Hallway Runners

Measuring for a hallway runner

Every runner we stock is a long, narrow rug, and getting the fit right starts with the clear floor it will cover. Measure the length of your hallway from the front door to the far wall or the foot of the stairs, then its width between the skirting boards. A runner looks right when it sits centred with a strip of bare floor showing along both sides, so go a little narrower than the space.

Stop the runner short of the front door so the door opens freely, and short of the bottom stair so nobody catches a heel. Check the runner's size against your measurements before you order. If your hall is longer than the runner, centre it so the bare floor at both ends looks even.

Choosing the pile of a hallway runner

We stock flatweave runners, woven flat with no raised pile. A flatweave sits low on the floor, which makes it a sensible choice if a front door or a kitchen door has to open across the runner. Its flat surface is quick to vacuum, and its low edge is less likely to catch a toe.

A few of our runners are shaggy, with a deep, soft pile. A deep pile is kinder to bare feet, so it suits a landing or a bedside better than the front door, where it can drag under the door and trap grit. Either way, lay the runner and open nearby doors over it to check they clear.

Picking a fibre for your hallway runner

Most of our runners are polyester, and many are polypropylene. Both are synthetic fibres, and we would choose a synthetic runner for the stretch just inside the front door, where damp shoes land.

If you would rather have a natural fibre underfoot, a few of our runners are jute, a plant fibre with a firm, textured feel. We would keep a jute runner dry, so lay it beyond the doormat or on a landing. A few of our runners are cotton, a softer natural fibre if jute feels too firm for you.

Colour and pattern in a hallway runner

Whether you choose natural tones, blue, grey, green or pink, think about where the runner will lie. A darker shade or a busy pattern hides the odd muddy footprint between cleans, which helps near the front door. A paler runner brightens a narrow hallway with little daylight, though it shows grit sooner, so it may suit a landing better.

If your home is contemporary, we stock modern runners to match. Some of our runners have a traditional style that suits a period hallway with original floor tiles or panelling. Some carry a floral pattern, which softens a hall with bare painted walls. Some have a geometric pattern, which leads the eye along a long, narrow space.

Keeping a hallway runner in place

On wooden floors, laminate or tiles, a loose runner can creep as you walk over it, and a sliding runner is a trip hazard by the door or at the foot of the stairs. We recommend a rug gripper or a thin underlay, cut a little smaller than the runner so the edges stay hidden. Either holds the runner still and helps the corners lie flat, and underlay also softens the feel underfoot.

On carpet, a runner can slowly walk in the direction of travel, so use a gripper made for carpet rather than hard floors. If a corner curls after you lay the runner, roll it gently the other way and let it settle.

Cleaning a hallway runner

Vacuum a hallway runner regularly, because the grit carried in on shoes wears fibres faster than footsteps alone. Turn it end to end now and then, since the end nearest the door takes the heaviest wear. Blot spills straight away with a clean, damp cloth rather than rubbing them in, and test any cleaner on a hidden corner before you start.

Most of our runners are washable, a real help in a hallway that sees muddy boots. Before you wash or deep clean a runner, check the care details given for it and follow them closely. A doormat at the front door also catches the worst of the dirt before it reaches the runner.

Rug runners beyond the hallway

Rug runners are just as useful away from the front door. On a landing, a runner quietens footsteps outside the bedrooms. In a kitchen, laid along the units, it gives you a softer, warmer place to stand at the sink or hob, as long as it sits clear of the oven door.

We also stock runners suited to living rooms and bedrooms. Beside a bed, a runner saves a cold step onto bare boards in the morning, and in a living room it can mark a path behind a sofa or along a window. Wherever it goes, measure the clear floor, allow for doors and choose a colour that suits the traffic.