Alphabetical Order

In larger spaces like great rooms, there are often vast seas of one type of flooring. This can suggest a cold, uninviting feeling–even if you have warm wood floors–and that's the last thing you want your home to feel like! It can also get pretty tiresome to stare at one type of flooring, especially wall-to-wall carpeting. That's where area rugs come in–they're a great way to warm up your space. By using a couple of area rugs, you'll shake things up and create depth and dimension.

It's also important to visually define specific groupings like a dining set or living room seating arrangement. This is especially true in a larger space or great room where you're likely to "float" furniture away from the walls. An area rug helps create a sort of island for the furniture that sits on top of it. While it's a detail most couldn't put their finger on, having those perimeters established makes the people in that space feel tucked in and secure.

But don't fall into the "every grouping gets a rug" trap! For instance, in long, narrow spaces, placing an area rug under every grouping of furniture will start to look forced. Instead, consider one really large, fairly neutral or lightly patterned rug to cover the majority of the room. Then, layer a rug (or even two) with real contrast on top to help transition the tones and create even more depth and interest!

If you have two areas you want to define in one great room-style space, try placing two rugs perpendicular to each other to avoid that "punctuation mark" feel. With more than one rug in an open space, an "L" or "T" pattern creates flow.