A Guide To Choosing The Right Rug Colour For Any Room

 

Handmade rugs have a way of transforming a house into a home. Their prowess to tie together disparate pieces of furniture is unmatched. Their artistry to bring warmth to an otherwise bleak space is almost magical. And their ability to become legacies meant to be passed down to generations is unparalleled.

All because a handmade rug is not a piece of home décor. It’s a unique, stunning piece of art. That’s why choosing a carpet should not be an insouciant decision. You need the right pattern, the correct material, the perfect colour and the appropriate size.

Fortunately, contrary to popular belief, selecting the right rug is easy. As long as you follow a few ground rules, you can find the picture-perfect rug for your room. As a custom rugs manufacturer, we’ve helped tons of people discover the ideal carpet or rug for their homes. We now put that experience in this guide to help you.

How to choose the best rug colour for your room?

Colours can influence our emotions. They can alter the way we react to people or a situation. Ever wondered why fast-food chains love to use red and yellow in their décor? Because yellow evokes the feeling of hunger and red of speed. So, when a customer walks into a McDonald’s, they order more and eat faster.

That’s why the natural starting point when picking a rug for your room is colour. The right hue and shade set the tone for the entire space. When you walk into the room at the end of a tiring day, it can make you feel restful. When you’re in a lousy mood, vibrant colours can make you happier. Or, when you’re drained, bright tones can inject you with a dose of energy.

It’s not just that the colour of a rug can sway your feelings. You also have to live with the rug day in and day out. Opt for a colour you don’t love, and you’ll come to rue the decision sooner than you think.

So, when you’re rug shopping, here’s what you need to consider to choose the best colour.

First, decide how you want the room to feel.

A rug knits the mood of the living space. For example, it can turn a bedroom into a calm, soothing space or make a recreational room a den of vibrant energy. The point is each room has a different purpose and vibe. Pick the rug colour to suit it.

For a spacious feel

Light colours will give the room an airy and open appearance. So, if space is limited, pick a rug in pastel shades. Hues of white are another option. Or you can select pale yet bright colours.

For calming touch

Monochromatic colour schemes in rugs are excellent at creating a calm environment. If you’d like the room to be serene, choose muted tones of blue and green. Cool colours like purple also serve the same purpose. These shades are brilliant for rooms with loud décor elements too.

For energetic vibe

Rich rug colours like orange, red, deep green or even a light lime are fab options to bring a sense of liveliness in any room.

For an intimate ambience

If you’re picking a handmade carpet for the master bedroom, stick with deep colours such as chocolate and burgundy. They make the space intimate. For the same reason, they’re flawless for the family room too. Navy is another shade you can hand-pick to imbue a touch of luxurious comfort.

Second, match the colour to the room’s furnishings.

Deciding the vibe you want to imbue in a room with a rug is simple if there are no furnishings. If that is the scenario with you, merely consider the ceiling, floor and wall colours. Then, make sure the rug colour complements or accents the paint and flooring.

However, choosing the colour of a rug when the room already has furniture and décor elements takes some juggling. First, put the existing colour scheme of the room under the microscope. Then decide if you want the rug to blend in with it or stand out. You have a couple of options here:

• If the room is brimming with patterns and colours, stick to a rug with solid colours or neutral tones.
• If the room blends bold colours with muted shades, an area rug with similar hues is best.
• If the room has bright walls in shades of orange or sunlight, a muted rug colour is a savvy choice. Soft tans or light grey shades will pair well here. The same rule applies if the furniture has bright upholstery.
• In case you want the rug to accent the room, then make sure to select a carpet with a colour that matches either the wall art or cushions. This will tie the décor of the space together.

Don’t forget to consider the interiors of the room.

Just like the furniture of the room impacts the rug colour, so do interiors. Rooms that have solid, one shade décor would suit well with multi-coloured rugs. Carpets with patterns are another great option here. The thumb rule is to ensure at least one primary colour of the carpet is the same as the décor.

Third, suit the rug colour to the type of room.

There is a perfect rug for each room in your home. However, a carpet that appears to be made for your bedroom will most likely seem out of place in the hallway. So, make sure that the colour of the rug fits the type of room.

For instance, spaces that see a lot of foot traffic (think kitchen and living space) would be better homes to dark coloured rugs. Deeper tones don’t show footprints, stains and dirt, which means you will not have to expend energy cleaning them often. On the other hand, rooms that are not high-traffic areas would be impeccable choices for light coloured rugs.

Fourth, factor in the light and shadows.

The play of light and shadow in the room is another factor you need to ponder while choosing the most suitable colour for the rug. Why? Because both natural and artificial lighting influences the way you perceive the rug colour.

Let’s say the windows of your room looks towards the east. As the sun rises, the room is slowly filled with a warm, sunlit glow. But during midday, it will have a slightly blue tinge, with all the colours seeming to fade and cool. And as the sun sets, the room will have a darker cast, deepening the colours.

This movement of light can change how the rug colour looks to your eye. More than that, where natural light falls in the room can also affect the colour. Similarly, artificial light can transform the saturation of colours. It can make a rug look whiter, cooler, harsher, warmer, softer or even yellower.

So, pay heed to how light touches the room and the floor space you’ve designated for the carpet.

Fifth, consider the room’s flooring.

The floor of the room you’re selecting the rug for also plays a pivotal role. While a dark wood floor pair well with a handcrafted jute carpet, a marble floor needs a beautiful broadloom with bold patterns.

So, keep the floor in mind when selecting the rug colour. Two golden rules here are: light colour floors match with bright coloured rugs or pastel-hued carpets, and dark colour floors match better with dark rug shades. The reason is basic when the floor is dark and the rug pale, it appears washed.

5 tips to finding the perfect colour for your rug

Finding the best colour for any area rug has its fair share of limitations. There are a lot of factors you need to consider. And the limitless colour options good carpet manufacturers offer doesn’t make the decision any easier. Fortuitously, there are some tips you can use to make the process effortless.

1. Think of a colour that brings a smile to your face or makes your jaw unclench and shoulders fall down in a sigh. Pick a rug in a similar shade. As we said before, you’ll have to live with the colour day in and day out. Better make it one you love.
2. If you want to make a statement with the area rug or want it to be the first thing a person sees in the room, invest in a bright coloured carpet. Think lively blues, sunlit oranges and ruby reds. These colours make the rug stand out. And if you paint the walls a muted shade, even better.
3. Think of the material of the rug. This is important because different materials hold colours in various manners. Wool or a wool blend is the most common rug material because it holds colours extremely well. That does mean you can’t experiment with other materials like cotton or jute. You can. Just consider if the colour will look as good if it fades.
4. Lastly, consider your lifestyle when choosing the rug colour. For example, a home with pets or children will have a good amount of foot traffic. Consequently, the carpet will need more than occasional cleaning, which impacts the colour. Picking a barely-there lemon hue or lightest of pink in a rug is not an intelligent decision in that case. So, choose a colour that fits your family’s needs. This will keep the carpet looking fresh and new for as long as possible.
5. One trick most designers use, when renovating a room or building a new one, is to start with the rug colour and then make all other décor choices based on it. You can do the same. If you’re still apprehensive, our advice is to begin small. Don’t pick bold or darker colours. With time, you’ll discover the rug colours you love and then will be able to match it to the floors, walls and ceiling flawlessly.

We leave you with one last tip. As contrary as it may sound, don’t spend a lot of time oscillating over the colour of the carpet. When you try too hard, you end up with an ersatz look. Instead, let the decision come naturally to you. And if it doesn’t, take help from carpet designers.

Play to your palette with rug colours

A rug can be the most potent weapon in your home décor arsenal, irrespective of whether it acts as a background for the room or the artwork that transforms it from comfort to luxury.

There are flat weaves or eco-friendly rugs that turn a basic room contemporary and bold. There are hand-tufted wool carpets that infuse a touch of classic and tradition. It is why we always urge people to pander to their tastes when choosing an area rug.

The good news is that carpets come in a variety of colours, patterns and material. So, hand-picking one that suits your palate to the very last knot is easy. That said, if you’re confused about which rug colour will best fit your room, use this guide like a process of elimination. It will help you filter choices and find the correct answer.

And if that still doesn’t work, ask us to make you a 100% bespoke designer rug. You can pick the shade, the yarn, the shape and the size with our ‘personalise your rug’ feature. Or you can design your own rug from scratch. At Marwar Carpets, we do our utmost to weave carpets that speak to your mind and soul. Find yours with us.