The Best Rug Types to Enhance Your Wood Floor

Rugs are not only used to insulate a room and generate warmth, they also play a large part in how your room feels.  From adding comfort to your home to completely transforming the design of a room, we look at the benefits of bringing a rug into your interior and explore the best styles for enhancing your wood floor.

What does a rug bring to your home?  The main reasons are purely practical.  Rugs add a layer of softness underfoot as these days a number of households have installed hardwood flooring throughout their home.  Having some extra comfort and variation of texture to the touch adds more warmth and protection aswell as reduces sound disruption.  Rugs also protect your wood floor from heavy footfall and can act as an insulator to rooms with minimal furniture or wood flooring.

In terms of aesthetics, a rug can add colour, texture and character to an otherwise plain space.  They can add contrast to your wood flooring for eg by creating a lighter layer onto dark floorboards or by complimenting the grain and natural markings of the timber using interesting tonal shades or pattern. 

With so many types and styles of rug available on the market, there are various ways to add depth and personality to a room depending on what type of look you want to achieve.

There are literally loads of rug style available these days from pure wool to natural fibres such as sisal and seagrass but what styles suit your decor and will compliment your existing wood floor or wood effect surface?

Natural flatweave rugs have become the staple style for most interiors due to the fact that they are very practical and easy to maintain.  Deep pile rugs can be expensive and more difficult to keep clean in terms of heavy footfall, pet hair and spillages.  Due to the versatility of a flatweave rug, they can be used in most rooms of the home, can be machine washed and be used both indoors and in outdoor spaces.  Available in Jute, Sisal and many more, these organic styles add gentle texture, while complimenting your natural wood, vinyl or laminate floor.

This style of rug works in harmony with all types of hardwood and parquet flooring due to the abundance of options available but can really add flourish or character to a space.  Popular patterns include moroccan, tribal, persian, geometric and oriental depending on your decor choice.  The good thing about pattern is that it doesn't necessarily have to match with other textiles but there should be an associated colour or theme that links the style to your overall scheme.

Faux fur rugs can be fun, cosy and add some retro vibes along the way. You may want to create an element of luxury with a high end style or simply use to layer up a section of your room for added texture.  Natural shades of faux fur work best against hardwood flooring.

Sometimes a room with wood flooring may need something more subtle. Like plain bed covers, a plain wool rug can have a classical elegance, adding a bold or delicate colour infusion as well as the necessary soft layer of comfort that can bring a room together.

Rugs come in all shapes and sizes and for some spaces the standard rectangle just doesn't cut it.  For particularly small or awkward sections of a room, a circle or oval shape best compliments the floor by curving round edges and leaving clean lines.

There is no question whether rugs are beneficial to us both practically and to add some style.  By matching your rug type, colours and design to your lifestyle and personal tastes, a well chosen rug can be both functional and elevate your existing flooring.