Flooring, Carpets and Rugs

Every item in a contemporary room helps build up the style and character of your interior but maybe none more so than a rug. The difference between contemporary rugs and traditional or ethnic rugs are so far apart that they speak volumes about your style just by putting one in an otherwise neutral room.

A contemporary rug, for example, has the following important characteristics:-

1. Color

Contemporary rugs have distinct clear colors. They might be plain but you will know that you have a contemporary black rug or a modern purple rug by the clarity of color. Traditional rugs tend to have more faded and subtle colors.

2. Pattern

Modern contemporary rugs are characterized by large geometric patterns with clear lines. While ethnic rugs such as southwestern rugs and traditional rugs might have clear lines, patterns are generally on a small scale in comparison and they feature a regularity of pattern not found in contemporary area rugs which tend to be more asymmetric in nature.

3. Materials

Although there are modern rugs in traditional materials (you’ll find a huge range of contemporary wool rugs HERE) you will find modern rugs in many different materials. There are cheap contemporary rugs in cotton or acrylic which look good enough to grace any room in your home. You will also find modern shag rugs in leather and suede which would make a wonderful centerpiece in a living room. And the more creative and innovative designers tend to push the boat out with many different materials so that you might find a contemporary area rug which might look just as much at home in an art gallery as in your loft apartment.

If you are looking for contemporary rugs these are also the main features that you need to think about to keep the style right because, of course, there are as many different styles of modern rugs as there are rooms to put them in.

Be aware too that large contemporary rugs can dominate a room and become talking points as well as being a way of adding comfort to your floor but you need to make sure that they enhance the room rather than dominate it too much. It is important to get the balance right by making sure that whatever rug you choose is in keeping with the rest of the decoration and that it does not become the only focal point in the room.

Take whatever colors are found in your rug (there are usually just a few in contemporary rugs) and add accessories to your room with the same colors. This will help the rug become part of the room rather than just a beautiful addition.