Top Three Tips for Selecting the Perfect Outdoor Rug

If you planted your containers and hosed off the outdoor furniture this week-end only to find your deck or patio still looked tired from a long winter, consider an outdoor rug to perk things up. Roll out the perfect outdoor rug, and you will create an instant room. Polypropylene hooked and flatweave rugs have become popular pieces for indoor high-traffic areas such as family rooms, kitchens, breezeways and entryways. We forget that their original intent was outdoor use! Here are some tips for selecting the just-right rug for a deck, porch, or patio that needs some extra attention.

Sealegs Accent Rug

Check, Please Outdoor Rug

Summer Pillows

Chromatic Plaid Outdoor Rug

Fortissimo Outdoor Rug

1. Determine placement. In an outdoor open space, unfurling a rug will immediately delineate space. Many of the rules that apply to interior rug placement apply. But outdoors, the concept of walls has less impact and the rug itself will help to define larger areas. Outdoor dining areas will still require the table and chairs (at least the front legs) fit on the rug to look grounded and be serviceable. Same scenario with an outdoor seating area where at least the front legs of the furniture should touch the rug.   On smaller decks or porches, a great look is three inches of floor exposure around the rug’s edge creating a bordered effect. All these considerations will impact the size rug you select.

2. Design and pattern. Based on your space’s needs, it’s important to determine whether the rug will be a focal point in your outdoor living area, or if it will be placed to complement existing furniture and outdoor upholstery and pillows. As a focal point, an outdoor rug should be bold and bright to define space, and accent solid colored furniture and cushions. As a focal point, the rug is where your eye will land first and welcome you and guests into the space. To simply define spaces on an open deck (ex: to separate a dining area and a conversation area) rugs featuring neutral colors and simple patterns play best, and are also well-paired with bold or graphic outdoor pillows.

3. Outdoor rug color plays an important role in the overall feel of the spaces you are creating. While important to the overall coordination of all the elements in the outdoor space, color intensity has more impact than you might think. Choosing a lighter colored rug will reflect an open and more airy feel. This may help to make a smaller and darker porch feel more spacious. Darker colors create a cozier feel, and may make a larger deck or patio feel more intimate.