The Rug Buying Checklist for a New Home

Before you choose a design for a new home, check seven things in order: the floor, the foot traffic, pets and children, the size, the fibre, a swatch and the route the rug takes into the room. Get those right and almost any design you like will work.

1. What floor will the rug sit on?

Start with the floor, because it sets the underlay and affects the colour. Most new Indian flats have vitrified tile or marble, both cold, hard and slippery under a rug.

• Marble and vitrified tile: always use an underlay, and avoid rugs that bleed colour onto light stone.
• Wood or wood look laminate: a rug protects the finish from chair legs and grit.
• Kota or granite: darker stone flatters warm rugs and hides dust at the edges.

Our guide to rugs for marble and tile floors goes further.

2. How much foot traffic will it take?

Count the paths that cross the rug. A living room rug in the route from the main door to the kitchen takes far more wear than a bedroom rug beside the bed.

Heavy routes want a low, tight surface: a handloom wool or a jute. Quiet rooms can take a deeper pile or a silk blend.

3. Who lives in the home?

Pets, toddlers and grandparents each change the choice. Dogs' claws catch on loose loops, toddlers spill, and older family members need a rug that lies flat and does not slide.

For a joint family with pets, choose a wool rug with a low or dense surface over a silk blend, because wool is easier to blot clean and does not show paw marks as quickly. The Grain Wool Rug in sandstone is a good example, handloom woven in New Zealand wool.

4. What size does the room need?

Measure the room and the furniture, then tape the rug outline on the floor. Leave 30 to 60 cm of floor between rug and walls, and let at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs rest on it.

In a 12x14 ft living room that usually means 6x9 or 8x10 ft. Under a king bed, 9x12 ft lets the rug show on three sides. Rugberry rugs come in six stock sizes from 5x8 to 12x15 ft, and most designs are made to any size to order through the customisable rugs route.

Tape the outline on the floor and live with it for a day. The room will tell you the size.

5. Which fibre suits the room?

Match fibre to the room, not to the photograph. A short guide:

• Living room, daily use: hand-tufted New Zealand wool, such as the Congrand Wool Rug, soft and even underfoot with a dense pile.
• Entrance or passage: jute, such as the Savannah Jute Rug in cashew, hand knotted, firm and textured.
• Bedroom: wool and silk, or a wool and cashmere blend, where feet are bare and traffic is light.
• Dining room: a low handloom wool, so chairs slide.

Monsoon matters too. In a ground floor flat in Mumbai or Chennai, keep jute away from doors that open onto wet balconies.

6. Have you seen a swatch in your light?

Order a swatch before you commit to a colour, and look at it in the morning, afternoon and evening on your new floor. New homes often have different light from the old one, with larger windows or a different direction.

Check it against the sofa fabric and the curtains you are bringing. Our guide to rug swatches sets out the test.

7. Can the rug get into the room?

A rug arrives rolled, and the roll is as long as one side of the rug. Measure the lift door and the depth of the lift car, the turn in the staircase, and any narrow corridor.

A 9x12 ft Rugberry rug is usually rolled along its 9 ft side. In older buildings with small lifts, ask how the rug will be rolled before ordering a large size.

The checklist at a glance

1. Floor type, and an underlay if it is stone or tile.
2. Foot traffic across the rug.
3. Pets, children and older family members.
4. Size, taped on the floor.
5. Fibre matched to the room.
6. A swatch seen in three lights.
7. The route in: lift, stairs, doors.

Frequently asked questions

What should I buy first for a new home, the sofa or the rug?

Buy the sofa first, or at least fix its size. The rug is sized to the furniture group, so knowing the sofa's length and depth makes the rug size simple.

Do I need an underlay on a vitrified tile floor?

Yes. Vitrified tile is smooth and slippery, so an underlay stops the rug from sliding and wrinkling. It also cushions the rug against the hard floor.

Which rug is best for a home with a dog?

A wool rug with a low or dense surface is the most forgiving with a dog, because claws do not catch easily and wool blots clean. Avoid silk blends and loose loop piles in the rooms the dog uses most.

Seven checks, then the design. The most popular rugs are a good place to begin.