Why You Need A Rug

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So, you’re wading through the cool waters of design and your feet just grazed the floor. Can you leave it bare? Do you really need a rug? We’re here to give you ten reasons you absolutely do.

1. FRAME YOUR SPACE

In wall décor, you can tack up a poster or put it in a frame. The former isn’t inherently bad, but if your goal is something sleek, it may be time to go shopping. 

Source: vanitjan | envato | Source photo in frame: James Royce Rug 299

Frames help ground a picture, but they also extend the composition. Rugs serve a similar purpose. They give structure to a design, act as a room’s visual anchor, and tie elements together. To achieve this yourself, center your furniture around a rug.

That said, you rarely buy a frame that overwhelms the picture inside. Likewise, you should not get a rug that is too big for your room. An area rug should extend at least past the front legs of your larger pieces of furniture, but should not touch the wall. If your space feels jammed or cluttered, though, you likely need to up your rug size.

2. DEFINE YOUR DESIGN

When you step into an open concept home, how do you know where one room stops and another starts? The biggest factor is furniture configuration, but as we said, it’s rugs that anchor the furniture. 

Rugs help define spaces, which is why both open-plan homes and studio apartments benefit in the same way. If you orient your furniture like we detailed in point one, you can get the feel of several rooms without compromising the open flow of your space.

Source: The Scout Guide | Souce: Brit+Co 

This principle applies to all home layouts. For example, if you want to fit an office into your bedroom without it appearing cramped, tuck a rug under either the bed or the desk—just make sure it’s the right size!

3. PROTECT/PRESERVE YOUR FLOORS

You may think your floors are better off bare. You like the wood grain or tile and don’t want to cover it up. Though it might sound contradictory, if you really love your floors, the best thing you can do is get a rug.

Rugs act as a barrier between furniture and the floor. Even if you’re not pulling out chairs all the time, tables and couches get bumped and drag across your hardwood or that shiny new tile. With a rug, there’s less of a chance of damage. 

If it’s too late for your floors, rugs are also a good way to cover up old wear and tear.

4. PROTECT/PRESERVE YOU

If you have a four-legged pet, chances are you’ve seen them run across hardwood and scramble to stop. The same can happen to you, especially if you’re wearing socks. Floors are slippery, and it’s hard to be careful all the time. 

Source: 1footage | envato

If you do fall, a rug offers a softer landing. This is especially true if there are young children or older adults in the home. Safety is paramount, so take the steps to keep everyone firmly on their feet.

5. ADD COMFORT and Warmth

You kick off your shoes on a brisk winter night and step onto a soft, cozy rug. There’s no mad dash to the bed, because your rug offers reliable comfort and warmth—in fact, keeping floors warm is why rugs were created!

Rugs not only keep the cold from nipping at your toes, they also insulate heat. This is still a necessity, seeing as around 10% of heat is lost through the floor. 

So, if the comfort of a rug on a chilly day isn’t enough, just think of your heating bill!

6. SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY

Fashion, hairstyle, tattoos, makeup—we show personality as much as we express it in day-to-day interactions. The same is true in home design. As we detailed in our last post about this season’s top trends, the pandemic turned interior design far away from the cold and clinical. This year is all about personality. 

Rugs come in thousands of patterns and textures. Why not find one that resonates with you and your creative spirit? Are you the bright, colorful, in-your-face type? Are you refined? More abstract? Traditional? Are modern rugs more your style?

Take the leap and find a rug that’s right for you.

Source: James Royce

7. UPDATE YOUR SPACE

It’s both costly and time consuming to repaint or buy new furniture. Rugs, blankets, curtains, and throw pillows are far easier to rotate out and can give your room new life. 

Since rugs take up a lot of visual space, the color and pattern you chose can set the tone for your design. A modern rug, for example, is bolder than a Scandinavian rug, and might influence the incorporation of subtler details in your design.

A rug can be the feature of a space, but it doesn’t have to draw all of the attention. Even subdued rugs come in a variety of textures and pallets which can give new life to your room.

8. CHANGE THE ROOM SIZE (WITHOUT REALLY CHANGING IT)

Construction is even more arduous than painting. If you want to make your room look bigger without all the effort, get a light colored rug. That doesn’t have to mean cream or beige, nor does applying this technique mean you have to sacrifice pattern or personality. 

Source: James Royce

The rugs above are all light, but each would change the palette and tone of a room. Light rugs also brighten up a design area and help give the illusion of higher ceilings, while darker rugs add a sense of width.

9. ABSORB SOUND

Much like how rugs can help define a variety of rooms, sound absorption is a net benefit for any sized home. 

In a larger space, rugs dampen echoes and soften other sounds like footsteps and sliding furniture. In an apartment, thick rugs can reduce noise coming in from downstairs. 

They also make you a better neighbor to others by quieting the sounds you make—so long as you don’t vacuum in the middle of the night! 

10. GIVE YOURSELF A BIT OF LUXURY

Everyone deserves a little luxury in their life, but decorating an entire house that way gets pricey. Micro-luxury is a way to add glamor to any space. This trend emphasizes how attention to detail can elevate opulence. 

Why not achieve this with a nice rug that offers a literal list of other benefits? While any number of rugs could add to the elegance of your space, a modern rug brings a whole new level of art and style.

If you’ve decided your feet deserve somewhere soft to land, check out the James Royce Modern Rug collection and find one that matches your unique style.