Choosing the Right Rug for An Entryway with a Hardwood Floor

Choosing the Right Rug for An Entryway with a Hardwood Floor

Your entryway rug is arguably the most important rug in your home. As you look for yours, keep these considerations in mind to pick the right fit.

Share

Your entryway rug is arguably the most important rug in your home, in terms of both style and practicality. It welcomes visitors into your home, keeps them from slipping as they step inside, and protects the rest of your flooring from their dirty shoes or boots. Not all rugs can accomplish all of these tasks - which means when it comes to picking your entryway rug, you’ll have to be discerning.

And if you’re lucky enough to have hardwood flooring in your entryway, you have even more to consider. You’ll need a rug that looks great against your hardwood floor without covering up or overpowering its natural beauty. You’ll need to be doubly sure the rug is waterproof or water could leak through it and damage your beautiful (and expensive) flooring, too. And, of course, you’ll want it to keep protecting your hardwood for years to come.

Various as these considerations are, they can make for a helpful way to narrow down your options. As you consider which rugs may be right for your entryway, keep each of the following traits in mind.

What makes a good entryway rug on hardwood floors?

If your entryway has hardwood floors, you’ll want the rug you invest in to be:

Slip-proof

Safety first! Your entryway rug will likely be the first thing most people entering your home step on, and they might be stepping on it with wet, dirty, or otherwise slippery feet. You’ll want a rug that won’t slip out from under them. We usually recommend investing in a rug pad for any entryway rug.

Textured

Even with a rug pad, you might slip on a perfectly smooth rug. A good entryway rug should have enough texture to give you a solid surface to walk on, especially if you’ll be carrying anything into your home over it.

Waterproof

Your entryway will probably serve as the area where the people entering your home can take off their shoes before going further inside. This means they’ll track water and mud onto your entryway rug. Avoid materials that soak up water like wool in favor of waterproof and mold-resistant options like synthetic fiber.

Durable

Your entryway rug is going to see a lot of foot traffic, and a lot of those feet will be tramping over it in shoes and boots. Any entryway rug you choose will have to be able to withstand heavy use over a long time without fraying, tearing… or even fading. After all, you don’t just want your entryway rug to continue to be useful for years to come - you want it to look good, too. 

Shaped

Chances are, you’ll want your entryway rug to come in a particular shape. Maybe you’ll want a runner so you can give the people entering your home plenty of space to walk in and take their shoes off. Maybe you’ll want an extra wide rectangular entryway rug to let multiple people come in at once. Either way, make sure you measure your entryway and decide on the right shape and size before you start looking.

Visible

No matter how well you’ve secured your entryway rug, one of the best ways to keep people from slipping on it is to ensure they always know it's there. It may be tempting to find an entryway rug that perfectly matches the color and texture of your hardwood floor, but we’d recommend choosing something that sticks out - at least to some extent. 

Complementary 

That being said, it wouldn’t make much sense to have a beautiful hardwood floor in your entryway if you were just going to cover it up with a rug. Instead, you’ll want to find an entryway rug that complements the color and texture of your hardwood floor in the right way: standing out just enough to be distinct while bringing out the unique character of the hardwood it contrasts. Luckily, you have plenty of options - a lot of our entryway rugs are designed to be neutral and textured for just this purpose.

The best materials for entryway rugs for hardwood floors

Keeping each of these must-haves in mind, the materials we recommend for entryway rugs on hardwood floors are:

Polypropylene or polysilk

Polypropylene and polysilk are synthetic fibers that are designed to replicate the look and feel of organic sisal and wool, respectively. 

Synthetic fibers can be a great choice for entryways because they’re stronger and more water and mold-resistant than their organic counterparts, but they still look great and feel soft. They also come in a full range of shapes and colors, so you’ll always be able to find the right fit for your entryway. 

Shop synthetic fiber rugs

Seagrass

Seagrass rugs are woven from organic fibers derived from undyed seagrass fibers. These fibers grant them a unique, intricate basketwoven look and an excellent combination of strength and stain resistance that make them ideal for entryways. 

Notably, seagrass rugs maintain the natural color palette of their undyed fibers, which means the rug will be characterized by attractive light-brown, beige, and sea green hues. It also means the rug will naturally fade to a neutral tan over time. All of these colors tend to look very nice on hardwood floors, creating a complementary look that the texture of the rug offsets and enhances. 

Shop Seagrass rugs

Sisal 

Sisal is an organic fiber spun from the leaves of the Agava Sisalana plant. Sisal rugs have naturally neutral coloring and beautiful, complex texturing and weaving, making them particularly eye-catching against hardwood floors in entryways.

Along with aesthetic considerations, sisal is an extremely durable fiber that can take anything your entryway’s visitors can dish out. It’s also very easy to clean and - as a naturally sourced fiber - highly eco-friendly.  

Shop Sisal rugs

Have more questions? Ready to get started customizing the perfect rug for your entryway? We’re ready to help. Check out our online rug customizer or get in touch directly right now. 

 

Sign Up and Save 10%
No, Thanks
guide guide