We believe that choosing a rug is similar to investing in a piece of art. There are two routes you can take: Choose a statement rug and use this as the starting point to design your room around, or consider the existing scheme of a room to find a rug that coordinates. It can often be a daunting task, so we’d like to give you our top five tips for choosing the perfect rug.

DON’T: Forget the atmosphere…

Where is your rug going to be placed? If the rug is for a bathroom or a bedroom, you’ll probably want to create a calming environment so choose a design that isn’t overpowering.

In an entrance hall however, you might want to make more of an impact. Once you have considered the atmosphere you’d like to create, also think about the rug’s size.

DO: Mark out the area…

It is vital that you mark out the area where you want the rug to fit. Do this on a drawn to scale plan or use masking tape in situ and remember that size is key. There’s nothing worse than having a rug too small (or too large) for the room.

People often ask us, ‘should furniture sit on or off a rug?’ In our opinion, you can either have a smaller rug under a coffee table so that other pieces of furniture can be arranged loosely around it, or have a rug that is large enough for all the furniture to be placed on top.

DO: Create harmony with colour and tone…

Whether your rug is there to sit peacefully or to make a statement, it should always incorporate the room’s surrounding colours to create a harmonious flow within the space.

DO: Work with your existing furniture…

If your rug has a large-scale organic pattern, it will complement a neutrally toned sofa. You could add further patterns with geometric designs on cushions. To see ‘Our Guide to Mixing Geometric and Organic Patterns’ click here. A striped rug is easy to match with anything, especially block colours. If you’ve got a sofa that was once white but is slowly turning grey, a great hack is to add a bright, bold rug. The contrast will make everything look cleaner.

DON’T: Buy before you try…

It’s always useful to see the rug in situ before you buy it. Textiles often appear differently depending on the lighting, for instance in Barbados we always choose exceptionally bright rugs. Here the colours need to be saturated because anything with muted tones will look faded straight away.

We also recommend indoor/outdoor rugs which are colour-fast. Discover our ‘Indoor Outdoor Rug Collection’ for Annie Selke here.

Whatever your scheme may be, a rug will completely transform the space. If we have a room that needs uplifting or grounding, a rug can so often bring everything together. We hope our ‘Dos and Don’ts’ help you to choose your perfect rug. Find our rugs for Wilton Carpets and Annie Selke at Shop Kit Kemp.