There's no time like the dead of winter for adding a few cozy rugs to your home décor. Cold wood or tile floors and even thin carpets are made so much more welcoming with the right rug in exactly the right place. Not to mention that a tasteful rug can perfectly pull together your room's design composition.

Here at Fossil Blu, we know all about finding that perfect balance between beautiful and comfortable home design. Which is why we know that the right rug can transform your décor and increase the comfort of any space. Of course, the right rug for each room is probably unique depending on how that room is used and the décor already in place. Dive into the details with us on how to choose the perfect rug for any space in your home.  

Hallway Runners: Traction and Elegance

Let's start with one of our favorite underrated rug designs: The hallway runner. A runner rug is a long, narrow rug designed to provide traction and cushioning (and elegance) along a pathway. Runner rugs can help define walking paths around furniture in a larger room, but their best use is often to provide both traction and a dash of décor for interior hallways.

Hardwood hallways are tempting runways for sock-sliding, but you don't want to slip at the wrong moment. A runner rug adds a little style to even the plainest hallway, while also providing cushioning for bare feet and traction for slippery socks and shoes. Choose a style that looks right at either end of the hall can beckon family members from their bedroom for a pleasant trip to the kitchen and family area. 

The Perfect Area Rug for a Hardwood Floor Living Room

Is your family living space hardwood? Adding an area rug can make your family's social space more cozy and welcoming without sacrificing that beautiful wood gleam or ease of cleaning to the corners. The best way to choose a living room area rug is to select a rug slightly larger or smaller than the seating area. 

A larger rug creates a room within a room, defining the social space where family can comfortably lounge on couches and younger people can sit on the floor without cold or hard flooring below. A smaller rug will make the seating area seem more enclosed and enhance the hardwood walkways around the couch and chairs.

Choose a statement rug that draws the eye, but then lets your furniture become the visual centerpiece with an understated color or pattern. Both solid, and patterned rugs can look amazing when used to define your living room seating area.

Bedroom Rugs Make for a Cozy Bedtime

A bedroom, carpeted or not, is always cozier with a personal rug. This is your chance to let your inner style shine, as with all personal bedroom décor. Choose your favorite color and a pattern that makes you smile. Whether you prefer something elegant, dramatic, or even a little silly, the right rug in your bedroom can make bedtime (and mornings) a more enjoyable experience.

We suggest a plush rug with thicker pile in the bedroom, as this is where you are most likely to be barefoot and a warm rug under your toes is a simple delight.

There are three schools of thought on the best place for a rug in your bedroom. One suggests flanking your bed with lovely runner rugs that you can step onto first thing in the morning - and last thing at night. Another suggests a large area rug below your bed which protrudes welcomingly from both sides. The last is a central rug, instead using your rug as a bedroom décor centerpiece to draw attention away from your bed and elevate other uses for the room.

Selecting the Right Rug for a Carpeted Room

Placing a rug over carpet? Why not! Rugs on carpet add both décor and an extra layer of plush beneath your feet. An area rug can help to protect a nice carpet or hardwood floor, or it can hide an older carpet you're not ready to replace.

In terms of style, the best way to combine a rug with wall-to-wall carpeting is contrast. If your home has a standard cream-colored carpet, go for a rich burgundy or royal blue that draws the eye and creates a wow-factor that your old carpet could never achieve. Not only will you enjoy a more plush area of the room for walking and lounging, you will also achieve a splash of satisfyingly dramatic décor.

Of course, the most challenging aspect of rug-on-carpet décor is pattern-matching. If you have a patterned rug, a solid-color, concentric frame, or geometric rug will likely look best without clashing. But you can always use an Augmented Reality (AR) decorating app to double-check before purchasing your rug of choice.

Centerpiece Rugs Steal the Show

If you're looking to transform the look and feel of your home, a centerpiece rug is one of your greatest tools. A statement rug placed in the center of the room (or off-center to define your seating area) draws the eye and visually redefines the space for residents and guests. This can really reinvent a plain-looking living room or bedroom by turning that beige background rug into the canvas for your real floor décor.

Fatigue Rugs in the Kitchen and Laundry

Do your feet, knees, or back ever get tired while working in the kitchen? We've been there, which is exactly why the kitchen fatigue rug is another special favorite when it comes to rug decorating at home.  A fatigue rug is any kind of plush layer between your feet and the hard, washable kitchen floor. Standing on tile, laminate, or laminate wood can really wear out your lower body without the right support.

Official fatigue mats (sold by that name) are often made of thick foam (and are a little pricey), but you can also DIY a fatigue rug with any sturdy, washable rug placed near your fireclay sink, countertops, or where you most like to fold laundry. Place a fatigue rug near your farmhouse sink so that doing the dishes won't leave you limping for a chair, or in the laundry room so that hand-washing and folding fresh laundry doesn't tax your knees and lower back.

Decorating Your Home with Fossil Blu

Rugs are a wonderful addition to any home décor. Every single room (and hallway) can have its own rug design that not only draws the eye, but also makes the room more comfortable and useful at the same time. Here at Fossil Blu, our specialty is Farmhouse Sinks, which gives us a unique insight into the importance of both beautiful home design and practical features. Whether you're looking for the perfect rug to complete your living room or  you want to add a farmhouse sink in front of the new decorative fatigue mat you’ve chosen for the kitchen or laundry, we're here to help.

 Contact us today to learn more about how to increase your home's beauty and functionality at the same time with a new farmhouse sink.