Have you decided that a stylish area rug is just what you need to tie a room together?
If so, we’ve created a list of some truly gorgeous and utility-friendly rugs that you’re going to love.
This list of the best rugs in Australia includes various styles, designs, and patterns to accommodate an array of home design themes. Check it out for a burst of trendy inspiration!
Additionally, at the bottom of this list, we’ve included a comprehensive FAQ section to help you buy a rug with confidence.
1. Network Rugs Multi-Coloured Art Moderne Louvre Rug
Showcasing a distressed vintage look, this colourful and artistic rug works great in rooms with a chic Boho vibe.
Since it features high-quality materials like 100% heat-set polypropylene fibres and jute backing, this rug is not only comfortable underfoot, but it’s also perfect for essentially any area in your home.
Powerloomed for precision and durability, this rug comes in four sizes. The smallest size option measures 230cm x 160cm and the largest is 400cm x 300cm.
2. Home Republic Tierra Rust Large Rug
This quality area rug has been handwoven using premium materials like cotton and wool. It has a textured surface with a bold contrasting geometric pattern and tasselled edges.
As such, the Tierra Rug can complement a range of interior decorative themes.
Measuring 160cm x 230cm, this rug fits easily in both bedrooms and living rooms. If the rust coloured look doesn’t suit you, you can also buy it in a grey variant.
3. Temple & Webster Sol Hand-Woven Hemp & Wool Rug
The Temple & Webster Sol Hand-Woven Hemp & Wool area rug adds a luxurious touch to any room.
With its understated textural look and Moroccan style pattern, it fits with various modern design themes.
It has been handwoven using jute, wool, cotton, polyester, and viscose. The back of this rug is made of 100% cotton.
This is a great rug to buy for a living room or bedroom.
4. NSW Leather Co Natural Beige & White Cowhide Rug
The neutral tones and colours of this natural beige and white cowhide area rug blend in easily with various decorative colour schemes.
As a genuine leather rug, each hide has been carefully hand-picked to ensure superior quality.
Also, every NSW Leather Co Cowhide Rug comes free of scars or branding marks.
This white and beige cowhide area rug is also hypoallergenic. It’s a good option for those who want to add a note of elegant country character to indoor home living spaces.
5. Rug Culture Silver/Grey Mirage Modern Rug
A durable and soft-to-the-touch option, this is a good rug for wood or tile floors. It measures approximately 330 x 240cm and has a modern yet sophisticated design.
With silver and grey pattern accents, it can complement a range of decorative themes.
This rug is made of power-loomed heat-set polypropylene, so it’s durable and easy to clean.
As such, it works well for areas in the home with heavy foot traffic.
Finally, this rug is resistant to mould and has been mothproofed. All in all, it would be a great option to buy for almost any home.
6. Lifestyle Floors Grey Skandi Hand-Woven Wool Rug
Made of 100% handwoven wool, this modern area rug has been treated for both moth and stain resistance.
It has a design that originates in India and blends in with contemporary, Scandinavian, coastal, and casual themes.
With a wide rectangular shape, this Lifestyle Floors rug measures 200cm x 290cm in its standard size.
It also comes in a large 300cm x 400cm size, a medium 240cm x 330cm size, and a small 160cm x 230cm size with a pile height of 2cm.
7. Home Republic Tivoli Sky Blue & Rust Isfahan Rug
Measuring 160cm x 230cm, this rust and sky blue rug from Home Republic has contrasting colours, tasselled edges, and a trendy geometric pattern.
With its designer collection inspired elements, it can make an intriguing statement piece in any bedroom or living room.
It has been woven with soft cotton and polyester materials.
This rug would also be ideal for imparting a designer look to a living room that already showcases red or blue colour splashes.
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8. Fab Rugs Recycled Plastic Brooklyn Indoor/Outdoor Rug
With an eco-friendly weave crafted of recycled shopping bags and plastics, this rug is very durable and responsibly manufactured.
It’s the perfect choice for those who want to protect their floors and help to preserve the environment in one stroke.
This area rug also comes at a great price. Select from teal, wine, or navy blue colours. This area rug is mildew and UV resistant, so it’s ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.
When you need a change, its reversible design and ombre inverted pattern lets you flip it over for a totally different new look.
All in all, this is a versatile and highly-functional rug that would fit right in with most home living area spaces.
9. Mark Tuckey Warehouse Sienna Rug
From the Mark Tuckey Warehouse designer collection, this rug comes in both a small 160cm x 230cm size and a large 200cm x 300cm size.
It has been handwoven using a combination of jute, wool and polyester.
This versatile rug can add character to various home living spaces. It has a uniquely knotted and textured pattern that offers an understated look.
The smaller size is great for a bedroom and the larger option is ideal for adding style to your living room.
rug FAQs
In this FAQ guide, we’ll provide you with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions from shoppers looking for new rugs. Hopefully, this information will help you more easily buy the right area rug to enhance the look of your living room, bedroom, dining room, or patio.
What does pile mean and what pile height is best?
Pile is a term that is used to describe the density of a rug’s fibres. Furthermore, pile height is the thickness of a rug as measured from the surface to the backing. Flat rugs, for example, have shorter pile heights. Alternatively, a shag rug will have a higher pile height. To select the best pile height for your living space, there are a few factors to consider.
First of all, you’ll have to decide how plush you’d like your rug to feel underfoot. It’s important to keep in mind that the thickness of a rug’s pile does not always indicate its overall quality. Some rugs are extremely thin but of high quality and density while other rugs are much thicker but of low overall quality. To pad or add thickness to flatweave variants with shorter piles, you can always buy a carpet pad.
Generally speaking, rugs with a short but dense pile are durable and are easy to care for. Alternatively, longer-pile rugs can feel soft and luxurious underfoot but may be susceptible to shedding and indentation marks. Shag rugs and other longer-pile rugs can also easily become entangled in the rotating beater bar of a vacuum cleaner.
What rug fibre is the softest and most comfortable?
Comfort and texture are important factors to consider before you buy an area rug. As a rule, cotton is known to be one of the most comfortable rug materials on bare feet. Plus, modern cotton rugs are usually durable and easy to clean.
If cotton isn’t what you’re looking for, a chenille rug may be worth considering. Chenille is classy, soft, and cozy, and easy to fall in love with.
These modern rugs are perfect for long-term indoor use and make luxurious additions to any space.
If you want to take things in a different direction, another soft and stain-resistant material worth considering is wool.
With a texture that’s full and plush, woollen rugs feel cushioned and luxurious underfoot.
Plus, they add a graceful patina to any room and come in an array of bold and rich hues that are slow to fade. Even after a long time, if you care for a woollen rug right, it will continue to look new.
Lastly, consider synthetic fibres like polyester or viscose. These materials mimic the look of more expensive rugs while saving you money. Also, many synthetic rugs are resistant to wear, fading, and mould. They tend to retain their shape and are easy to clean as well.
So, if you prefer something soft and plush-feeling but have kids or pets, synthetic rugs may be worth looking into.
What rug fibre is the most durable?
The most durable natural rug fibre is without question wool. This should come as no surprise since woollen rugs are one of the most popular choices among homeowners in Australia.
Not only is wool extremely versatile, but it also dyes easily, meaning that it comes available in an array of stunning colour options that are slow to fade. Plus, springy woollen fibres can easily be spot-cleaned with dish soap and water.
However, this material is not ideal for outdoor use. With that in mind, for homes with outdoor living spaces, synthetic materials are worth considering. For instance, heat-treated polypropylene is often seen in both indoor and outdoor rugs.
Synthetic materials shed minimally, retain their shape, and are easy to maintain.
Last but not least, consider looking into rug products crafted with jute. Jute is a natural plant fibre that is strong, durable, and affordable. However, make sure to keep a jute area rug relatively dry. This material is prone to mould damage.
What type of rug is best over carpet?
Adding a rug on top of a preexisting carpet is a great way to impart a textural note and a pop of colour to a room without having to do a complete decorative overhaul.
The goal with layering rugs is to evenly match rug heights and colourful textural notes without overwhelming your space. To properly layer carpets, you will need to consider a few factors.
First of all, area rugs work best over looped or short-pile carpets. Laying a soft shag area rug over a short carpet adds a note of traditional elegance to a bedroom or living room. Alternatively, if you have a thicker plush style of carpet in your home, choosing a low-profile rug is best.
Avoid putting a thick plush area rug over long-pile carpet. This could cause the carpet to buckle and shift since it won’t have a supportive structure underneath. Alternatively, laying a thin rug on top of carpet that’s already short, looped, or low, can feel somewhat redundant.
Finally, look at the texture and colour differences between your carpet and the area rug you like. If the two colours match too closely without complementing each other, a room can start to feel stifling.
What is the best rug for high traffic?
Wool is considered to be one of the most durable rug materials around. Plus, wool rugs are easier to clean than other options.
However, synthetic rugs can work in heavily trafficked areas too.
Wool and synthetic materials are both resistant to staining and dust mites, which can be helpful if you have pets.
Other materials that are good for areas of heavy foot traffic include flatweave rugs crafted using natural grass or jute.
However, before you buy a rug made with organic fibres like jute, you’ll want to consider how much moisture said rug will be subjected to. Both grass and jute should be kept dry.
Therefore, for highly trafficked rooms that could be subject to moisture, consider using synthetic or cotton rugs.
How to choose the right size rug for a room?
When it comes to size, the key is to choose an area rug that will fit properly with the floor space you have available and more or less match the furniture that’s already in the room.
These days, area rugs come in various shapes and sizes, so you will have plenty of options to choose from.
When sizing an area rug for your home space, you’ll need to consider the shape of the room, the amount of floor area you want to cover, and how you want the rug to flow around the edges of your furniture.
From here, you can begin looking for a particular style to buy within your price range. Remember, area rugs should extend at least 8cm from the edge of a bed or sofa.
Here’s a tip: Before you buy an area rug for any home living space, measure and apply painters tape to mark exactly where the rug will go. This trade secret lets you see how an area rug will look on the floor.
After gathering the dimensions of a rug, simply mark the area around your furniture with the painter’s tape.
Then, step back and have a look at the results. With a bit of imagination, you will be able to see if everything will fit properly. This method works especially well if you’re shopping for a rug online.
