How To Choose a Timeless Rug
Rugs are a hard thing to master, they can make or break a room so it's important to choose a style that suits your home perfectly. Rugs are one of those design elements that can completely tie an interior scheme together. I have recently realised just how important a good rug is after introducing two new ones into my own home.
To get the most out of your rug it's important to choose a timeless style that you'll love for decades to come. Rugs can be a bit of an investment but when you nail your perfect style I know that you will adore how much warmth, texture and colour a good rug will add to your space. For this post, I have teamed up with the experts over at
so you can learn what to look out for.
So, what is a timeless rug? Classic designs and colours are key. Traditional rugs like kilims, Persians and patterns like stripes and chevrons are all timeless and work perfectly when combined with a simple colour pallet. If the rug feels trendy or different it's definitely not a design classic. However, I do want to say that if you love crazy or funky rugs go for it, not everyone wants a timeless design!
Size
The size of your rug is so important, a small rug in a large room will be completely lost and look a bit silly. The larger the room the larger the rug needs to be. Don't be afraid to fill a lot of the floor space with your rugs. If you have beautiful wooden flooring you may want to consider showing off the floorboards a little. If you live in a period property or you have lovely natural boards you should avoid completely covering them up. A good rule of thumb is to leave a border around the edge of the room to create an open feeling within your space.
Colour
With regards to colour, the most obvious choices are neutral tones that will go with any room scheme. These could be greys, white, cream or beige tones. If these colours feel a little boring to you I would recommend taking one colour from the room that you love and using that in your rug. As an example, the two main accent colours we have in our living room are navy blue and peach so our rug features grey tones alongside a pale orange.
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Style
The style of your home and the room your rug will be sitting in will dictate the design of your rug. If you live in a modern property you may want to opt for a contemporary design but if you have decorated your home using traditional elements you may want to go for something in a period style. If you are completely down the middle and you're not sure what sort of design to go for I highly recommend looking into Turkish kilims and Persian style rugs, these designs are timeless and will last for decades. Overall, I think that geometric and ethnic designs will work well in any home, all you need to think about is the scale of the pattern and how obvious the design is.
Shape
Most rooms are based on a rectangular shape so it's important to choose a rug that suits the layout of the room. Round rugs work brilliantly in small spaces as they don't take up as much room, they can also introduce a pop of colour thanks to their smaller size. The shape of the rug goes hand-in-hand with the size so these two points need to be considered at the same time. Narrow runner rugs are made for hallways whereas rectangular rugs work best in living rooms or bedrooms.
Layer
Most people are afraid to layer rugs in a room but layering is a fantastic way to a update the style of your home and shake things up a bit. As long as the rugs you're layering up compliment each other and feature similar colours you won't have a problem. I love to see a flat woven geometric rug layered up with the sheepskin, this partnership creates depth and texture within the room. Definitely don't be afraid to layer, just keep the patterns and colours neutral to avoid any clashing.
I've made up a little selection of my favourite timeless rugs below. I've chosen a mix of modern patterns, traditional designs and pops of colour mixed with a neutral pallet.
£49 //
£129 //
£207 //
£388 //
£58 //
£54 //
£159 //
Belgravia Linear Patterned Rug
£148
I really hope you found this guide useful, I'm a big believer in investing in classic design rather than following fickle trends. The more timeless the design the longer your rug will last so I hope you find your perfect rug soon!