Runner rugs is a term used to commonly connote rugs that are long and narrow. They usually have a rectangular design, although available in other odd shapes too.

The length of runner rugs, regardless of the shape, can be several times more than their width. These rugs are usually placed on locations like staircases, hallways, bedrooms, entryways or doorways, kitchens, and in bathrooms fronting the sink.

The Benefits of Using Runner Rugs in Homes

Runner rugs offer various interesting benefits in houses. These include:

• Apart from adding aesthetics to the home and complementing home décors, runner rugs can also add a hint of protection especially for homes with hardwood flooring and other floorings more prone to scratches and other damages due to high foot traffic.

• Runner rugs also make floors, again, especially hardwood flooring, more comfortable to walk on barefoot. These rugs even offer better tractions helping to reduce the chances of slipping over smooth flooring surfaces. A runner rug gives off some warmth and comfort underfoot and promotes safety from supposedly hard, lifeless, and slippery floor areas.

• Due to its narrow width, the runner rugs are ideal to be placed in smaller areas where a large area rug will not cut. This is probably one of the main reasons why runner rugs have been popular with homeowners. And it can be an easy path to the transformation of cold, boring spaces into colorful and inviting ones.

Runner rugs can make home spaces livelier and add comfort and personality to them. To add to this, putting up runner rugs does not involve taking time to set up anything particularly hard. Placing the chosen rug on the floor does it.

Best Runner Rugs Locations in the Home

There are more suitable spaces for runner rugs compared to others inside the home. Commonly, these are:

1. Hallways and Entryways

These spaces can generally look quite cold and dull when intentionally, these places should look the opposite to make homes that have lasting, positive impressions. Hallways, as well as entryways, can be smaller than other rooms in the home, and adding a lot of elements or things can easily make them look cluttered.

A lot of homeowners just let these spaces be as they feel that the given space is too small to do anything much with it. However, simply putting brightly-colored, well-chosen runner rugs in entryways or doorways can spell a world of difference. It will make guests a more dramatic entrance to the home and they’d feel the warm welcome just by stepping on these entryways with runner rugs.

Depending on the ambiance that homeowners want to recreate, they can opt to use informal or formal runner rugs in hallways, entryways, and doorways. The type of runner rugs placed in entrances can set the mood for other home common areas. In hallways, using runner rugs will immediately delineate private areas of the home like bedrooms apart from the dining room or kitchen as these are common areas.

2. Bedrooms

It can be great to get out of bed to find something soft and warm to land the feet on first thing in the morning. Placing regularly sized area rugs may not cut and most of the rug tends to be hidden under.

Using runner rugs is more ideal in this situation. These rugs are narrow, and longer in length and shape.

3. Kitchen

Runner rugs come in all kinds of sizes and homeowners are sure to find a rug that fits the smallest and narrowest of floor spaces and one for the oddest of shape for the kitchen.

A colorful runner rug can soften hard lines that are often seen in kitchens and can add color and personality to this common room.

4. Small Home Spaces

A lot of homes tend to have these several small and narrow spaces between furniture. This can be in the dressing areas, pantries, walk-in closets, and laundry rooms as well. Runner rugs placed on these areas can greatly benefit in recreating an interesting focal point and brings less attention from the fact that these rooms offer generous spaces.

5. Home Areas with High Foot Traffic

A home always has areas with heavy foot traffic, and runner rugs can offer a comfortable surface to walk on, especially when barefoot. To look for runner rugs that are darker in color, as opposed to light-colored ones, is a good idea as they will surely begin to look dirty sooner because of frequent passing by.

Another imperative factor that homeowners should keep in mind is to choose a high-quality, durable runner rug for these areas with high foot traffic that can withstand all of these commotions over some time. Handmade runner rugs can be more durable than machine-made rugs.

6. Staircases

Runner rugs provide more than ample styles and functionality as well when place on home staircases. As classy and elegant staircases are usually made of hardwood, this area can be slippery and pose a safety hazard when walking with socks on or even when just barefoot. A stair carpet runner provides the right amount of comfort and much-needed safety.

One distinct characteristic of staircase runner rugs is that their length is multiple times more than the width. Another thing to remember with stair runners is that they should be installed securely to the floor stair surface to avoid the rug itself from slipping off, counterintuitively posing a real safety risk walking on them.

How to Pick Runner Rugs for Spaces

For the above-mentioned spaces, only the right and “best fit” runner rugs should be chosen. Quickly, here are some elements that homeowners should consider when picking one.

• Material – It is important to consider a runner rugs’ durability. It should be able to handle high foot traffic – human and pets alike –, should be dirt-resistant and should be springy to walk on. Check the vacuuming cleaning process, whether it comes easy or not. Check also if the runner rug absorbs well liquid particles like spills and rain.

• Style – Choosing the right quality and stylish runner rugs can make instant, bold statements about the homeowner’s taste and personality. Make sure to utilize runner rugs as a vital décor element. There are a lot of options for runner rugs that it’s hard to go wrong!

• Color – Same with style, the color of runner rugs can make a statement, so better choose suitable colors that go together with or compliment a room’s overall color scheme.

• Texture – Runner rugs come in all sorts of forms and shapes. Different textures of rugs evoke different feelings. Flatweave rugs are best for high-traffic areas while felt-ball rugs are a great addition to a room to give off a feeling of relaxation and unwinding. A homeowner should consider different selections and decide what is most important for them. There are a lot of textures to choose from including hand-knotted, braided, chunky flat-woven runner rugs.

The possibilities with runner rugs are endless indeed!