There is no question that a lot of consideration goes into what you put in your tiny house. The fact that you are working with a small space means every inch matters, and there is only so much you can have.
One thing that everyone agrees is a must have in a tiny space, certainly in the living area, is a rug.
In a previous article, we found that soft rugs have a way of transforming your tiny house into a cozy space, perhaps more than anything else.
Not only are rugs pleasant to look at, they are functional in that they add extra warmth to any room.
Whether your tiny house is on a permanent foundation or on wheels, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have rugs. It’s so easy to fold one up when on the move, or whenever necessary.
In this article, we’ll look at 10 beautiful rugs you can buy right now.
How To Choose Rugs For Your Tiny House
Rug shopping can be a very overwhelming experience, simply because of the vast amount of choices.
Get into any store and you’ll be bombarded with rugs of all sizes, colors, shapes, material and price points.
For a tiny house, you are obviously limited on the first. Your choice will tend to be on the smaller size, but even then, you’ll be overwhelmed by another whole universe of small rugs.
6 things to consider before purchasing a rug
Before you make your rug purchase, there are certain things you need to consider.
- How easy it is to clean the rug: Tiny houses present certain problems that do not normally manifest in larger houses. For instance, cleaning consideration is a key aspect. With so little space to work with, manual cleaning may not be possible in a tiny house when it comes to a rug. It would be a lot easier if the rug can be machine washed.
- How long you intend to keep it: We all love durable items, but sometimes durability and affordability do not intersect. While choosing a rug, consider how long you intend to have it around, so that your financial decision is based on that. It would make no sense for example to buy a super expensive rug if you’ll be moving to a larger home soon.
- Color scheme of your tiny house: Isn’t it just pleasant to the eyes when the rug matches the general decor of the house? To avoid unexplained migraines, have a general theme and stick to it even when it comes to the rugs.
- How the rug will be used: Will you have anything like a coffee table placed on it? Do you have kids or pets in the house constantly playing on the floor. The type of rug you choose should consider some of these questions.
- Your lifestyle: Are you a clean freak who has their rugs washed every week, or are you one who can go for months? If you are the latter, perhaps consider one made of a material that does not trap dirt easily.
- What room the rug will go in: Depending on the room you’ll have the rug, you may need a long one, narrow one, wide one or other peculiar shapes. When it comes to the feel, overly fluffy and soft rugs may be great for the bedroom, but perhaps not the living room or bathroom.
There may be other considerations, but the most important one is perhaps the material used to make the rug.
We have published a guide on design ideas you can borrow for your small kitchen. Check out how rugs, specifically runner rugs can look great in that space.
Everyone certainly has their own preferences, but there are several guiding factors when it comes to picking out the rug material. While most shoppers will just do it blindly, a proper guide on these types of materials can come in handy.
You will be confronted with either natural fiber or synthetic ones. Natural is obviously expensive, but it comes with certain advantages over synthetic fiber.
Best Rug Materials for a Tiny House
Wool Rugs
Wool is a natural fiber and one of the oldest materials used to make household rugs. Traditionally, wool rugs were handwoven or hand-loomed, but today machines have taken over.
Many so-called ‘wool rugs’ today that have been mass-produced likely have a percentage of synthetic fibers. Always verify what you are buying.
Wool rugs tend to be very long lasting, and if your grandmother had one, it is likely still around. For this, they will hold well in rooms with high traffic, such as the living room.
Wool also tends to hold its color, even after many washes. And speaking of cleaning, a simple vacuum cleaning with a splash of water and detergent will restore its glory.
You are actually advised not to have your wool rug soaking wet, as drying it may take forever, which may end up producing mold.
While you can technically do it, avoid machine-washing your wool rug.
Being a natural fiber, you can expect wool to be quite pricey, especially compared to synthetic options.
Cotton Rugs
Compared to wool, cotton is quite inexpensive. A cotton rug will give you a comparatively good feeling as wool upon stepping on it.
Just like wool, confirm and verify that what you are buying is actually real 100% cotton if that’s your preference. This is because cheaper synthetic fibers tend to be added to bring the price down.
One disadvantage of cotton rugs is that they are not very good at maintaining color, especially after multiple washes.
You can certainly clean your cotton rug in a washing machine, but if its color is not ‘fadeless’, you will end up with a very different product over time.
Silk Rugs
Most of the rugs being sold as silk rugs in stores today are unlikely to be 100% silk. This is because of the high price of the material.
Being one of the hardest to produce natural fibers, silk is treated as a luxurious material, and a rug made of it can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
However, if you have money to spend, you can look forward to an experience that cannot be matched by any other material, natural or synthetic.
Silk rugs are incredibly soft and fine. They are also thin, which may not be a good thing for cold climates.
Silk rugs are not the easiest to clean. Machine washing can quickly destroy your delicate rug.
Therefore, less trafficked areas of the tiny house like the bedroom would be perfect for a silk rug.
Sheepskin Rugs
So what’s the difference between wool rugs and sheepskin rugs? After all, they come from the same animal.
Well, sheepskin is a rug made from a sheep’s fur, inclusive of the wool. It appears as it came from the animal, with leather on the underside.
Wool on the other hand is first sheered from the sheep, then wooven into different patterns and shapes. There is no skin/leather attached.
An advantage of sheepsikn rugs is that they are naturally made for small spaces. Unless you have a 7 foot long sheep, you are looking at a very compact rug, perfect for a tiny house. They are also great for awkwardly shaped rooms, since they are also irregularly shaped.
Cleaning them is pretty easy, just like you would your own hair. They also tend to be quite affordable.
Polyester Rugs
Also called microfiber rugs, these are 100% synthetic. Occasionally, the polyester rug can contain a blend of other synthetic fibers.
The most obvious benefit is their price. Polyester rugs are relatively cheap when compared to the natural fiber ones. If you are one to swap old rugs frequently, this should be the route you take.
A disadvantage of polyester rugs is that they look dirty faster than natural fiber options, which means more frequent cleaning duties for you.
Faux Fur Rugs
As the name suggests, these are rugs made to mimic the appearance of real fur. Using acrylic and other synthetic blends, manufacturers have been able to make shockingly convincing products.
They are of course cheaper than the real thing, but not as easy to clean.
With that understanding, here are 10 beautiful rugs that will make your tiny home look amazing.