I love this abstract-style area rug! The distressed look helps to hide any wear and dirt build-up that may occur in living or family rooms.
Using an area rug in your interior helps to anchor the space and provides an opportunity to add comfort, color, and texture. Rugs can really bring a whole room’s design together and for any interior designer is a must-have item for every design.
I work with a lot of families to help them create more practical spaces for the whole family. But many of my clients also want spaces that look well put together too. An area rug strategically placed and chosen correctly for the environment and intended use can help to achieve that balance between practicality and visually pleasing!
Today I want to focus on this topic of area rugs, but specifically for families. You may have a few kids and pets to contend with when designing your home’s interior, so let’s dispel any concerns over including area rugs! They can even work in some surprising spaces.
Rug Placement and Sizing
Another great area rug option for families is this gorgeous multicolored rug! This is straightforward to incorporate with neutral furniture and provides a good base for adding other decorative accessories to the space.
One of the biggest hurdles in selecting an area rug for your home is choosing where the rug should go and what size is going to work for that space.
The most obvious rooms are of course the living room or family room. These rooms are extremely well suited to having area rugs and help to anchor the overall design here. In terms of size, this will depend on your existing furniture. Always aim to have the rug at least four inches underneath the sofa or armchairs so the front legs of these furniture pieces sit on top of the rug itself.
For the living room or family room, you can really go to town here! If thick pile rugs, or plush rugs, are your thing then these rooms are perfect for this.
Other rooms that lend themselves well for area rugs are bedrooms. A similar approach to sizing should be made here as with living or family rooms.
High traffic areas like corridors, hallways, foyers, and kitchens can really benefit from rugs! You may be feeling cautious about having rugs here, or perhaps you haven’t even thought about these areas for rugs, but they can really add to the decor and make them feel more homely and a part of the rest of the house.
For these high-traffic areas, you should use thinner rugs to avoid tripping. This style of rug or runners will ensure that they sit as close to the floor as possible.
Another area to consider an area rug for is the dining room. And yes – even for families! A large area rug under the dining table really finishes the design off and I always recommend this for my clients. Want a super-secret interior designer trick? Use area rugs that are suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments so they are easy for cleaning.
Area rugs are a great tool to use for clearly defining different spaces in open-plan arrangements like this one. This is also a great example of good rug sizing and placement.
Selecting the Right Material
This 100% polypropylene area rug is really durable and perfect for family homes! The distressed look and coloring will help to disguise wear and dirt.
Area rugs are available in a variety of materials these days, so choosing one that is durable, wipeable, or washable will be the most suited to families.
Polyester, nylon, or polypropylene rugs are stain-resistant and can easily be cleaned. These rugs will be perfect for any area of the home, and normally prove to be relatively inexpensive compared to others.
You can also consider rugs that are made up of natural fabrics and synthetic fabrics. Natural fabrics made up of bamboo or wool are durable when paired with polyester or polypropylene.
Always check the material specifications of the area rugs you are considering to ensure they are suitable for your space.
Use thin pile rugs for high traffic areas of the home, such as the kitchen, foyer, corridors, or hallways.
Which Style and Colors?
This indoor/outdoor area rug is perfect for dining rooms or large kitchen areas because you can clean it really easily! Perfect for families with kids and pets.
In terms of style and coloring, you will need to consider those that will conceal any wear and tear, and dirt. Look for distressed-looking area rugs that combine a number of different colors. These rugs will hide wear and dirt easily and enable you to add a variety of other decorative accessories – there will be multiple colors from the rug to choose from for pillows and throw blankets.
Rugs that feature multiple colors will be more forgiving for homeowners with kids and pets.
I hope this blog post has provided helpful information and tips for you when choosing a family-friendly area rug! Remember to refer back to the information shared here when shopping for a new area rug.
Should you need any individual help in selecting a family-friendly area rug, please don’t hesitate to contact me!