Amy Kent has been designing rugs for almost 20 years. She’s been working with the same rug-making family in India since 2005, who are still at the heart of her business today. Amy has become known for her innate creativity, respect for traditional craftsmanship and her passion for creating products that bring people joy.
She's also a member of our sustainable design platform - Haines Curates check out her profile >
Here are her tips for designing with rugs, from sizing to placement, she has the answers!
Sitting Room
This could be any kind of large living space/lounge/sitting room etc. Either way there are generally 3 options of where to put your rug:
Option 1
Placing the rug within the sofa and chairs. This can either be with a gap around it, or right up to the bottom of the furniture. Be careful of this option if you have a large, solid coffee table as the rug can then look like it’s an island. Also if you have a gap between the sofa and the floor so you can see lots of flooring around the rug.
Option 2
Placing the rug half way under the sofa and chairs. This is generally a happy medium if you’re not sure what to do. It can give the illusion of the rug being bigger than it is and in turn, makes the whole area look bigger. It is often my go to choice.
Option 3
Placing the rug all the way under the furniture. If you are able to do this it is a fantastic option especially if there is a lot of room around the sofas or if the Sitting Area is part of a large open plan space. It really grounds the area and creates a bigger space where you have the option of adding extra seating like bean bags and pouffs.
Hallway
No wall is ever completely straight and no (hand made) rug is completely straight! Therefore it’s key to not have the rug too close to the wall, always make sure there is a gap of at least 5cm so you’re not having a ‘lined up’ look. Apart from that it can be as long as
you like - just make sure you can still open any doors that lead off the hallway. Another thing, if the rug starts one side of a piece of furniture, it would look better if it ends on the other side on the whole, as seen here with the console table, so keep that in mind.
Bedroom
Option 1
Placing the rug at the bottom of the bed. This can then obviously be as big as you like depending on the space. If you have a piece of furniture at the end of the bed, the rug can sit on or off it, it’s a completely personal choice.
Option 2
Placing the rug half way under the bed. This is generally a happy medium if you’re not sure what to do. However if you do this it is quite nice to place it far enough up so that you step out of bed onto it, and also have enough at the bottom of the bed to see it.
Option 3
Placing the rug all the way under the bed and side tables. This is a great option if it’s a large bedroom and you have a lot of floor as it makes it feel more cosy. It also works well if you have side tables that are high and have legs that show the flooring underneath. Again make sure you come out enough at the front though. There is no rule as to how big you can go, it just needs to work with the rest of the furniture in the room and generally fall short of the
curtains if they are floor length.
Dining Area
You can go for a hand knotted or flatweave in this space, but either way you need to make sure it’s a low pile so the chairs can move easily over it. If it’s an informal dining area (for example in an open plan kitchen and Siting Room/Snug) I would say flatweaves work well, as not only are they less expensive but also more fun and informal looking.
Practicality wise, both flatweave and knotted rugs are exceptionally hard wearing. Just perhaps go for a pattern and colour. Unless you are incredibly minimalist a cream plain rug probably isn’t the best option!
Size wise I always say go for a minimum of 70cm beyond the table on all sides, so that you have room to push back your chair without it falling off (For example if it is a 100cm x 150cm table, go for a 240cm x 290cm rug minimum). If you’re unsure, play around with the chairs you have and see where they go back to.
If it is a formal eating area, I would just say perhaps go for a pattern or a darker colour that will let you get away more with marks that will inevitably happen!
All illustrations by Lucy Kent
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Want to enquire about a bespoke rug from Amy? Email us at info@hainescollection.co.uk.
