Ready, Set, Rug!

From silk to sisal and nylon to wool, there are seemingly infinite rug options for your needs.

To guide you in finding the best fit, we turned to Barbara Gerlach, senior interior designer at Krista + Home in Palm Beach Gardens for expert tips to transform your space with a rugtastic twist.

Primary Purpose

Selecting the right rug begins with understanding how you’ll use your space. Whether it’s a kid-friendly zone, a pet-friendly haven or an adult-centric retreat, selecting the ideal rug fiber matters, especially if you need something easy to clean. Gerlach says a best bet for kid-heavy spaces is a nylon or polyester rug — these are stain and spill resistant, and even waterproof. Online resources are great for discovering these practical options. For a sophisticated adult space, you may want something more luxurious, like wool, silk, sisal or jute. For this, Gerlach recommends visiting a store to see and feel these exquisite textures, speak with knowledgeable staff and address your room’s needs.

Space And Size

Gerlach recommends the rug extend about a foot away from the walls, with the furniture resting on it, or at least the front two legs. This way, she says, you’re not sliding on and off the rug, avoiding trips or falls. You never want to choose a rug that’s too small. “We want to cure people of that,” Gerlach says. “So many times, we go into places and we see their rug is way too small because they’re lining up their furniture outside of the rug.” But it’s a big no-no. “You want that rug to be that grounding point. It defines the inner space of those rooms,” she says.

Rugs Rule

“I think rooms without a rug are really lacking,” Gerlach says. You wouldn’t want a hard floor in your bedroom or living room, she continues. A rug is also a great way to start pulling colors into a room, later adding drapes, pillows and other fabrics. “We’ll start with that rug as that base layer and jumping-off point where we build from,” she says. “To not include it is really eliminating a great connection piece [pulling] that room together.” So, if you have the opportunity to find a great rug for your space, definitely do it.