6 practical benefits of rugs

Rugs are always being judged on their looks. Decorators and homeowners lean on them to dazzle and complement a room, but there’s more to rugs than meets the eye. Beyond their surface-level beauty, the qualities of rugs run deep. Look beyond the superficial and get to know the hidden benefits of rugs. 

Noise Absorption

Maybe you have a room in your house that has an echo or a hallway you can always hear people walking down. A rug is a great way to mitigate noise in those spaces. The fabric of a rug acts as a noise reducer and helps absorb sound, making for a quiet and calm home. 

Rugs are also incredible for managing noise while you’re entertaining. Even with a room full of people, a rug will bring down the decibels of chatter, making it easier for people to hear each other.

In fact, rugs are so good at absorbing noise that they can be a requirement. It’s very common for leases and co-op agreements in New York City to have a clause calling for 80% of the floor to be covered in rugs. 

Space Definition

When you use a rug in your room design, it often gives off a grounding feeling. This is because it provides a focal point within the room while also providing the suggestion of a border between one space and another. 

If you have a closed floor plan in your home, a rug can bring a certain amount of cohesion to a room. If you have an open floor plan, a rug can help define different spaces in your home, connecting furniture and decorations that belong together. Either way, rugs help clarify where one room ends and another begins.

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A rug like this Carmen Polysilk Outdoor Rug in Marine can help define a space in an open floor plan.

Cushion

If your home has wooden or tile floors, rugs can provide extra softness to the ground. This is especially important if you have small children.

Slips and falls are a fact of life for little ones. A rug on the floor provides extra cushion for their tumbles, bringing more safety to your space. They also offer better support for your bare feet around the house.

Warmth

Blankets, robes, and sweaters are often the first lines of defense in a cold house. But did you know that one of the major benefits of rugs is warmth?

They shield your feet from cold, bare floors. You can also keep a room cozy with a rug draped over your hardwood floors, which often have small cracks that can let in cold air.

Protection

Sometimes you have floors in your house that are beautiful and unique. Rugs act as a natural barrier between the floor and foot traffic, protecting these special surfaces against scratches and scuffs that come from heavy use. 

Even if your floors aren’t that special, they are still scratchable. Dining room chairs, people coming in and out, and active pets that scurry around the house–rugs are great at protecting your floors from all of these indoor elements.

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A rug like this Lido Wool Rug in Shell can help combat floor damage from pets.

Brightness

Not every room in a home can get the natural light we desire. A rug is an easy way to combat darker rooms.

Try white or lighter neutral colors to offset the darkness in rooms that don’t get a lot of light. These lighter tones will bring their brightness into the space, making it more inviting to all.

Beyond Beauty

As you can see, rugs have a lot more to offer than just their looks. The benefits of rugs extend well beyond their decorative nature.

Luckily, you don’t have to choose between a rug that is useful and one that looks beautiful. Any of our natural fiber rugs will do the trick. Check out our full catalog to find one that is right for your home.