Winter Idea: How To Choose The Perfect Handmade Rug To Cozy Up Your Home

Post the start of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, I did a lot of my growing up in a small-ish condo in the Midwest. Not knowing the economic impact of the Revolution, money was pretty tight so we made do with shared bedrooms & second hand furnishings. No biggie; my younger sister & I even shared a bed for a short time. So, a mish-mash of styles was what I was used to. Think vintage, modern, antique, a little rough around the edges kind of hodgepodge, & I loved it; it was, after all, home. Our mother had an eye for quality handmade solid rich wood furniture that she knew not only looked great, but would withstand the shenanigans of a family of seven. Putting it all together made for an inviting & cozy home. 

The subsequent decor that we were able to bring from Iran to round out the coziness of our home over the early years (pre-embargo), included our Persian rugs. Not too surprisingly, the rugs were either vintage or antique. However, at a time when I was trying desperately to assimilate to a new culture & way of life, the last thing I thought about or appreciated were those handmade Persian rugs; if I could help it, I never gave them a thought, not in the least. I only behaved badly when others said nice things about them. I remember one of the first Halloweens I experienced, my younger sister & I had our newest friends over for a pre-Trick-or-Treating pizza dinner. The “oohs” & “aahs” from their mothers & subsequent gushing from my own very proud mother about our rugs felt mortifying. Ugh; in retrospect, I’m embarrassed that I internalized it & behaved so awfully (I’m sparing you the details). Today, after I’ve done some growing up, of course, I see the value in utilizing what we already have around us. Second-hand, antique, & vintage shops & heirlooms that have been handed down help keep our landfills less full, & in my opinion add the character, uniqueness, & durability that’s lacking from a lot of furnishings today.

When it comes to creating a cozy & welcoming home, there are few elements that can make as big an impact as rugs, more specifically handmade rugs. There’s something really special that sets them apart; the personal touches, the stories they potentially tell, & for me, (as I’m sure is the case for many others who enjoy these beauties!), a sense of connection to the people who made them. 

Who doesn’t love the feel of a cozy home? With so many different options available, it can be somewhat overwhelming to know where to start when it comes to selecting the right handmade rug for your home. 

A handmade Persian Hamedan runner rug cozies up the hallway between the bedrooms.

Mad About the House designer, Kate Watson-Smyth, laid several antique rugs side-by-side to create a cozy space in her sitting room.

Choose the best size for your space.

One factor when choosing a handmade rug is the size. It’s obviously pretty important to measure the space you’d like the rug to be in and match a rug size as closely as you can. With handmade in particular, it’s also a good idea to be flexible with sizing. Because of the nature of handmade, dimensions vary depending on the type of loom that’s used & what country the rug is woven in. Rugs that are exactly 5x7, 8x10, 9x 12 & so on are sizes that pair up with machine made rugs, so with handmade you’re more likely to get close to the size you’re looking for, but not always exact. It’s helpful to have a rug that won’t overwhelm your space or one that’s too small & could get lost with all your other furnishings. If you love the look of a larger rug but a large budget is not feasible, use a couple of small rugs side by side. Additionally, if you have a larger room with more than one seating area, two or three smaller rugs that accommodate the furniture will cozy up the room better than a rug that isn’t quite big enough.

Placement of the rug.

Placement of the rug will not only add an element of interest to your space, but will also add the coziness you’re going for.

In the living room:

There doesn’t need to be strict fixed “rules” when it comes to rug placement, but some guidelines can help to make the best choice. If you’re placing the rug under a coffee table or in a seating area, one option is to have the rug large enough to accommodate all of the furniture, with about 6 inches of space around the edges so that the rug won’t be flush with the walls & won’t overwhelm the room. It’s also possible to have the front legs only of your sofa & any other chairs be on top of the rug with about 3 inches of rug behind the front legs.

A room-sized Afghan rug. Placing the front legs of all your living room furniture will help balance out your room for a cozy space.

In the bedroom:

The most typical area of a handmade rug in the bedroom is under the bed where it anchors the room. Place the rug from the mid-section of the bed to a few inches beyond the end of the bed. The rug can stop just short of the front of the nightstands, with just enough to have under foot when stepping out of bed, creating a sense of coziness.

If you have a rug with a gorgeous medallion that you’d rather not have hidden under the bed, you can opt for two small to medium-sized rugs on either side of the bed. That way you’ll see the full rug & still get the benefit of the feel of the rug under foot. 

A runner rug on either side of the bed or even at the foot of the bed can really help to warm up your room as well. The length & width of a runner rug will depend on how much space you have; choose a longer runner that runs the length of your bed or a medium-sized one that’s also just right for stepping out of bed.

Style, color, design, material, & pattern. 

Texture, pattern, colors, style, & design of a rug can make your space look & feel cozy. If you’re looking for a more cohesive look, choose a rug that compliments the colors & patterns of what you already have in your space. Age-related patina on handmade rugs are having their moment; the look of patina is a nice way to tie in some coziness with a sense that the rug’s been around for a while giving your space even more character. Many handmade rugs are made with either a cotton or wool foundation & a wool pile. If it’s warmth and a cozy vibe you’re looking for, handmade rugs with a higher knot count are a perfect option. Rugs with a higher knot count are more dense, potentially making them feel warmer underfoot. 

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Circling back to growing up here in the States, our mom managed with the furniture we had & cozied up the house with rugs from our first home in Iran. I think the finishing touches were the rugs, which played a pretty big part in making our new home feel cozy but also played a part in reminding us of Iran. Whatever your own reasons may be, there are a lot of options for you to choose from when shopping for a handmade rug. Keep the sizing, placement, & style in mind and have some fun creating your version of coziness. 

📸 @jmwcollective , @mad_about_the_house