When it comes to nursery furnishings, the rug is one aspect that requires careful consideration. What would be perfect in many other rooms might not work here – that splendid silk rug in your bedroom may not be ideal in the baby’s room, for example.
If you’re not sure how to go about choosing the right rug for your little one’s room, have no fear. We’re here to show you how to do it by taking you through the top considerations one by one.
Nursery Rug Materials & Construction
Let’s start with the nursery rug’s materials. Generally, you want to pick a rug material that adds not just style to the room but also warmth and comfort.
For things like that, cotton and wool are often best. Comfortable and often pleasing to touch, they’re also made of natural fibres and relatively easy to keep clean. Depending on the size and construction of the rug, you can even throw a fair number of cotton or wool ones into the washer!
If you want something especially durable, though, choose wool. It will cost more than cotton but it’s also one of the hardiest rug materials despite being one of the softest. For an ultra-soft, natural option that’s especially cozy for little ones, sheepskin rugs are worth considering — learn more about their benefits here.
Nursery Rug Materials & Construction
Let’s start with the materials of the nursery rug. Generally, you want to choose a rug material that not only adds style to the room but also warmth and comfort.
Items such as cotton and wool are often best. Comfortable and usually pleasing to touch, they’re also made of natural fibres and relatively easy to keep clean. You can even throw a fair number of cotton or wool ones into the washer!
You should ensure your baby’s space is not only inviting but also safe and toxin-free. Some ways to do that include these:
- Avoid rugs with synthetic plastic fibres.
- Avoid rugs with synthetic backing, latex, or vinyl.
- Make sure the rug is certified safe for babies.
If you want something natural and especially durable, choose wool. It will cost more than cotton, but it’s also one of the hardiest rug materials. For an ultra-soft, natural option, sheepskin rugs are worth considering — learn more about their benefits here.
Colours and Coordination with Nursery Themes
In this area, the easy way to do it is to look at your existing nursery decor. What’s the theme? What colours are dominant? What feel are you aiming for?
Typically, people go for soft colours and calming patterns with their nursery decor. If this applies to you, simply look for a rug done in colours that align with that.
Alternatively, you can opt for a neutral nursery rug or one done in colours like white, grey, and beige. These colours can easily match just about any other colour set, making them superb options when you can’t make up your mind about what colour to get!
You can easily add character to your nursery’s decor even while using neutral colours. Consider beige animal-shaped rugs or furnishings, for example.
Size and Placement of the Rug
We’ve previously discussed how to size rugs for different rooms in your home. Similar rules apply even here – specifically, that you should start by figuring out your ideal rug placement in the nursery.
If you’re using it as an area rug, like most people, choose one that is large enough to anchor or connect the main items of furniture in the room.
This is a great way to tie everything together and give your decor a cohesive look and feel.
If you want your rug to cover the majority of the room, it’s best to choose a rug that is large enough to go underneath the front legs of all the furniture without pressing up against the sides of the walls.
Leaving at least a foot of extra space between the rug and the wall will keep your room from feeling cluttered while still providing that comfort, texture, and style you’re looking for.
Use tape to visualise how the rug size and shape look like in the nursery room. This makes it easier to decide on the type of rug you’re going for.
Most people will choose a traditional rectangle, but you shouldn’t limit yourself to that. Nowadays, different shapes can add character to a nursery room. Round rugs are very popular for nurseries, particularly those with cute prints.
Future Maintenance and Durability
One of the things you always have to think about when you’re decorating a baby’s room is what sort of maintenance the furniture will require. Babies aren’t clean. They burp, soil themselves, spill food – and all of this happens daily.
That’s why we said you shouldn’t even think of putting that beloved silk rug in the nursery. It will be covered in stains in a heartbeat. No, you want something that withstands spills and repeated cleaning.
To that end, we recommend rugs with shorter piles. Steer clear of ones like shaggy rugs – they’ll pick up a lot of grime and require more maintenance on your part.
Choose compact, tightly woven construction as well. Again, that makes the rug easier to clean, more durable, and more likely to withstand foot traffic or heavy play without deforming.
Oh, and be sure to have an anti-slip pad underneath your rug! This can prevent it from sliding and moving around.
Get the perfect nursery rug custom-made for your baby’s room
As you can see, there are a lot of things to think about when trying to get a nursery rug. If you feel like it’s nearly impossible to find the perfect one for your needs, there’s a solution: get a bespoke one made for your nursery!
At The Rug Maker, for example, we can not only accommodate virtually all of your specific requirements but also walk you through every step of the process. We can guide you in selecting the right sizes, choosing suitable materials, and even assist you in creating a design. We can even do room inspections to help us better match the design to your decor!
In short, no matter what you want, whether it’s a round nursery rug in wool or a square one in some other material, we can work to make it happen. If you’re interested in figuring out what’s best for you, reach out to us at The Rug Maker.
