Easy Tips to Match Rugs to Floors!

While shopping for a new area rug to spruce up your space may feel like it only involves selecting a favorite from a wide selection of options, spending some time carefully matching the color and pile of the rug to your floor type can make all the difference. 

Making some initial decisions about your new area rug is a great starting point to your shopping journey, especially since it can help you narrow down an abundance of choices to fit the ideal look of the room. However, in order to get there, it's important to get into the specifics as it relates to the flooring type of your room, seeing as this will be the ‘backdrop” for any rug you purchase. 

With that said, here is our comprehensive list of tips and tricks for matching your area rug to the flooring of your room. 

THE FLOORING TYPES

Hardwood

Color

As a general rule, using contrast as a decorative tool is the key to offering some visual variety to any room. The same certainly applies to the elegant look of hardwood flooring. With that in mind, dark wood calls for lighter, and perhaps natural shades, and lighter wood clicks better with deeper, bolder colors. 

Pile

With the clean slate of hardwood flooring, you have a bit more creative liberty when choosing the pile height (or thickness) of your new area rug. The decadence of hardwood flooring deserves to be shown off, so do your best to avoid any options that might detract too much from their natural beauty.

Carpet

Color

It’s important to not stray too much from the color of the carpet, unless you’re interested in making a bolder choice with a new statement piece. Still, you’ll have to do a bit of color coordinating to avoid choosing an area rug that clashes with the existing look of your room. Call in the handy color wheel to help you find a color analogous to that of your carpeting. 

Pile 

The cozy feeling of thick carpet in any room eliminates the need for a similar area rug, which makes cut-pile or flat weave pieces perfect selections. Thin carpet, however, calls for the opposite. Shaggy and other long-piled rugs have the ability to make any room much cozier and visually interesting. 

Laminate 

Color 

Since laminate flooring is usually fairly uniform in its own coloring, an area rug with exciting colors can provide a suitable amount of contrast. Look across the color wheel for complementary hues as you weigh the many options you have for your area rug. However, it’s important to use the tool of contrast carefully so that it offers a pop of color instead of an out-of-place disruption to the look of the rest of the room. 

Pile

When placing an area rug on laminate flooring, it’s most important to consider the durability it will need to have to withstand everyday traffic and regular wear and tear. Generally, the higher the pile height, the more difficult it is to clean on your own. If you’re looking for the perfect rug for a high-traffic room with laminate flooring, it might be best to opt for low pile alternatives. 

Tile

Color

Tile can often provide a unique pattern to work with as you select the perfect area rug for the room. We recommend referring to the standard color-matching tips of the color wheel: analogous colors for more subtle visual differences and complementary colors for bold contrast. 

Pile

Because of its conventional uses in bathrooms and kitchens, tile requires a rug that can withstand most contact with water or debris. Yes, all rugs are absorbent, but lower pile options are less susceptible to damage as a result. 

Stone 

Color

The typical muted colors of stone flooring can offer a stable foundation for bold choices. Depending on your personal preference, bright colors can obviously offer some visual stimulus for the eye, while similar tones will still provide an effective color break in a subtle way.

Pile

No matter the color or thickness of the rug, it’s vital to use an area rug to make the room look and feel warmer. Visually, higher pile rugs provide fluffy textures, as well as the feelings of luxury and comfort–two features that pair nicely with the artsy look of stone flooring. 

From carpet to hardwood, tile to stone, there are countless ways to make an exciting choice for the decorative centerpiece of your room. 

Interested in checking out an expansive collection of area rugs for your next decorating venture? Click here to check out all Rugs2Go has to offer!