On the Rug Source blog, we often talk about the benefits of a runner rug. We’ll also frequently review the benefits and various uses of area rugs. There are many different sizes and styles of both of these rug options available on the market today. This leads to an obvious question: what can each type of rug do for your home?
Rug Categories
Since rugs are so versatile, it’s easy to think that a rug is a rug and shape doesn’t matter as much as other factors (e.g. price or color). To explain why that’s not the case, let’s use Ford trucks as an analogy. Currently, you have the Ranger, Maverick, F150, F250, and F350 as the primary categories. Within those categories, some of those vehicles have four-wheel drive. Others can come with a full crew cab. Still others come with an extended bed. Each feature serves a vastly different purpose for the driver.
Just like cars come in countless different models, rugs come in many different categories. Some serve a specific purpose, such as making your bathroom floor less slippery to walk on. Others serve a different purpose, such as making a small room look bigger.
And within the different categories of rug shapes, you have a wide range of regional varieties, including Persian, Turkish, Oriental, and Modern with many subcategories beyond that such as Oushak, Heriz Serapi, and Kilim.
What’s the purpose of an area rug?
So what, exactly, does an area rug do for you? As the name implies, it covers a specific area, whether that be the whole floor or just the seating area by the fireplace. Area rugs also provide a comfortable place for your feet, both due to the softness of the rug and the warmth they bring to the space.
There is a safety aspect here as well. Families with infants learning to walk know the benefits of having an area rug.
What does a runner rug do?
What is the purpose of a runner rug? There are decorative benefits for starters, such as making a hallway look cozier or adding a pop of color to a staircase. Functionally speaking, runner rugs provide both safety and comfort, which makes them an essential part of your home’s tricky walkways or staircases.
What’s the biggest difference between area rugs and runner rugs?
The primary difference between an area rug and a runner rug is its sizing. Both are rectangular, yes, but a runner rug is much more narrow. In addition, a runner rug can be relatively long, sometimes with dimensions as narrow as two to three feet and extending well beyond fifteen feet in length.
This means that a runner rug is designed to fill long spaces that an area rug can’t quite cover or wouldn’t fit in correctly. Runner rugs are especially common in hallways, walkways, and stairways as their long lengths fill up this expanse while fitting within the narrow confines of the space.
In contrast, area rugs are excellent for wider spaces: living-rooms, dining-rooms, bedrooms, the list goes on. As stated previously, they can either cover the entire floor, or they can divide a larger room into smaller sitting areas.
Find area rugs and runner rugs for every room at Rug Source!
Regardless of what type of rug you need, we carry them all. From runner rugs to round options to shag to vintage distressed and more, our inventory has something for everybody. Visit our online inventory here or stop by our showroom at 7215 Smith Corners Boulevard in Charlotte to browse our selection in person. Either way, we look forward to helping you find the perfect rug for your home!