Rugs

How to choose a rug

Rugs are the most common piece of furnishing to get wrong, almost always for the same reason: the rug is too small. Getting the size right matters more than the pattern.

Size it to the furniture, not the floor

• Living room — at minimum, the front legs of every seat should sit on the rug. That is what ties the seating together instead of leaving the rug floating in the middle.
• Dining room — allow about 60cm beyond the table edge on all sides, so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out. A rug a chair catches on is a daily irritation.
• Bedroom — either a large rug extending past the sides of the bed, or runners down each side. A small rug at the foot of the bed rarely looks deliberate.

Match the material to the traffic

• Wool — naturally resilient, springs back from furniture dents and hides soil well. The right answer for a living room that gets used.
• Viscose — silk-like sheen and lovely underfoot, but it marks with water and does not tolerate heavy traffic. Best in bedrooms and low-use rooms.
• Polypropylene and synthetics — the practical choice for hallways, kids and pets. Cleans easily and resists fading.

Two things people forget

An underlay stops the rug creeping across hard floors, adds noticeable softness underfoot, and meaningfully extends the life of the pile. And pile height changes the room in use — high pile is warm and soft but shows every footprint and blocks doors, while low pile suits hallways and rooms with doors that swing over it.