Interiors feature: Style underfoot
Latest Interiors finds what the best dressed floors will be wearing this spring
Rugs and runners can add a highlight of colour, pattern, texture, or even make a bold design statement in otherwise neutral spaces. They’re also very versatile: rugs provide a quick facelift for tired carpets, sound-proofing for echoing hallways, and protect and insulate wood or stone floors. This week, Latest Interiors finds out what the best dressed floors are wearing…
Fabric and texture
Natural fabrics and materials remain a strong trend this year, but choose your rug or runner with care. High traffic areas such as hallways and stairs need something hard-wearing (and clean-able!). Pure wool may cost a little more, but should give you many years of service. Alternatively, an 80/20 wool nylon mix will still be beautiful and hard-wearing. Sisal, coir and grass rugs and runners are hard wearing, natural, and add some texture to floors and spaces.
Areas with less traffic can take lighter materials. This season, we’re loving linen, cotton, suede and leather, and even natural skins such as goat or sheepskin (you can source animal skin rugs that have been naturally, ethically produced as a by-product of meat production – see, for example, www.sheepskin.co.uk or www.thenaturalstore.co.uk).
Colour and layers
Bold colour is another key trend. In neutral or white spaces, bright spring greens, yellows and oranges, hi-vis abstracts, retro ‘70s florals and coloured stripes look amazing. For an easier, muted look, opt for simple colour blocks in deep blue, silvery-grey, ochre, mustards or browns. Runners work best in simple patterns like stripes or spots. Try layering rugs for texture and added cosiness: a soft sheepskin thrown on top of an old, faded oriental rug gives a chic, eclectic feel.
Finally, if you really want your rug to look amazing, get the size right. It’s all too easy to over- or under-estimate what size you need. Use sheets of old newspaper to measure out a size that suits your space. If you can’t find exactly what you want, some specialist companies offer a bespoke service, letting you design your own rug, to your own dimensions, unique to your home.
