If you’re not prepared, shopping for area rugs can be challenging. There are a variety of things to take into consideration when rug shopping, like rug size, the type of material, shape/style, and most importantly where you want the rug to go and it’s intended purpose. In this article, we’ll give you all the how-tos on rug shopping and for the budget shoppers out there, where you can find cheap area rugs.
Choosing The Right Location And Space
Before deciding on the size, style, and color of rug you’ll want, figure out where the location and space of the rug. A great question to ask yourself is, “how much traffic will this room get?”. For example, it wouldn’t be wise to place a shag rug in the dining room. Food and crumbs get lost in the long, lush shag hairs. Plus, scooting in and out of dining room chairs is not easy or smooth on shag. Something that doesn’t stain easily and is pet and kid friendly is a great option for a dining room. If you’re considering a natural fiber rug like Jute, avoid placing it in damp or humid rooms, because they absorb moisture leading them to mold.
Choosing The Best Rug Size And Placement
When shopping for a rug, it’s easy to shop for a rug based on color and style first, rather than size. That’s understandable, but keep in mind that the size of a rug will change the dynamic and atmosphere of a room. When measuring for a rug, it’s rule of thumb to measure the seating area, and then select a rug a size up from that measurement. By doing that, it allows all the legs of the furniture to be on the rug. Plus, it gives a unified look to the room. If you’re not sure what size rug to pick for the space, depending on the size of your room, a larger size rug, like an 8×10, will make a room appear larger — if placed properly.
Living Room
When sizing a rug for a living room, it’s key to leave at least a 1ft border between the rug and walls. If the rug is being placed under furniture, have either the front legs (or all) of the pieces resting on the rug.
Dining Room
For the dining room, give 2-3ft of room on each side of the table. That allows for dining room table chairs to be pulled in and out. And most tables should have a rug that’s least 8ft wide.
Bedroom
Depending on the size of your bedroom and bed, it’ recommended to place the rug under the front 2/3 of the bed, and give at least 3ft of rug on each side of the bed. If you want to ditch that idea, you can also a purchase smaller rugs, like a runner, and put one on each side of the bed.
Don’t forget to place rug pads under each rug to help protect the floor, and keep the rug from sliding and shifting. If you’re not sure what size of rug pad to purchase, RugPadUSA has a helpful buying guide. Select the type of the floor your rug will be laying on, like hardwood, laminate, tile, concrete, etc. Then choose the size and shape of your rug, and RugPadUSA will find the right type and size of rug pad for you.
Types Of Rug Materials
Not all rugs are the same. Some types of rugs are better for certain parts of the home than others. As I mentioned earlier, you wouldn’t want to use a shag rug in the dining room, but a shag rug would work great in a bedroom or office.
Wool
Wool is a smart choice if you’re looking for a material that repeals stains, easy to clean, and is durable. Since it’s such a durable material it works well in any room.
Note: Wool rugs will shed for the first 3-6 months, but with regular vacuum use the shedding will go away.
Jute & Sisal
Jute and Sisal are natural fibers with a rougher feel to them. Due to the way jute and sisal rugs are constructed these natural fiber rugs have a beautiful weave and texture to them that synthetic fiber rugs don’t have. They are also durable rugs making them great for living rooms, offices, and bedrooms.
Note: Just like wool they tend to shed and with regular vacuuming the shedding will go away over time. Jute and sisal are not stain friendly rugs. They absorb moisture, which makes getting stains out tough.
Cotton Rugs
Cotton rugs are less expensive alternative to wool rugs, and are a great option if you’re allergic to wool. Typically, a lot of cotton rugs have a flat weave or are braided. They can have the appearance of jute or sisal rugs, but have a softer touch to them. A big perk to cotton rugs is that they are machine washable and durable making them the perfect rug for dining rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and kitchens.
Synthetic Fiber Rugs
If you’ve got kids or a busy household, you’re most likely going to want a durable rug. Synthetic fiber rugs are easy to clean, don’t shed, and can handle high traffic areas like hallways and playrooms. If you want a rug that you can customize, (size, color, pattern, etc.) then a synthetic fiber rugs is your best option. They’re machine made which lets them be customized to your desire. Plus, they’re more affordable than a natural fiber rug. Synthetic fiber rugs include: Nylon, Polyester, and Olefin rugs.
Shopping For Good, Cheap Area Rugs On A Budget
Area rugs pull a room together, reduce noise, and help set a mood for the room. If you’ve gone shopping for area rugs before then you know just how expensive they can be, and not everyone can spend $500+ on a rug. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice style or quality for price, luckily finding cheap, beautiful, and quality area rugs is not as hard as you might think.
We’ve done the hard work for you, and compiled a list of places to find cheap area rugs under $99 that don’t skimp on style or quality.
Wool
RugsUSA
RugsUSA has thousands of stylish and affordable rugs with incredibly quick shipping. You can choose between round, square, or rectangular wool rugs in a variety of sizes.
Wovenly
Wonvenly offers quality rugs that won’t break the bank. What’s great about Wovenly is that they let you know the origin of the rug. Take their 100% wool Jemma: Traditional & Oriental Floral rug for example, it’s origin is India, it’s hand tufted, and it starts at $56!
Jute & Sisal
Birch Lane
Jute rugs can get pricey quickly, but Birch Lane always has great deal on their area rugs. Take their Addilyn Handwoven Natural Area Rug, on sale for $81.99
Target
As always, you can count on Target for great deals, stylish products, and Jute rugs. They offer are a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes on Jute area rugs, like their 6ft Solid Braided Round Area Rug by OpalHouse offered in blue and khaki.
Walmart
Walmart has a wide selection on natural fiber area rugs like Sisal, Jute, and mixed fiber. If you’re looking for a timeless area rug, their Safavieh Natural Fiber Levi Braided Area Rug is great choice.
Synthetic Fiber Rugs
World Market
World Market is a great go-to for area rugs. They offer a variety of rugs from synthetic fiber to wool! Their indoor/outdoor rug is a smart choice if you like to host parties; stylish, affordable, and no need to worry about stains or mud!
Amazon
You never need to worry about whether or not you’ll score a deal on Amazon. Amazon has got hundreds of stylish and cheap area rugs.
