Do I Need a Rug? The Benefits of Rugs Explained

Do I need a rug? It’s one of the most common interior questions, and we’re going to help you answer it. Adding a rug to your home is an excellent and easy way to elevate your space. Not only do rugs add character and atmosphere to your home, but they can also help to soften sound. The benefits of rugs are endless, from adding comfort to transforming the look and feel of a room. We believe everybody should own a rug, and we’ll tell you why!

Do I Need A Rug?

Here is our carefully curated list of 15 reasons why you need a rug!

1. Comfort

When you’re at home, comfort is key. Rugs are one of the simplest ways to add an increased level of comfort to your home.

Adding a thick, soft rug means that you can enjoy comfortably cushioned flooring, which is especially useful if you have a wooden or tiled floor. If you want to reap the benefits of a rug but prefer a more natural option, wool rugs are a comfortable choice because they are so soft. Natural materials don’t work for everybody, though, so polypropylene rugs are a great synthetic alternative. Polypropylene rugs are also super soft and are resistant to staining.  

2. Warmth

Rugs are fantastic insulators – they help keep your home nice and warm, especially in the colder months. Not only will this make your home feel more comfortable, but it will also feel more inviting to guests.

A common piece of advice for keeping a larger room warm is to choose an area rug; these large rugs are intended to cover most of the room’s floor space and help warm the whole room evenly. So, if you’re asking yourself – ‘do I need an area rug?’ – we say it’s worth considering if a warmer living room is on your agenda. The benefits of area rugs also include keeping the heating bill down. In addition, less heat is lost through gaps in the floorboards, meaning your home stays cosier for longer.

For maximum warmth, look for a thick rug with a high tog value. Woollen rugs are a great option; they are an excellent heat insulator, super soft and durable. Also, rugs with a heavyweight pile, like shaggy rugs, will effectively trap warm air inside the fibres. Finally, placing a rug pad underneath your rugs will add an extra layer of heat insulation. A top tip is to place a thick rug alongside your bed so that you can keep warm as you climb out of bed in the morning.

3. Frame a Room

Strategically placing a rug is one of the best ways to frame a room. One of the major benefits of area rugs is that they can ground a room and balance out any art or furniture that hangs on the walls. In doing so, this adds lovely texture to your room, helping to create a warm and inviting environment. Read our handy guide for more ways to add texture to your home.

By placing a rug in a way that aligns with your furniture, it can tie your room together nicely. For example, run a living room rug alongside the front of your sofa or centrally place your table on top of a dining room rug. The great thing about rugs is that you can move them around, so experiment with what placement looks the best. But, before you do that, read our guide to rug placement for some top tips.

4. Style / Character

If you’re into interior design and like to dabble in print or colour, the question ‘do I need a rug?’ shouldn’t even be a question! Of course, you need a rug! Rugs are a fantastic way for you to show off your style and bring some character to your home! Whether you like bold prints, minimalism or earthy tones, rugs can breathe some life into your space.

Nowadays, there are many different rug designs, so you have an extensive collection to choose from. Variety is great but can also be overwhelming if you’re unsure what style you like best, so take a look at our advice for choosing the right rug style for your home. Another effective way to use rugs for some added interior character is by hanging them up! There are so many brilliantly bold and intricately designed rugs that would work great as wall art; it’s a sure-fire way to add a creative twist to your room. Read our guide to find out how to hang your rug on the wall.

5. Safety

The safety value that rugs provide is a benefit of rugs that shouldn’t be overlooked. Thick rugs can cushion your fall, which reduces the risk of injury. Having thick rugs is especially useful if you have young children who are more likely to be running around and tripping up.

The cushioning that rugs offer is also a useful consideration if you have a baby in the home. When babies learn to walk, it is common for them to fall over; having a thick, soft rug is an excellent way of keeping them as safe as possible.

You might ask, ‘do I need a rug in the bathroom’? We say why not! Bathroom rugs also help to reduce injury – they allow you to dry your feet after a shower. Keeping a rug in the bathroom is important because bathroom floors are typically hard and slippery when wet.

If you are concerned about your rug acting as a trip hazard, ensure that it has an anti-slip backing to keep it securely in place.

6. Cover Imperfections

Sometimes your room may have an imperfection that you just want to cover up easily. For example, if your wood flooring is scratched or your tile flooring is chipped, a rug is an efficient and effective way to hide the imperfection. One of the biggest benefits of area rugs is that they can cover vast spaces easily. Or, if you’re renting and the existing flooring is simply not your style, using a rug is a convenient way to conceal this. We have a handy guide filled with plenty more renter-friendly hacks for updating your rented home. So stop asking, ‘do I need an area rug?’ – give it a go; you won’t believe how much of a difference they can make!

7. Introduce a New Colour Palette

If you want to freshen up a room in the house by introducing a new colour palette, a benefit of a rug is that it’s a great way to do so without the hassle of painting or renovating furniture.

Finding a rug replacement is a simple and often cost-effective way to change up the palette of your room. Try browsing rugs by colour to see what shades stand out. You could choose a bold, colourful rug to make a statement and add some contrast to your room. Or, you could use a deep, dark coloured rug to add some depth and cosiness.

Colourful, small rugs are also a great idea for children’s rooms as their preferences and styles change as they grow. One of the benefits of area rugs in children’s bedrooms is that they provide comfort and cosiness whilst still offering an injection of colour. If your child is into blue, try out a blue rug, or if they love purple, see if a purple rug would fit with their bedroom.

8. Sound Control

One of the most practical benefits of a rug is the sound control they offer. Rugs absorb sound in a way that hard flooring does not, and so they provide a degree of soundproofing. Rugs also reduce noise from anybody moving across it. Footsteps sound quieter on top of rugs, as do sliding chairs. For maximum soundproofing, opt for a thicker rug with a rug pad.

9. Rug Replacement

You may already be smitten with the idea of rugs and have many in your home; instead of buying extra rugs, it may just be time for a refresh in the form of rug replacement. Unfortunately, rugs are not invincible. Over time, they can become stained, worn down and may have collected too many allergens. A tired, dirty rug can spoil the appearance of your space, and a rug that has collected allergens can irritate people with allergic sensitivities.

If you need a rug replacement, it is worth taking time to browse your options to choose one that will last for as long as possible. For example, if you’re replacing a rug by the front door where there is bound to be muddy foot or paw prints, consider a washable rug to increase longevity. It’s also worth thinking about size; you may be wondering, ‘does this space suit a runner?’ or ‘do I need an area rug?’. Different size rugs are more suited to different areas of the home.

By taking proper care of your rug, you will help it last for longer. Make sure to vacuum it on a routine basis and, if you need to clean it, use appropriate cleaning solutions as not to damage the fibres.

With so many practical and stylistic benefits that rugs provide for the whole family, they are definitely worth the investment. Hopefully, you’re now feeling inspired to elevate your space with a rug, so take a look at our collection of beautiful, high-quality rugs that suit every space.

10. Brighten a Dark Area

If your space is looking rather dark or lack-lustre, consider adding a rug to offer a pop of colour or a well-needed bit of light. A benefit of an area rug is that it can instantly add light to a dark room due to its sheer size. Considering picking a colour on the lighter end of the colour spectrum – darker colours absorb light, so steer clear from those.  If you already own a darker coloured carpet, try layering a rug on top to add even more texture to your room. An important benefit of rugs is that they’re versatile. Area rugs can help to cover dark carpet and add cosiness, all whilst brightening the look and feel of a room.

11. Enhance Décor

Rugs come in all different colours, designs, materials, shapes and sizes you could think of – and it’s a good job! The benefits of rugs span over many topics, however, the most important benefit for interior design is that there’s literally a rug to suit every single style of home décor. So whether your style is bright and bold, you like to mix and clash prints and patterns, or you prefer your rug to add texture to your neutral space, adding in a rug is a great way to tie all of your furniture and décor together.

12. Inviting to Guests

When asking yourself, ‘do I need a rug?’, imagine yourself in the shoes of a guest visiting your home. Think about being greeted by a long, sturdy runner and then sinking your feet into a plush, shaggy rug in the living room. Rugs can help guests feel welcome by making the home appear more inviting and comfortable. 

Yes, you may get muddy shoes on it from time to time, and yes, a guest’s dog may dribble on it occasionally, but all of that is totally forgotten when you’re curling up with your friends on the sofa!

13. Cleaning

Has your dog chewed your newspaper to smithereens, or your partner dropped red wine and left a stain? No need to worry! A benefit of rugs is that cleaning is much less hassle. With a rug, all you have to do is give it a good vacuum or bundle it into the washing machine. ‘Washing machine?!’ I hear you say? Yes! We offer many washable rugs in our collection, all of which come out squeaky clean after a good 60-minute cycle. For more benefits of washable rugs, read our blog. Washing a rug is way more economical than having to rip up an entire wine-stained carpet, after all…
Regular cleaning of rugs can also help to remove dust quickly, hoover up any shedding fibres and help to maintain its fluffy texture. 

14. Protect Wood Flooring

If you’re lucky enough to have inherited hardwood floors or have installed them yourself, you’ll be aware of the expensive upkeep they require. Regular polishing, occasional sanding and the anxiety of them being scratched all add to the stress of your daily life. To remove these worries, a benefit of area rugs is that they help to protect large areas of your hardwood floors. 

Use area rugs in high-traffic areas where your wood flooring may get easily worn down, such as entryways or kitchens. Using runners in narrow hallways or landings can also help alleviate the number of shoe scuffs your floors will receive and protect the floor from debris brought in from outside. Don’t even think about using plastic floor protection! 

15. Allergies

Did you know that a benefit of rugs is that they help to alleviate allergies? Contrary to popular belief that carpets and rugs make allergies worse, rugs actually help trap allergens in the home and act as the biggest air filter in your home. They improve air quality by trapping dust, pollen and other particles that would otherwise be floating mid-air. Simply wash your rug after a season of high pollen! Read our recent blog post on which rugs are best for people with allergies to find your perfect style.

We hope are now feeling excited and informed about the benefits of rugs. We truly believe that they can make any room feel cosier, more grounded, and full of life Maybe you’re now after a wool rug, or perhaps your lifestyle best suits a flatweave rug? For information about our most popular rugs, or how to clean your rug, check out our blog.