What Type Of Rugs For Hardwood Floors? [5 Great Options]

Choosing the right rug for your hardwood floors can elevate your home’s style and protect your beautiful flooring. Discover the best rug options to keep your hardwood in pristine condition.

Rugs on a hardwood floor serve two purposes: they protect the floor and also help add a nice touch of personalization to your home.

Virtually any type of rug is a suitable rug for the right hardwood floor, but some are better than others. The following rugs are best for hardwood flooring:

• Persian Carpets/Traditional Carpets
• Cotton Carpets
• Woven Wool
• Plant Fiber Rugs
• Cowhide

This guide will give you the information you need to make the best choice for your home.

What Type Of Rugs Are Best For Hardwood Floors?

There is no “best” type of rug for a hardwood floor because whatever you choose for your own style is acceptable.

We’re going to take a look at the most versatile carpet types out there.

Persian Rugs/Traditional Carpets

Most people are well-aware of what a typical rug looks like. It’s a woven pattern usually made of a blend of wool, silk, polyester, and cotton.

Persian rugs are known for being very durable and versatile. Along with its exotic look, this classic rug will give your room a sophisticated look through its intricate patterns. 

The great thing about traditional rugs is that you can find them in almost any color and that they will blend well in any home style and design.

Cotton Carpets

Cotton carpets are a popular choice for hardwood floors due to their natural, breathable, and lightweight properties.

Made from natural fibers, cotton rugs are soft and comfortable underfoot, making them an ideal choice for areas where you may be standing or sitting for extended periods, such as living rooms or bedrooms.

Woven Wool

Woven wool carpets are a luxurious and durable option for hardwood floors, offering both aesthetic appeal and long-lasting performance.

Wool, a natural fiber known for its resilience and softness, provides a plush underfoot experience that enhances the comfort of any room.

Woven wool rugs are crafted using intricate techniques that interlace the fibers, resulting in a dense and robust structure.

This makes them ideal for high-traffic areas such as living rooms, hallways, and dining rooms, where they can withstand daily wear and maintain their appearance over time.

Additionally, wool’s natural elasticity helps the carpet retain its shape, ensuring it looks fresh and inviting for years.

Plant Fiber Rugs

With all the emphasis on going green these days, it comes as no surprise that people are beginning to get more interested in plant-based carpeting and rugs.

Traditionally, this meant rugs that were made from cotton. However, we’re going to focus on some of the newer rug materials making it to mainstream use: jute, bamboo, and straw.

These rugs tend to have a very tropical, coastal, or otherwise woody look. That makes them amazing for living rooms that have an ocean vibe.

If you have a home with a sauna or spa, these types of rugs are the best for that room. They don’t mold as quickly as other types.

Cowhide

Cowhide rugs bring a unique, rustic charm to hardwood floors, combining natural beauty with durability.

Each cowhide rug is one-of-a-kind, featuring distinctive patterns and colors ensuring no two rugs are alike, allowing homeowners to introduce a truly bespoke element to their decor.

Known for their toughness, cowhide rugs can withstand significant foot traffic, making them an excellent choice for busy areas like living rooms, entryways, and offices.

These days, there are vegan options and faux but realistic looking cowhide rugs to choose from.

Do Area Rugs Ruin Hardwood Floors?

Of course not! If anything, area rugs help protect your hardwood floors from exposure to additional wear and tear.

They absorb the impact from footsteps, protect your floors from dust, and shield parts of your floor from UV rays.

No matter how you look at it, area rugs are a great investment in protecting your flooring. 

What Rug Backing Is Safe For Hardwood Floors?

All rugs are going to need a backing if they are going to stay put on your floor.

Technically, any backing that doesn’t glue the rug to the floor will work out well, but the best rug backing for area rugs is rubber. 

Plastics and other synthetic materials can leech volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other fumes into the air, causing air quality problems.

Moreover, they can harm rugs and flooring over several years. If you cannot get rubber backing, silicone is a close second.

What Color Rug Goes With Hardwood Floors?

The best color rug for your home doesn’t just depend on the flooring. Instead, it depends on other colors that are around the room.

To get a better idea of how to coordinate your rug, look at your wall color, textiles, as well as the color of the furniture in your room.

Of course, sometimes certain rooms prove to be particularly difficult to coordinate.

If you’re in a position like this, going for a neutral color like grey or tan tends to be the smartest move.

Neutrals go with everything and help pull the focus to something a little bolder, like your artwork.

If you still lack inspiration, talking to an interior designer can help. 

In Closing

Hardwood flooring and area rugs go together like peanut butter and jelly.

They are a staple in the interior design world and help protect your home from the damage that comes with daily use.

That’s why most designers insist on adding an area rug in high traffic homes. It’s just a matter of protecting the investment that you made when you bought (or rented) your house!

In terms of rug choice, the possibilities are endless. Simple cotton rugs, Persian rugs, jute rugs, and more exotic options are all on the table

It’s up to you to determine which rug is best for your room. Don’t rush your rug selection. After all, shopping around for newer home additions is all part of the fun.