Affordable Neutral Rugs (That Look Expensive) Rug Tips

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Why Do YOU Need Area Rugs in YOUR Space?

Rugs are one of the easiest ways to make a huge change to your space. They are cozy and comfortable, they add texture and warmth, and bring color and vibrancy into a space.

You can change the look of your space in an instant with the addition of an area rug. The space could go from traditional with vintage Persian rugs or modern with a graphic rug in an instant.

You can create softness or go bold with vibrant colors by just adding a rug to your space.

In addition, area rugs can help with the acoustics of a home especially if you have a lot of hard surfaces everywhere and the house echoes.

Over time carpets can collect dust, bacteria, and debris so area rugs are easier to maintain and clean than carpets. I think area rugs help define a space hence the name.

I think there is a huge difference between cheap rugs and expensive-looking rugs, so before you go out there and start shopping for area rugs I am going to be guiding you on what to look for, what size rug you need, so you can get a super super affordable rug but have it look a lot more expensive.

But First, Some Tips!

1. Size is the key

This probably is the thing that people mess up most. A lot of time people get rugs that are way too small for their spaces. We don’t do that! It just looks really dinky; it looks stupid don’t do it.

Get a rug that is big enough, a rug that will accommodate all the furniture. But not so big that it is going to sort of bump into the edges of your wall.

Remember you don’t want to carpet the space; the point is not to install a carpet on your hardwood floor. The point is to put a rug on your hardwood.

So you are going to need a little bit of space around the edges of your rug so that it is not completely wall-to-wall.

If you have small spaces or an apartment, I would advise you to go for the half-on half-off solution.

So put the front two legs of your furniture on the rug but then have the back two legs off of it. Because realistically you are probably not going to be able to put all four legs on top of the rug.

Otherwise, you run the risk of carpeting the whole room.

If you have a very large living room and you can accommodate a much larger rug, then feel free to get the large rug and put all the furniture legs of your sofa and side chairs completely on the rug.

I think it looks really beautiful if you can do it, but again you have to have the space for it and two you have to have the budget for it because these rugs can get really expensive.

→ TIP

My rule of thumb is for a bedroom; a queen-sized bed gets an 8 × 10 (eight by ten) rug and a king-size bed gets a 9 × 12 (nine by twelve) rug.

That usually gives you the perfect amount of space to have the rug be a foot away from the nightstand, a foot away from the end of the bed or bench, and also give you at least 6” (6 inches) to a foot on the sides and that is what will look best.

For the living room, the rule of thumb is to make sure that all the legs of the furniture or the front legs of the furniture get on the rug.

2. Get a rug pad

Especially when you are shopping these affordable rug places.

Rug pads will protect your floor which is probably the practical point of them.
A lot of these more inexpensive rugs are thin so the rug pad will give it a little bit of cushion and make it look expensive and just a lot better.

3. Make sure you measure before you buy.

Sometimes you think these measurements are going to be standardized and you are like, oh I’m just going to buy a rug, oh I’m just going to go buy a couch and then I’m ooh to go.

Mmmh not necessarily these things are not as standardized as you think. Especially furniture. So you really want to be getting out that measuring tape, measuring out exactly what is going to make sense.

Tape it off on your floor and again remember you are looking for a little bit of breathing space around the rug, you are looking to make sure it accommodates either the front two legs of your furniture or all four legs.

4 – Read the reviews.

This is something I always do when I am shopping for rugs.

I find that sometimes the photos are slightly inaccurate from what they actually look like. The reviews will tell you exactly what you are getting, if it is more gray, if it is thin, if it is cheap.

They really don’t hold anything back in them and they are super super valuable to getting a rug that looks really good.

Recap: Quick Tips for Affordable Area Rugs

1. Size is Key. Choose a rug that fits your space adequately, ensuring it accommodates all furniture without being too small or too large.

2. Invest in a Rug Pad.

3. Make sure you measure before you buy.

4. Review the Reviews. Before making a purchase, read the reviews carefully.

Different styles of rugs and what you should be looking for in a rug.

Vintage Rugs

Vintage rugs are so in right now and a majority of them are hand-tied which makes them insanely expensive.

But for people who are looking to decorate on a budget that is really not an option, so we gotta find those vintage-looking rugs that are affordable but have that same look.

Jute Rugs

Jute rugs add so much texture to a space and just add another “layer” to the room. So if you have a lot of finishes a jute rug is just a perfect way to add some definition.

I’m personally extremely into jute rugs.

Layering

This is a mix of the design of those two. In a lot of layered rug images, you will find a lot of jute rugs on the bottom which is the bigger rug because you can get jute rugs for more inexpensive prices and then you have a vintage rug on top of it.

I would say these are the most used rug styles right now and these are the rugs that are in really expensive homes and projects.

Affordable Natural Rugs That Look Expensive

Jute rugs

Jute rugs are popular in home design for their cozy and natural feel, adding a touch of warmth and texture to any room. They effortlessly blend with different decor styles, bringing a relaxed and earthy vibe to living spaces.

Natural Ren Striped Jute Area Rug

So this first one is a stripped jute rug. It has a tanner stripe and then a whiter stripe and it looks super cute.

I think jute rugs are great for layering but this is one of those that can stand alone and definitely look good.

Natural Striped Jute Basket Weave Area Rug

This is one of my favorites, it has similar but less intense stripe detail on it and it is thick and big.

Ivory Striped Bordered Kilim Area Rug

I don’t know if you’d fully call this a jute rug because it is not made of jute which I think is the reason we call them jute rugs unless I’m wrong.

This rug is thin so that’s just a warning. If you do go this route it is really pretty, it is creamy with black stripes super cute but it is thinner than the other two jute rugs.

So I would just get a rug pad under this or it could be perfect for layering.

If you could layer that on the bottom and then have another rug on top, that would be so cute and probably the direction I would go.

Affordable Neutral jute area rugs

1. Natural ren striped jute area rug.

2. Natural striped jute basket weave area rug.

3. Ivory striped bordered kilim area rug.

Vintage Rugs

There are many vintage rugs, I think it is because they are so popular. But am very opinionated about the ones I like and the ones I don’t like. These are the ones that I like and highly recommend.

Multi Hand Knotted Ivied Oriental Area Rugs

Of all the rugs that I have shared with you I think this is the most high-end looking. I do believe it is the most expensive one of them which makes sense…

I like it but it is a little bit smaller so I think it is perfect for layering. It is neutral and beautiful and I love it.

Silver Florid Dreams Area Rug

This rug has some oranges in it and a little bit of blue but for the most part it comes out just neutral.

Multicolor Nebular Medallion Flatweave Area Rug

The third vintage rug that I find neutral and beautiful and that I recommend is this one and it does have a hand-tied field.

Because a lot of hand-tied rugs aren’t thick and so it is thinner but it is not thin in a bad way.

It does pick up pink but for some reason, I know it is not a neutral rug because it does pick up the pink but it does not feel more neutral like it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Dark Grey Fleur-De-Lis Diamond Area Rug

Lastly this rug I don’t know if I would call it a “vintage” looking rug but I don’t know what other category it would fit into.

It is very neutral; it is like dark deep gray with some white decorative details on it. It has a good width and the look for less versus the more expensive one, it is perfect.

Affordable Neutral vintage area rugs

1. Multi hand knotted ivied oriental area rug.

2. Silver florid dreams area rug.

3. Multicolor nebular medallion flatweave area rug.

4. Dark grey fleur-de-lis diamond area rug.

What Color Should You Get?

You want to pick a color that you want the entire room to be inspired by.

I mean color is such a personal choice so I can’t really tell you what color you should purchase. You need to look around the room, think about your lifestyle, and think about the colors you vibe with.

Always imagine creating a mood and a feeling in the space.

Do you want this space to feel light and bright? happy and cheerful? or do you love dark and Moody cavernous space?

Do you want the area rug to stand out or do you want the area rug to blend in? do you already have furniture in place and looking for an area rug to soften the space up?

Think about contrasting the color of the rug with the largest piece in the room to make it pop. if you have dark walls or a dark-toned bed a light-colored rug would really add definition to the space.

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If you’re still stuck trying to figure out what color rug goes with what color furniture a designer trick I love to use is to let the area rug be your guide.

Choose the area rug first and use it to inspire your furniture picks. I always look for subtle colors and maybe a gradient and a pattern and then I’ll choose those colors to inspire the furniture that is going in my space.

You can pull that color for Drapery retreatment throw pillows, and throw blankets that way, the entire room feels cohesive and custom-designed to your taste.

Color sets the entire look of the room so I know it is a really important decision and one you will have to make in conjunction with pattern.

Do you love color and love neutrals? Look for something with a cool texture a height variation or a tone-on-tone pattern.

What About Patterns?

If you want a classic look that never goes out of style, stay away from too trendy patterns. If you’re into patterns or looking for something classic that has a little bit more longevity; look for tone-on-tone patterns.

Or if you are down to go bold I love making a statement with black and white.

Stripes are always classic they never go out of style and are such a great way to make a statement in a room and anchor the space.

Contrary to popular belief I love what a vintage Turkish or Persian rug can do to a space with all types of styles.

In my opinion, it is a look that never gets dated and has true staying power think about how you want to balance a room when it comes to patterns and color.

How Do You Know What Type of Material to Buy?

There are so many different materials out there, from natural to synthetic. Natural materials like wool, silk, seagrass, Berber, jute, and sisal can be dyed or left in their natural state of color.

Synthetic materials like Poly blend, polypropylene, and viscose are machine-made and can be loomed into any pattern and color or graphics.

If you are a bit of a bargain hunter, poly blends are probably one of the best materials to source.

Look for the ones with a little silk content woven in they are really soft underhand, they look different throughout different times of the day and they are easy to clean and maintain.

Synthetic materials shed less than natural materials so you want to think about that before you choose an area rug that is right for your space.

But be aware that all area rugs shed. They start shedding at the beginning but synthetic materials get vacuumed easily and over time they stop shedding.

In some cases, the synthetic material is the one you want when you have kids and pets and you are worried about maintenance.

If you love neutrals look for something with a cool texture a height variation or a tone-on-tone pattern or let the material dictate your vibe.

Affordable Neutral Rugs (That Look Expensive) Rug Tips

Why Do YOU Need Area Rugs in YOUR Space?