Knowing how to decorate with carpet runners effectively means being open to new solutions. Consider the following:
Entryway
The entrance to your home is the first place guests will see, so why not make it a little more special with a runner rug? A colorful rug at the front door will instantly add some color to a space that tends to be under furnished. Adding a rug at the entrance will also make sure that dust and dirt are kept at bay and give guests a safe area to remove their shoes, all while adding some much-needed vibrancy to a space that often gets overlooked.
The key to an effective carpet runner for your foyer is to use it to introduce and connect with the overall aesthetic of your home. For example, if you have a modern home with a lot of black and white accents, a matching rug can instantly join those elements in a fun and decorative way.
Kitchen
Although many kitchens tend to stick with bare tile and other hard flooring, kitchen rugs are quickly gaining popularity. This is because rugs provide an opportunity to add some vibrancy to the typically neutral-toned kitchen environment, while also putting a little cushion onto areas heavily trafficked by bare feet. Rugs are likewise particularly effective at hiding imperfection in your tile or hardwood while you prepare for renovation. Placing a runner rug in the kitchen offers all of the advantages of an area rug, while also providing a key benefit in terms of cleaning.
Kitchens can be messy, and even the best-kept kitchen experiences the occasional dropped serving dish or blender overflow. Large area rugs that encounter these kinds of food disasters can be difficult to pack up and move for cleaning, but not so with runner rugs! These rugs take little effort to move, so you can clear your kitchen and get your rug the care that it needs.
Bedroom
You spend a lot of time in your bedroom (both awake and asleep), so it only makes sense that you’d want to optimize the area for both form and function. A runner rug can add color, depth, and comfort, and give your feet a soft and warm place to touch down when you wake up in the morning. And, as always, these rugs can help keep existing flooring — hard and soft — from experiencing unnecessary wear and tear; it’s always easier to get a new runner than it is to refinish wood flooring or tear up and replace carpet.
Some of the most exciting places to drop a rug in the bedroom are adjacent to the foot of the bed, or doubling up and placing one on each side to create a visual border between your sleeping space and the rest of the bedroom. However you approach it, choose a rug that compliments your overall style and also plays towards the ‘cozy’ factor. This is the room you sleep in, after all, and any rug you bring to the bedroom needs to support that activity.
Bathroom
Rugs have long been a standard for helping bathrooms feel and look a little softer while also providing essential traction on potentially slick floors. But for long, narrow bathroom designs, your basic oval-shaped bath mat might not be enough. If you’d like to extend the comfort beyond the area directly in front of your bathtub or shower, a runner rug may be just the thing. Runner rugs provide color and texture to the typically sterile-looking washroom and save you from the cluttered or patchwork appearance you might end up with if you were to use several smaller rugs.
Just make sure that when you’re considering runner rugs for your bathroom you are focusing on durability and stability among the most important factors. Bathrooms are unique areas of the home, encountering high levels of moisture, caustic cleaning products, and oh so much grime. It won’t do to find the bathroom runner of your dreams only to have to wear out and need to be replaced in a matter of months. And it certainly won’t do to get something that sends you sliding every time a little water gets under it.Staircase
Important rooms are often described as metaphorically ‘tying the home together.’ Staircases literally tie it together by connecting different floors and living spaces. This makes staircases very visible, often to the point that they’re one of the first things a person will see as they enter a house. But there’s a difference between seeing and noticing, and sometimes this key feature just doesn’t get the attention it needs to stand out as it should. Once again, a runner rug can make all the difference.
Having a stylish rug on your staircase is not only a great way to inject some color and pattern into your home, but it is also a very functional way to keep your staircase clean, protect steps from the impact of heavy feet, and silence footsteps that might otherwise echo through the building. Just be aware that anything placed on the stairs creates a potential tripping hazard, so always have stairway runners installed professionally to ensure they match the shape of the steps and have added gripping to keep everything firmly in place.
A staircase is one of the most common kinds of custom projects, as there are often characteristics that require individualized specifications. Our expert team of rug specialists can help create a runner rug that meets any size, shape or material challenge your staircase presents! Custom rugs are a great way to get exactly what you want, in the space that you want it in. Contact our team to learn more about what we can custom make for your home.
Dining Room
If you have a rectangular dining room table, a wide runner rug set underneath it is a natural fit. The rug offers a cozy spot for under-table feet to rest and also helps ensure firm traction for anyone carrying serving dishes. Visually, a runner rug can also help separate and distinguish dining areas that connect with kitchens or living rooms, helping you set one of the most functionally important areas of your house apart from other essential spaces. Just make sure to consider a wider runner rug (commonly called a gallery or corridor rug) that allows for your dining chairs to move out from the table without extending past the edge of the rug.
When choosing a rug for your dining room, let your other furnishings determine the overall color so that your rug doesn’t distract from the existing tone. Alternatively, go with something vibrant and unique for an eye-catching boundary highlight that draws guests visually to your table. As with certain other areas, dining rooms see a lot of foot traffic, so remember to go with a rug that can handle a little wear.
Final Thoughts
A runner rug is a great way to instantly upgrade the style of your home while also protecting your floors – and hallways are only the beginning. Whether you want to add some color to a space that is lacking, tie in existing design elements, or simply keep your floors clean, knowing where to put runner rugs and how to use them effectively can help you create a space that’s all your own. From the kitchen to the staircase, there are so many places to explore.
Ready to take these ideas and run with them? Shop the perfect runner rugs for your home with Tufenkian!
