Rugs are a great place to start building a room design. They help define conversation areas, they can separate functional areas, and they make open-concept floor plans feel more practical. But what if you’re decorating a casual family room? Won’t a rug make it feel formal? Not necessarily. Let’s look at some casual options.
Note: This list is primarily intended to give you ideas for creating a casual look. It is not intended as a comprehensive discussion of rug types, construction, quality, and care.
Low Pile Cotton Rug
Cotton rugs are easy to maintain and can last a long time. They’re less fine, less formal, and more affordable than wool rugs. The key is to find a pattern that creates a casual mood. Checked patterns, grids, and wavy line patterns look great and wear pretty well, while floral patterns tend to come across as more formal. Solid-colored rugs with or without a border can be informal, but consider how much foot traffic will go through your room. A light-colored rug will show dirt easily, especially if it’s adjacent to an outside door.
Bound Carpet or Remnants
Recently, I discovered that custom carpet binding is actually quite an affordable option. This opens up all sorts of pattern and color possibilities. If you have an oddly shaped room, such as one with a corner fireplace, a bound carpet that matches the fireplace angle can be a perfect solution. Think about the kind of carpets used in hotel rooms. (Not all of them are hideous!) These are specifically chosen to hide dirt, since they see lots of wear. For example, low pile carpets with geometric patterns tend to be a good choice. A more prominent carpet pattern can work in less formal settings as well.
Berber Rugs
Berber rugs are a subset of Moroccan rugs and are named for the Berber people of North Africa and the Sahara. They are made from olefin fiber, which is looped to creates a soft, cushy feeling underfoot. The traditional Berber rug is a light neutral color with brown and gray flecks. These earth tones blend easily with many styles and color palettes. As long as you catch stains quickly and vacuum them regularly to prevent dirt from being ground into the fibers, these rugs are relatively easy to care for and will wear well.
Rag Rugs
Rag rugs—also called braided wool or jute oval rugs—started in the American Colonial era as a practical, everyday rug that upcycled old scraps of fabric into something useful. Since then, they’ve become a style of their own with a rustic charm. Use a mixture of colors for a playful room. An autumn-colored rag rug will warm up your family room. Lighter neutrals can complement a minimal, tranquil space.
Shag Rugs
Although shag rugs are casual in look and feel, I don’t recommend them. They’re not easy to maintain, which detracts from a casual lifestyle. Have you noticed that shag rugs look a bit like the head of a mop? Well, they absorb dirt similarly to a mop, too! Vacuum cleaners stand very little chance of keeping these rugs clean, due to the depth that dirt can grind into this high-pile carpet. However, if you’re willing to take on the upkeep and replace it every few years, a shag rug can be a fun choice. Have a look at this article for a more in-depth discussion of cleaning shag rugs.
Sisal, Jute, or Seagrass Rugs
Sisal, jute, and seagrass rugs provide a natural woven texture to ground your family room. Most are also sustainable and biodegradable.
Sisal (pronounced Sigh-sul) rugs are made from a natural fiber (Agave sisalana) dried in the sun. They’re very durable, but a bit course underfoot. This doesn’t necessarily mean the material won’t be comfortable; in fact, it can feel a bit like a firm massage. If you will have small children playing on the floor, however, it may not be the best choice.
Seagrass rugs can be made with square seagrass mats connected together for a casual island look. These also deteriorate quickly. Higher quality (read “more expensive”) seagrass weaving processes will result in larger, more durable rugs. Seagrass is softer than sisal and has a natural non-porous waxy coating.
Jute rugs are made from one of the softest natural fibers (from jute plant stalks) and are a bit less durable than sisal. You can find these woven with textural detail, like the example below. They give a calming, carefree lift to a room.
Bonus Tip
As I mentioned in my casual room article, you can match your rug to your pet to reduce the hassle of cleaning your flooring.
Got Questions?
Hopefully this gave you some ideas for casual rugs you can use in your family room. Do you have more questions about rugs? Let me know in the comments below!
