How to Choose Colors for an Area Rug

Start by considering your lifestyle. If you have two Labradors, one black cat, a baby, a toddler and a teen, you probably would be wise to cross "white" off your list right away. The more people and/or animals that will be trampling on this rug, the more you'll need to think about using colors that hide dirt well. You don't want to spend every other day shampooing your area rug. If your rug will be getting a lot of wear and tear, you'd be wise to choose a multi-colored rug in bright or dark tones.

Take a good look at the room where you'll be putting the area rug. Use color to create the effect you want. If you want to make the room look larger, use a lighter-colored rug; if you want to make the room look small and cozy, go for darker colors. Before you buy the rug would be a good time to change the wall color unless you just recently painted.

Consult a color wheel. Color wheels are a design tool, a wheel with twelve colors showing the various shades and hues of each of the main colors. You can use the color wheel to help develop several different decorating themes. Monochromatic color schemes use a single color in different shades throughout the room. This can be dramatic and effective. Harmonious color schemes use several colors right next to each other on the color wheel; as the name indicates, these color schemes give the room a peaceful feeling. Complementary color schemes use two colors opposite each other on the wheel, like red and green: while this color scheme might be too loud for most areas, it could work well in a child's room.