Area rugs are a fantastic way to add personality to bland beige rentals and define your space. Here are 3 top tips for decorating with area rugs like a pro and feeling at home in your rental in no time!
I’ve also included a few shopping guides with some of my favorite sources for affordable area rugs.
Ban the Beige
I’ve lived in my fair share of rentals, and my heart always skips a beat when an apartment listing bears those coveted words “hardwood floors.” Yes! Sign me up!
But hardwood seems to be an exception, and not the rule, in rental properties.
So if you see where I’m going here, and you’re thinking, “Umm… you can’t put an area rug over carpet,” you’re not alone. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and in the right circumstances, area rugs in a carpeted room can look absolutely fantastic.
Karisa from Petite Modern Life used a small rug in her Simple Guest Bedroom Makeover. Who wouldn’t love to step out of bed onto that soft rug in the morning?
Ashley from Bigger than the Three of Us used a patterned rug in a neutral color to define the space and ground the bed in her son’s Big Boy Bedroom:
If you have low-pile, wall-to-wall, neutral or solid color carpet, you are a perfect candidate for an area rug. If you have beige carpet, consider a bold color with an interesting pattern. You’re going for visual interest. As long as you make the look intentional, you can break plenty of design barriers.
Layer
If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood floors or even if you have low-pile carpet, consider layering your rugs for added visual interest.
First, select a large neutral area rug to begin with. Consider a natural fiber rug, a solid color rug, or a neutral.
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Second, add a smaller area rug that is colorful, has a bold pattern, or adds textural interest.
A tip on rug selection and placement: Select a low-pile rug for your larger rug, and place it square with the room. Then angle the second rug on top.
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Select the Right Size
One of my top home decor pet peeves is this: an area rug that is too small for the space. It’s something that’ I’ve been guilty of in the past. Now that I’ve been reformed, I’m here to spread the word.
I’m not going to subject you to my room-sketching abilities here. I’ll leave that up to the pros. The people at Wayfair have put together a handy guide to help you select the right size area rug. Check it out here.
My rule of thumb is this: when in doubt, select the larger size.
I know this is a tough call to make, especially since larger rugs are (obviously) more expensive. That’s why I’ve put together this handy shopping guide to get you started. All of the area rugs listed below are under $150 for a 5 x 7 (which is a great size, especially if you want to layer). Larger sizes are all under $300.
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