are quite a few things to consider when you are looking to add new floor coverings to your room. Taking color, texture, materials, and comfort into consideration can help you choose the right floor covering, one that will last for many years.
