7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Decorating Your Space with Rugs

Have you ever considered placing a beautifully-crafted rug underneath your favorite furniture to spice up your home? A well-chosen rug, just like other pieces and accessories, has the power to transform a dull and boring room into an artistic and cozy refuge. However, a single rug can also ruin the design of the entire room if not planned carefully.

With this, choosing the proper material, color scheme, shape, texture, and pattern that would fit perfectly and effortlessly in your space can be quite critical. To further break them down, here are seven of the most common mistakes homeowners should avoid in decorating one's space with rugs.

1. Looking at rug as an afterthought

Credits: Large Living Room Rugs | Living Room Ideas

Rugs are not just optional add-ons. They are just as important as your furniture, curtains, and other accessories, and accents. With this, they should be part of your major considerations especially when you decorate from scratch. Instead of making them your last priority, you may use a trick designers often use: start with a rug and pull the color choices from there. For instance, you may use a tribal rug then choose your favorite color that you can use for your finishes and pieces (just like the one shown here).

2. Placing rugs that are too small
Keep in mind that the rug sets the ground for what rests on it. Small rugs can make a room and everything else look smaller and out of scale. Before purchasing rugs, make sure you have a proper measurement of your area. Choose rugs that exceed the edges of the furniture and are large enough to define the area. If you're planning to have a room size rug, try to subtract 3 feet from the length and width of the room, leaving the floor bare at the edges. This trick will make the room appear a little larger. 

Credits: ESÉ STUDIO | The Design Chaser

3. Choosing rectangular rugs... always
Rectangular rugs are good but there are cases when these rugs do not complement the shapes and arrangements of your furniture. Play around interesting shapes and sizes when choosing the right rug for your space. It is necessary to figure out which shape would blend perfectly with your furniture. For instance, you may choose a circular or a square rug if you plan to place it under a round and curvy furniture. 

4. Being afraid of patterns

Credits: Outstanding Living Room Rug | Living Room Ideas

One of the most common mistakes in decorating is playing safe. Don't get me wrong. Plain and neutral rugs are not bad, especially if other pieces of furniture are bright and loud. But if you have a quiet space, try to use interesting patterns to add vigor and personality to your space. At the end of the day, it's all about proportion and balance.

5. Believing that “floor is the limit”

Credits: Blue and white shag rug | Urban Outfitter

Who says rugs are only limited to floors? A rug can also be a powerful instrument in dressing up your walls, just like painting and tapestry. Choose rugs with interesting patterns, design, and colors which can define the home's personality and hang them on the wall of the room. Most stylists and decorators agree that they can be a great focal point in every room.

6. Underestimating the value of rugs
Rugs are not just meant to be stepped on and make your feet comfortable. Along with their gratifying function is their significant role in beautifying your home. Rugs have the capacity to either tone down or tune up the volume of the space as well as define areas and add some personality. Rugs can also create a healthier home by filtering the air. The best example is wool rugs which act as a natural filter, trapping allergens and keeping them out of the breathing zone.

7. Skipping the rug pad

Credits: Rug Pad | Coles Fine Flooring

Behind every stylish, comfortable, and safe rug is a rug pad. They may be placed "behind the scene" but rug pads are just as important as stylish rugs. A good quality pad is made from wool or polypropylene with a rubber backing to keep the rug in place and to prevent it from sliding and slipping. It can also make rugs, especially the flat weave ones, softer and damage-free. Instead of buying cheap rug tapes which can ruin your hardwood floors, invest on rug pads.

Carmina Natividad is an all-around artist and writer who loves collecting vintage items and decorating her space with an eclectic approach. She shares her deep interest in interior design by writing informative blogs for Fab Habitat Outdoor Rugs Online, a one-stop shop for stylish outdoor rugs and mats throughout Australia.