Water Area Rugs

How a Water Area Rug Can Highlight Your Room Decor

A water area rug can highlight your room’s decor by fitting into the room’s style, color palette, and theme. One key way to tie your decor to the rug is to look at any imagery, shapes, or motifs on display in the rug’s pattern. If you use similar elements in your wall art, poufs, and other decor, you can really tie the room together thematically and stylistically. 

Decorating With a Water Area Rug

When you’re looking at water rugs, it’s vital to consider which way you’re taking that water motif. If you’re looking for imagery and swirls reminiscent of water (or prints of actual water), then you may fall into a nautical or coastal style. However, within the category of water rugs, you can also find rugs that are water resistant and perfect for spaces where you’re concerned about spilling a drink or being exposed to water. No matter which avenue you take, you can find a water area rug that’s perfect for you.

Choosing Which Water Area Rug is Right for You

As you shop for a water rug that’s just right for you, consider these important areas. 

Position: First, decide on your room’s layout and where to position a rug within that space. Since each room is unique, there are no hard-set rules for how to place rugs. However, there are some common ways that can give you some guidance.

Living Room: To dress up your main seating area, center a rug in the middle of that space. You have options as to whether you place the rug in front of the seats, under the front legs, or further beneath the chairs. A small water rug can also be used in another corner of the room to establish a social corner, reading nook, or miscellaneous space. 

Dining Room: When you add a rug to your dining room, measure so that you'll have about two-three feet of excess rug on each side of the table. That will give you plenty of room to push your chairs in and out. 

Bedroom: If your bed is a central focal point against the middle of a wall, accentuate it by layering a rug under the bed. Depending on the size of the room, you can center your rug all the way under the bed, under the bottom two-thirds of it, or even closer to the foot of the bed. If your bed is off to the side or pressed against a wall, you can add a rug to the middle of the bedroom or along the side of the bed to connect the bed to the rest of the room. 

Kitchen: 2x3 and 3x5 water rugs are beautiful additions to kitchens. Rugs of this size are often used in front of a sink or stove. However, if you have a galley kitchen or a kitchen with an island, a water runner rug can accentuate those spaces. 

Bathroom: Those small rugs and runners also work well in bathrooms. Runners can be used to establish a double vanity or narrow path while small rugs are fantastic in front of a sink, tub, or shower. 

Outdoors: Finally, you can carry your style into your outside spaces with an outdoor water area rug. For layout ideas, be sure to look back at similar indoor areas. 

Shape/Size: Now that you’ve considered layout, you can finalize the size and shape of your rug. Be sure to take both these aspects seriously since they impact how visually balanced your space feels. If the size of the rug is off, then it may make the room feel imbalanced. Shape can do the same, but it can also affect the tone of the room: for example, rounded rugs can convey a softer tone than rectangular ones due to their rounded edges. Ultimately though, you should choose a shape that fits your layout best, since there are two other factors that can help set the tone. 

Pattern: The rug’s pattern defines how far you want to go with your theming and style. Water prints really fit into nautical and coastal styles, but you can also find marble designs that are reminiscent of water but not as bold thematically. The pattern/design of your rug should ultimately fit into your overarching theme and be balanced with your other decor and furniture. 

Color: It’s true that water area rugs are often composed of blues, whites, teals, and greens, but there are options beyond that--especially if you’re just looking for water resistant rugs. Your rug’s color palette should use similar hues to the rest of the room and create the same mood. That will help you set the room’s tone and fulfill your vision of the room.

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