Are you thinking of putting an area rug over your carpeting in your home? Are you renting and looking to make your apartment’s interior a little more interesting, or do you own your home and just want to change your décor without having to take up all your carpeting and start over from nothing? No matter what’s inspired you to put a rug over your carpet, there are several tips you need to keep in mind in order to get the most out of this design choice. In this article, we’ll walk you through it all. So let’s get started!
Rugs can cover damaged carpeting.
Putting a rug over a stain or damaged spot in the carpeting is an age-old trick, but it’s still a great way to make your floor look fresh and new even when something is a little off. This is especially true when you live in an apartment and can’t change the carpeting, but it’s also a good fix for a home you own, too. If you’re looking to cover stains in a child’s room, it may be best to use area rugs until your child is old enough to cut back on the risk of spills and stains. Then you can consider changing the carpeting, if you want to.
Use an area rug to bring color to a room with drab carpeting.
Again, this is especially true in apartments, which tend to have beige or cream color carpeting in many situations. However, even in your own home, you can make your space really pop with brightly-colored rugs over neutral tone carpeting. If your carpets are a little on the boring side, don’t be afraid to jazz them up with the help of an area rug. As long as you choose a rug that works well with the rest of the furnishings in your room, you should have no trouble making this work.
Use the same sizing tips as you would for a rug without a carpet underneath.
Choosing the right area rug size for a room with carpeting versus one without is more or less the same. You should choose a larger area rug if you’re going for something more traditional, or pick a smaller rug for a more contemporary look. Of course, if you’re trying to cover damaged carpeting with your rug, you may need to pick the size based on the location and severity of the damage, too. And don’t be afraid to mix it up with more than one area rug of two different sizes, especially if you’ve got a spacious room that can handle it visually.
Choose a color that complements the carpet.
You know you need to pick a rug that looks good with your existing furnishings, but don’t forget about complementing the carpet underneath the rug, too. The carpet may be a neutral tone, and if so, that’s great—it’s much easier to choose a rug that looks good over white or brown than it is to pick one that looks nice over burgundy or dark blue. However, if you do have carpeting that’s a little more colorful already, consider looking up color wheels to pick a rug that will complement the shade you’re working with.
Don’t choose the same texture as your carpeting.
If you have a shag carpet, it may look a little silly to put a shag rug over it too. And on the other hand, it may look equally silly to put a short pile rug over a short pile carpet. By varying the textures, you’re giving the room more visual interest and you may even make it more comfortable to walk around in, too. You don’t have to pick two extremes, either; just choose a rug that is not the same texture as your existing carpeting and you should be good to go.
Stay away from patterns in most situations.
For the most part, putting a patterned rug over a carpet is not going to look great. It may be too visually heavy, or it may just clash. However, there are some situations where it can work. Specifically, you can make this work if you’re decorating a room that’s very large and has a neutral carpet tone already. This way, the room is big enough to handle a pattern, and the carpet won’t clash with it. You know your room best, however, so even if your space is smaller or your carpet is vibrant, you may be able to pull off a patterned rug with the right design choices.
Anchor the rug or use it under furniture.
Rugs may slide around a lot on top of carpeting, and this can be dangerous. They may also bunch up or wrinkle and become a tripping hazard for the whole family. To prevent this from happening, use a rug pad beneath your area rug, even on carpeting. You may also want to anchor your rug in some way or put part of it under the furniture to prevent this potential risk. The more you do to keep your rug from moving around underfoot, the safer it will be, and the less likely anyone will be to trip over it, too.
Use a rug pad.
Finally, use a rug pad even if you’re not worried about a falling or tripping hazard. Using a rug pad will simply make it easier for you to position your area rug and keep it in place over your carpeting without it moving around. You may find yourself frustrated at having to reposition your rug over your carpet every few days, but a rug pad underneath will go a long way toward making sure this issue stops occurring. Choose a rug pad that’s slightly smaller than the size of the area rug itself for best results.
These tips only scratch the surface of decorating with area rugs over carpeting, so don’t be afraid to bring home a rug you love and play around with using it over your existing flooring. Just remember to lay it safely so that no one will risk tripping over it, and otherwise, the choices are entirely up to you. You can make your room really come to life and be truly warm and inviting when you go this route with your interior décor, so take your time and choose the right rug to help you get started.