Have you ever thought about decorating with a runner area rug? These types of rugs are a great way to make a statement in your home, but you might be surprised at just how different these types of statements can really be. There are a lot of different, unique places throughout the home where you can use a runner rug, and you may not have ever thought of some of them. If you’re looking for some new, fresh ideas for how to make the most of a runner in your home, be sure to check out our suggestions below to help you get started.
Entryways
This is the most common and well-known way to use a runner rug, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be mentioned! Runners look great in entryways, and they’re an excellent way to invite people into your home and draw the eye from the front of the home further inside. By choosing an entryway runner that matches or complements your entryway decor and helps transition it into the decor of the rooms beyond, you can make a bold statement that will surprise and delight any visitors to your home right away.
Open Concept Living-Dining Rooms
Another very popular way to use a runner in interior decor is to separate an open concept living-dining room combination visually with the rug in question. Many people use runners that match the decor in the living and dining room to create a break between the two spaces without actually requiring a physical separation at all. This can help draw the eye from one space to the next while still providing a much-needed interruption between the two and help showcase them as separate but adjacent spaces in your home.
Kitchens
It may be less common to find runner rugs in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it work if you want to decorate with one this way. In fact, many country kitchens make use of long runner rugs in front of the countertops or sink to give the person cooking something comfortable to stand on. Still other kitchens include small dining areas that can be separated by smaller runner rugs in much the same way as an open concept living-dining room on a lesser scale. If you choose to use a runner rug in your kitchen, make sure you pick one that’s made from a material that can hold up well to exposure to food and drink spills. It’s a good idea to stick with manmade fibers in many of these situations, as they’re a little bit easier to keep clean than natural fibers.
Bedrooms
It’s very rare to see a runner in a bedroom, but if your bedroom is large enough, you may want to separate the space visually using a smaller-sized runner. You can do this in bedrooms that have small sitting areas included within the room, but you can even do it in more traditional bedrooms if the space is big enough. Some people also place small runners along one side of the bed to give individuals something comfortable and warm to step onto, especially when the weather turns colder outside. And very large beds can always benefit from small runners place along the foot of the bed, too.
Hallways
Hallways are a tried-and-true traditional place to put a runner rug in your home. A very long runner is a great way to visually define the space in a longer hallway, but a runner of any size can look nice in a hallway depending on how you use it. Remember to choose a hallway runner that matches any decor in the hall itself, but also try to stick with something that works well with the decor of the rooms the hallway leads to. It can take some time to find the right runner for a space like this, but with a little effort it should be easy enough to make the right call. Remember, however, that extra-long runners are more of a tripping hazard than shorter ones, so be sure to put down a rug pad underneath to keep these longer pieces from sliding around if possible.
Bathrooms
Like bedrooms, it’s not too common to see a runner in a bathroom. However, if your space is big enough, you should be able to make this work. Smaller runners can separate large bathroom spaces and divide the room between the toilet area and bath or shower area. A runner in front of the sink can be a nice alternative to a more traditional bathroom mat, too, as long as you choose something made of a material that’s easy enough to keep clean. Any rugs used in your bathroom should be easy to clean and sanitize if needed.
Outside
Last but not least, consider looking for outdoor-safe area rug materials and decorating your porch or patio with a sturdy runner rug. Jute is a great option if you’re looking for a material for an outdoor rug, but there are plenty of other choices out there on the market, too. A runner on your porch or patio can invite people into your home and give them a taste of the type of decor that they can expect when they walk through the front door. It can also be used to visually separate spaces on a large patio.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of options you can choose from when you’re looking to decorate with runner rugs throughout your home. Just remember not to use a rug in every room of the home, and otherwise, you should have no trouble making the most of runners in some unique locations in your living spaces. You’re only limited by your imagination when trying to figure out how to place rugs like this, so take your time, consider all your options, and pick the part of your home that you think can most benefit from runner rug decoration.