Traditional Rugs

Patterns and styles in our traditional rugs

We stock floral traditional rugs alongside classic designs, and most of the range is in a vintage style, which gives a rug the look of an older piece. A few take a check instead. The real decision is how much pattern your room can carry. If the sofa, curtains and walls are plain, a busy floral gives the eye somewhere to settle. If you already have pattern at the window or on cushions, a quieter design stops them competing. Pattern also earns its keep where the floor sees heavy use, because a detailed design forgives crumbs and footprints far better than a plain one.

Colours for a traditional rug

We stock traditional rugs in cream, beige, grey, blue and red. Some come in green. Start with what will stay put: the floor, the sofa and the walls. On pale boards or a light carpet, cream or beige keeps the room calm and open. Red brings warmth to a room that gets little sun, blue reads cooler and steadier, and grey suits a scheme of chrome, black metal or cool white walls. Where a design mixes colours, match it to the room by its main colour and let the others pick up cushions or a throw. In a family room, a mid-tone hides everyday marks better than a very pale rug.

Choosing a fibre for a traditional rug

The majority of our traditional rugs are polyester, and we also stock wool and polypropylene. A few are jute. Wool is a natural fibre with a warm, comfortable feel underfoot, so it suits a living room where you sit on the floor or go barefoot. It can shed a little at first, which regular vacuuming settles. With polyester and polypropylene, both synthetic fibres, the deciding points are practical: read the features and care details for whether a rug is washable or stain resistant. Jute is a plant fibre with a firm, textured feel that suits a dry room with light foot traffic.

Low pile or flatweave traditional rugs

Most of our traditional rugs have a low pile, and we stock flatweave designs too. A low pile gives a little cushion without bulk, so a door is more likely to clear it, furniture stands level and fine pattern stays crisp. A flatweave has no pile, which makes it the one to choose under a dining table, where chairs slide in and out, or in a doorway where a deeper rug would catch. Both are easier to keep clean than a long pile, because grit sits near the surface rather than working down into it. If anyone at home is unsteady on their feet, the flatter the rug, the better.

Sizing a traditional rug for the living room

Most of the rugs here suit a living room, and almost all are offered in rectangular sizes. Measure the seating area rather than the whole room. With a sofa against a wall, pick a size that lets the front legs of the sofa and armchairs rest on the rug, which pulls the group together. If the sofa sits away from the walls, a rug large enough to go under the entire group marks out a clear zone. Either way, leave a band of bare floor around the edge. Torn between sizes? Go larger, because a rug that is too small leaves furniture looking adrift. A few come in a round size, which suits a round table or a reading corner.

Traditional runners and bedroom rugs

Most of the range also comes in a runner size, so the design you choose for the living room can carry on down the hall. A runner is the natural shape for a hallway or landing: leave a strip of floor showing along the sides, and keep it clear of the front door's swing.

Many of our traditional rugs suit a bedroom too. Here the choice is between a large rug under the bed and a runner along either side. A large rug under the lower part of the bed, reaching out beyond the sides, gives you somewhere warm to step first thing. Runners suit a smaller room, or a room where a wardrobe would otherwise sit on a large rug.

Looking after a traditional rug

A traditional rug needs little more than good habits. Vacuum regularly, and on a flatweave switch off the beater bar so the weave is not pulled. Turn the rug round from time to time so wear and sunlight are spread across it. Blot spills straight away with a clean, damp cloth, working from the edge inwards, and never rub. Before washing a rug, check its product details: if it is listed as washable, washing is an option when it needs more than a vacuum; if not, spot clean and leave anything deeper to a specialist. On wood, tile or laminate, look in the features for anti-slip, or lay a non-slip underlay beneath the rug so it stays put.