Shopping for a rug online that vibes with your interior design can be as hard as shopping for a car online. Interior design decorating from home is oftentimes hard because you can’t touch home décor items or see how well they are made. But with a little help, the home décor dilemma of shopping for a rug online can be easier than you think. Below are some pressing questions you should ask yourself when shopping for a rug that meets the interior design trends 2021 designers have set to take modern interior design into the next decade.

1. What size rug do you need?

If you have already been window shopping for a rug online for an interior design project, you have probably noticed that a particular rug style comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Probably the most important interior design decorating tip we can share is that the size and shape of the rug you select is crucial in home décor styling. A wrongly sized rug can defeat the purpose and make the whole room an aesthetic fail if it is too big or too small.

The general rule of thumb for the appropriate rug size as penned in the home décor textbooks is the bigger the room, the bigger the rug. If the room is a large family room, and furniture will sit on the rug, at least the front legs of the furniture items should fit over onto the edges of the rug. For a smaller sitting room, you may want to place a rug just under the coffee table. The best way to determine what size you need is to measure the space with a tape measure.

In a bedroom, interior design experts will tell you a secret of the trade is that a 9-foot by 12-foot rug is the perfect fit under a king-size or queen-size bed, while a 5-foot by 7-foot goes nicely aside a twin-size bed. Another interior design decorating tip for a dining room is to take the measurements of the table and add three feet around the perimeter to allow for chairs to slide in and out without falling off the edge of the rug. This is inconvenient and damaging to the rug. If the home décor project at hand involves a smaller symmetrical dining area with just four chairs, a 6-foot by 9-foot rug will suffice.

2. What shape rug do you need?

Rugs come in a variety of shapes, mainly rectangles, squares, and circles. As mentioned above, the dimensions and use of the space will most often dictate home décor choices for rug size and shape. However, when it comes to interior design trends 2021 has allowed for some leeway in traditional interior design principles. Rug runners can be placed along the foot of the bed or the side of the bed rather than a much larger and expensive rug covering the whole floor beneath the bed. Additionally, circular rugs have become popular in modern interior design because they are eye catching and playful. Circular rugs work well in foyers, playrooms, small eating spaces, and even spacious family rooms. But remember that size can make all the difference, so a large room will require a large circular rug.

3. What material rug should you buy?

Professionals in the home décor industry will tell you the best determinant of rug material in a room is the amount of traffic coming into and going from the room. When it comes to interior design decorating for foot traffic is typically an afterthought. But it should be considered before selecting a rug because the aesthetic appeal of a white rug, for instance, in a highly trafficked area will be short lived. If the space is a busy thoroughfare such as a foyer, hallway, or threshold between high-use rooms, consider wool, wool-blend, or jute rugs. Go with a stain-resistant flatweave rug made of durable fibers that are long-lasting and easy to clean. Another home décor tip for interior design decorating is to consider using indoor/outdoor rugs indoors in frequented areas like the family room and kitchen. These rugs are especially durable and can withstand more traffic than their indoor-only counterparts. Shag rugs and other high pile rug styles are best placed in bedrooms and bathrooms where shoes aren’t typically worn.

4. Is the rug visually appealing?

At the core of modern interior design is what appeals to your sense of style. To tie together all the practical factors of rug shopping listed above, equally important is how the rug looks in the space. Select a rug that matches the home décor style of the room as a whole and the pieces around the room. A rug can be a work of art or a muted statement. Prominent patterns such as chevron or stripes are better suited in rooms that don’t have a lot of other furniture to match with such as a hall or foyer. Abstract and colorful rugs compliment children’s spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. In a family room with a lot of design elements already incorporated, go for rugs with neutral and subdued design work. To influence interior design trends 2020 technology offers the option to photograph your space and see how rug choices will look like in your home. The realistic representation these features provide is impressive and can help you make better home décor decisions online when visiting a store isn’t ideal.