Add more warmth to your abode

Rugs are an integral part of our home décor, especially in homes with a large proportion of hard flooring. Rugs brighten up a room adding warmth and comfort for those who walk, sit and sometimes lie on the rugs. After all, it's much easier to replace a rug than a whole house of carpet. Below are a few fascinating ways to spice up your abode with rugs:

Outline areas with rugs: Using a rug, one can define or separate areas for dining and seating, and foyers. This concept is most useful in larger rooms or studio apartments that need definition.

Create variety: While we place two rugs in a room, be cautious as same sized rugs often visually cut the room in two. One must consider using rugs of different sizes to generate a sense of variety.

Ensure harmony: If you’re styling the room with more than one rug, it's suggested that the rugs complement each other. If not, there could be an unpleasant effect. Too many warring patterns in a room will do away with any sense of harmony.

Colour scheming: Place a favourite rug as the basis of the colour scheme in the room. Once you have the furniture in place, you can accordingly use the rug to accent or tie in your existing colours.

Manage the volume: Rugs are usually believed  to visually quieten a room or turn up the volume as needed. If the upholstery or wallpaper consists of ornate pattern, select a rug that is subtle in nature. And if walls and upholstery are fairly subdued, you must try busier pattern or bolder colours to add more interest to the interiors.

Focal point: Use a rug as the focal point of your room, as rugs make a huge impact. In order to do so, one can create contrast by painting the walls a hue that echoes one of your rug's accent colours.

Wall décor: Rug can be used as a wall hanging, another way to showcase a rug, or to create a focal point.

Play with shapes: Let the way you group your furniture spell the shape of your rug. Don't assume that a rug has to be in a rectangular shape. Always try to figure out which shape would look best, and accordingly opt for a square, oval or round shape rug that complements your furniture arrangement.

Right size: Choosing a rug of the right size is very important for a home. When you buy a room size rug, remember to subtract three feet from the length and width of the room. Leaving the floor bare at the edges makes the room look a little larger. Whereas, when laying a rug under your dining table, leave at least 24" of the rug from the edge of the table out on all sides. This enables the back legs of the chairs to stay on the rug, even when pulled out to let someone sit.

Update a room: One can look at changing rugs and pillows of an interior setting to update it for changing seasons, or to introduce new colour trends.

Always use a liner to keep your rug from slipping or creeping. The rug liner should be appropriate as per your floor type, and also the right size to fully keep the rug from sliding.

(The writer is CEO & Co-founder, Bent Chair)