Rugs to Keep you Warm

Image Courtesy of Ideal Physical Therapy

The blustery cold is relentless this winter. As another cold front comes blowing through, we thought we should share a few ways to keep warm and brighten your decor.

The cold winter months seem endless, dreary and often, depending on your locale, just plain dreadful. We can't help but support the practicality of adding rugs to your decor. Not only can they brighten an otherwise gloomy atmosphere, but rugs keep you warm. No, really, they keep you warm. Warm decor is a solution for your feet and your soul.

Image Courtesy of Warmly Yours

Quite simply put, rugs add a layer of insulation to your floor. A rug, while being perfectly delightful in its design, also traps cool air underneath. Trapping the cooler air below the rug, keeps it from seeping its way into the warm space and thus, adding a chill to the room. Of course, your feet won't be complaining, either, as you wake in the morning and walk on a warm rug, as opposed to stepping down on a cold floor. As the snow blankets the ground outside, your floors will be covered with warmth inside.

Here's a few warm pointers that will help when searching for rugs for the winter.

Warmth in Color:
A rug in a warm color not only warms up the color palette of the home through color psychology, but works to physically warm the home as well. A warm colored rug such as an orange or red works well with just about any color scheme. A blue room with a red rug works just as well as an orange rug in a grey room. Endless possibilities for creating warmth in your spaces.

Foreign Accents Festival Collection in Tangerine and Red

Blue Room with Warm Color Pops Image Courtesy of A Little Glass Box

Warmth in High Traffic:
High traffic areas, such as entries, doorways and long hallways, tend to get drafty. Use rugs in these areas to warm the space and absorb some of the cold that is created by the draft. An indoor/outdoor rug would be a perfect addition to your foyer or front entry of the home. Not only are these rugs durable, but they are stain resistant and mildew resistant. We can't think of a better placed to remove your snow boots, hats and coat after a perfect snowball fight.

NuLoom Indoor/Outdoor Veranda Collection in Aqua

Striped Entry Rug Photo Courtesy of Coco Cozy

Warmth in Large Spaces:
Large living spaces include large surface areas. Consider using multiple rugs to cover more ground, literally. Get creative and choose two different rug styles with the same color scheme. Choose the same exact rug in different sizes for a creative configuration that will offer insulation and a unique home decor design. When placing the rugs, make sure that the areas where your feet are most likely to be, even when sitting, are covered by the rug.

Multuple Greek Key Area Rugs Image and Design Courtesy of D'Aquino Monaco

Warmth in Small Spaces:
Don't discount the bathroom or the kitchen for adding a layer of warmth. Any time of year these areas, particularly those with a tile floor, can seem dank, cold and uninviting to your feet after a warm bath. Adding a layer of insulation to these areas will help with combating the cold that is retained in the tiles in the winter. If you have a large bathroom or a long narrow kitchen, try using runners instead of simply bathmats or kitchen mats.

Bathroom Runner Rug Courtesy of Home Decorating Ideas

Warm and Cozy Materials:
Although any rugs could go a long way to helping keep in the insulation, certain rug materials are better than others at keeping the cold out and warmth in. Wool is the best insulator for a cold floor. Nylon, cotton, acrylic and other synthetics will provide insulation (and in most cases are less expensive), but wool does provide more warmth. A flat-woven rug, for example, will not be as effective at keeping out the cold as a 100% wool rug.

Safavieh Shag Collection in Ivory

We have plenty of warm ideas to spark the imagination and keep you warm as we ride out the rest of this winter. Feel free to let us be your guide when choosing some floor decor to keep you warm.