The One Area Rug a Home Stager Gets Asked About the Most
Every once in a while, the piercing buzz of the vibrating phone on my nightstand jolts me awake. The glow of the screen’s blue light tells me a familiar tale, displaying reams of frantic text bubbles confirming the worst: someone I love is buying an area rug, and they need a second opinion. Now everyone’s overwhelmed by links to vastly different (or worse: nearly identical) options, and we’re all losing sleep in the process.
What is it about choosing an area rug that sends even the most confident stylist into a home-identity crisis? More like what isn’t it! Area rugs can really make or break a room’s aesthetic, tying things together and grounding the room, literally and metaphorically. Plus, deciding on the ideal shape, size, and material can be difficult when you can’t simply try a rug on for size in a fitting room. The area rug is a huge design decision, and can come with a pretty huge price tag as well, depending on where you shop.
Because of the magnitude of a rug’s decor impact, I reached out for guidance from an expert who is constantly selecting area rugs for homes: a home stager. If anyone can simplify this process, it’s Amanda Lewis, owner and lead stylist of Denver-based The Den Rentals.
As a home stager and designer, Lewis is in a unique position. Her expertise allows Lewis to use decor not only to elevate the interiors for her design clients, but also to showcase the homes of her staging clients, utilizing decor to manipulate the house hunter into seeing the potential in a home. When it comes to area rugs that can serve both purposes, Lewis knows exactly what to order.
“We LOVE and use Safavieh’s rug all the time,” Lewis says of the artisan family business-turned global rug organization’s Abstract Collection ABT141D hand-tufted rug in Ivory (try saying that five times fast). “It’s the perfect neutral with subtle crosshatch texture and comes in a variety of neutral color combos. Nearly every listing we stage, we use this rug.”
And she’s not kidding! A quick peek at The Den Rental’s Instagram page features beautiful examples of the ABT141D at work (and a whole lot of design inspo).
Lewis recommends neutrals for area rugs, noting, “Personally I don’t prefer to use any rugs that are too busy and colorful for staging. This particular rug is a great grounding piece to any room in any style of home. The crosshatch texture adds a bit of interest but doesn’t overpower any of the furniture.” That crosshatch texture is key. If your home is like mine, you’ve got a crazed corgi running around destroying things, and you frequently spill coffee and spaghetti while eating a weird dinner combo on the couch. This texture will help conceal life’s messes. This particular rug is versatile for any room in the house.
“We mainly use [it] in living rooms and primary bedrooms, but we’ve also used [it] in offices, dining rooms, etc.” says Lewis, “Every room you can think of!” I personally bookmarked this rug for future purposes, like when I eventually tone down my retro-inspired office or — gulp — we discover it’s time to turn the guest room into a nursery. Thanks to Lewis’s keen eye for staging, you can cross the rug-hunt off your to-do list and sleep soundly tonight.
Buy: SAFAVIEH Abstract Collection ABT141D Handmade Wool & Viscose Area Rug (2′ x 3′), $36.76