Rugs can transform a room.  They have the power to anchor and define a space and pull an entire scheme together.  We can layer rugs in our homes to provide visual warmth, dimension and interest.  There are a huge variety of styles, patterns and of course materials so it is important to understand what you need out of your rug.

There are a number of considerations when selecting a rug to avoid common mistakes such as too small a size for the room, lack of pattern or colour and durability.   Too often people select a rug that is too small for their space or are frightened by taking a step into pattern.  We are here to help demystify the rug selection process and open up the possibilities of pattern, shape and texture.

Something to consider at the start of your rug journey is the placement of your rug.  Is it in a high traffic area?  Sitting in full sun?  Do you like seeing pile movement i.e. tracking?  Selecting the appropriate materials for your rug will assist with longevity as well as aesthetics.   Jute and man-made fibre rugs can be great for hard wearing areas, short pile rugs are good for lots of traffic and chairs scraping in and out from dining tables, long pile rugs are delicious where you can sink your toes in and rest.  If your rug will receive lots of sun-bathing opportunities then look for a rug that can cope with intense UV as delicate cottons and silks will fade quickly.

Neutral Rugs

A neutral rug is a great place to start if you have a large area and need to have synergy across the greater space, need textural interest or want to layer your rugs.  There are a really large range of neutral rugs and many of these range in size from small to extra-large.  When you are considering a neutral rug think about the material and texture of the rug as well as the way the edges are finished. 

Neutral rugs include materials like jute, wool, cotton, poly-blends, bamboo silk and so on.  If you are needing a really large rug there is the option of using carpet and binding the edges to create a rug.   There are lots of edging options and if you need to get a large rug made adding a leather binding for example, can help elevate and finish the piece.

Neutral rugs are great for layering and work well alongside geometric, patterned and organic shaped rugs, grounding the space and allowing the partner rug to be the hero. 

Rugs are the foundation of your rooms and your furniture plan.  Too often small sized rugs are used in areas and rather than the furniture being grounded by the rug, the rug floats as an accent piece in the middle of the floor.  Here are some tips on rug and furniture placement:

The Full Monty

If you have a large rug and are wanting all your conversational furniture on the rug then make sure you give yourself a good 30cm of gap between the furniture and the edge of the rug.  In addition, you need to give your rug room so it isn't overwhelmed and doesn't look like wall to wall carpet - allow 60-100cm between the edge of the rug and the wall.  If your rug is placed too close to the wall in this configuration you are in danger of crowding the space and everything will feel like it can't breathe.  (The exception to this is if your sofa is against the wall - just allow a few centimetres between the rug and wall so you are not using up valuable space in the room).

Front & Fancy

This layout is the Feather and Oak Interiors go-to.  The front legs of the furniture are placed on the rug and the back legs get to hang off the edge and take up space.  This layout helps to make your room feel spacious and all the furniture gets a chance to be an individual and shine.

Double Time (1)

Layering rugs can be a super-useful tool to add visual warmth and provide dimension and interest.  If you have a vintage rug or feature rug that is 'too small' for the area then layer a larger neutral rug underneath to provide connection to the furniture and then the vintage rug over the top.

Double Time (2)

Layering but going outside of the symmetrical.  Double time 2 is the layered option but with an organic shaped or secondary rug that sits outside of the edges of the bottom rug.  This can be useful if you need to add visual size to the rug placement or you want to encourage the flow of movement through the space to another area.  One key with this placement is to still ensure that the front furniture legs are placed on the secondary rug as well.

Flying Solo

There is always an exception to every rule and Flying Solo is it!  Sometimes you can make a 'too small' rug work by only having your coffee table placed on it but you need to be clever.  If your rug only slightly misses the front legs of your furniture then there is no need to call the rug police - this look can be pulled off by creating a smaller gap between the rug and sofa and a slightly larger gap to the chairs (but don't go more than 30cm or your rug will look a bit sad and then you might get sad too!).

The Fancy Float

This rug placement is all about using an organic shaped rug to break up the symmetry and move away from the classic rectangle.  This type of placement can be really helpful for awkwardly shaped rooms, or the addition of an off-centre chair into the living zone. 

The main points to take away from our rug placement guide are that you need to try and find a rug that is proportionate to your furniture sizes so that you can have the majority of your furnitures front legs on the rug.