Traditional & Contemporary Rugs

Rugs come in a range of classic and contemporary designs. Are you familiar with the feeling that comes when you arrive somewhere and wish you'd made a bit more effort with your outfit? If you leave all of your floors without rugs you are condemning them to a similar fate.

Even the finest carpet or most expensive stone floor will look a million dollars when it's dressed up with a rug.

What do they bring to a room? Sometimes colour, sometimes a change of texture, sometimes they are there to define a particular space. But the beauty of rugs is their versatility.

Imagine a room in summer with a lovely stripped wooden floor. The sun is pouring through the windows and the light colour of the room is perfect for the season. Go on and picture the scene in winter when the floor seems to be draughty and the cool colours send a chill through your heart. Now introduce a lovely, thick rug into the room, something with lots of texture which will contrast beautifully with the smooth wood, in a warm colour that draws you in to the space. It's a quick and easy way of adapting a room through the seasons. They may be just a finishing touch, but what a finish they deliver.

Aside from the comfort issue what else do they bring? They can be used to delineate different areas of the room. If you have a dining area at the end of the lounge, putting a rug down in that space creates the visual illusion of a different area. If you have an enormous lounge or live in a studio-style space with no dividing walls, use a rug to mark out different territories. Place one in the middle of a group of chairs and a sofa and it draws everyone into that space. Put one down in between the kitchen and the seating area and it breaks up that part of the room and emphasises the fact that there are two distinct zones in use.

The successful positioning of rugs relies on drawing the eye to a particular space. This might suggest that the rug needs to be brightly coloured or boldly patterned, but that isn't the case. The mere fact that it sits proud of the floor beneath is enough to work its magic. You can use a pale-coloured rug on top of a natural wood floor and still achieve your aim, but if it has a border in a contrasting colour that may help.

Anyone who is well travelled will have tales of bargaining with a rug dealer somewhere in the world. It almost seems to be a right of passage. Whether you buy an authentic oriental rug, a kelim or a dhurrie, one of the best things about purchasing these pieces is that you have something with a memory attached, but also something that is actually useful. Amazingly, these ethnic items will suit a wide range of interiors. Somehow the woven patterns, stylized motifs and knotted construction of these different rugs blend and complement everywhere from traditional cluttered country cottage to a modern, minimalist, loft-style interior.

I seem to have dwelt on one particular style and should now say that many modern designs are considered works of art. They are so gorgeous that you will consider hanging them from your walls (which is easily done with good strong carpet grippers by the way). Companies commission designers to produce rugs that reflect their personal style and it is not just interior specialists that they choose. The cross-over between fashion and furnishings is nowhere more evident than in rugs. Paul Smith may have designed the perfect suit and diversified into glasses, bags and shoes but you can now also walk all over one of his striped rugs.

If you have any lingering doubts about rugs, then consider the following scenarios:

You have a wood floor in the lounge, all the seats are taken but you would like some people to be able to sit on the floor: a thick rug provides some cushioning for their bottoms.
The colour scheme in your bedroom is fairly neutral but you are aware that a subtle touch of colour would add the finishing touch: a striped cotton rug, laid beside the bed, will introduce a bit of pattern to the room.
The stone floor in the hall is very practical but it is also extremely cold: a rug placed away from the entrance but running down the rest of the room is much more inviting to new arrivals.

If you want a subtle way of adding warmth, comfort and a touch of colour or pattern to a room, you can look to rugs to provide a solution.


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