Neale Whitaker Gives Us His Best Tips For Choosing Your Next Rug

13 June, 2021 Amy Thurlow

Now that Winter has well and truly set in, we’ve all layered up and switched up our wardrobe appropriately. However the attire change shouldn’t be just reserved to your outfits, your interior decor deserves an update too. One simple way of doing this, is by adding a new rug to your bedroom or living area. This subtle yet impactful change can make the room feel cosier and can completely change up the vibe in your home. To help you find the perfect rug for your home, we’ve enlisted the help of interior design expert and The Block Australia judge, Neale Whitaker. Neale Whitaker has a keen eye for tasteful design and loves the mood that a rug can bring to a space.

“I’m not sure where my love of rugs comes from. Maybe it was the cover of a favourite childhood storybook with a genie flying on a magic carpet. That image filled my young mind with the thrill of possibility, so I’m guessing that’s where it all began. Of course, I understand the chilly-winter-morning appeal of fitted carpet, but for me, nothing beats the perfect partnership of timber floor and textured rug. It always feels like art at my feet.”

Here Neale Whitaker gives us his top tips for choosing your next rug:

1. Rugs anchor the room

“Whether sizing them up for the pages of a magazine or judging them on TV, I’ve seen my fair share of rooms over the years. And I firmly believe that when we look at a room, the first thing our eye registers is the floor – that first glimpse will dictate our reaction. The right floor covering will anchor a room with harmony and balance, the wrong one will create discord. That’s why so many interior designers choose to use a rug as their starting point and create a room – quite literally – from the ground up.”

2. Fabrication matters

“Despite my love of rugs, I’m the first to admit that selecting the right rug for your home isn’t always easy. It’s not only size that matters – you’ll need to consider the fabrication of your rug in relation to its placement. Premium New Zealand wool blended with hardwearing nylon is perfect for high traffic areas of the home such as entrance hallways and dining rooms, while blends of silk and viscose are better suited to medium and low traffic areas like bedrooms.”

3. Size matters

“As you may have heard my fellow judges and me say on The Block, nothing will make a room look smaller than a small rug. My mantra of ‘if in doubt, oversize’ is especially relevant when it comes to rugs. In an average-sized room, a large rug will feel balanced, and even in a small room, a large rug can create the illusion of size. The majority of rugs in the new King collection are available in three sizes.

A useful rule of thumb is to choose a rug large enough to accommodate all four feet of your furniture. Alternatively, a smaller rug should accommodate at least the front feet of heavier furniture items like sofas and armchairs. Lighter items like side tables and floor lamps should either be completely on – or completely off – the rug. Nothing is more irritating than furnishings that rock. And if you’re choosing a rug for the dining room, make sure the dining chairs will still be on the rug when they’re pushed back. You don’t want rocking guests either – at least, not in that way. And remember to consider doorways and door swings, floor grilles and details such as fireplaces with hearths. Underlay is always a good idea (it can help prolong the life of the rug), but especially in high traffic areas.”

4. Timeless beauty

“To me the real beauty of the new King Rug Collection is its sophisticated, neutral palette that will work in harmony with almost any colour or toning neutral you choose to team it with. My advice is always to avoid trend colours when it comes to home furnishings, and rugs are no exception. Far better to invest in quality and style that will compliment your home for many years to come. Personally I’m torn between Marquina’s subtle pinstripe and the soft geometry of Casablanca.”

About the King Rug Collection:

“The King Rug Collection is designed exclusively by King and inspired by the Australian landscape and its beautiful, endless coast. Twelve rug designs reflect the subtle constancy of sand and the ever-changing moods of sea and sky. Each rug in the collection is handcrafted and constructed from a range of natural and innovative fibres, including pure New Zealand wool, Art Silk, Tencel, linen and Banana Silk.

Importantly, every rug in the King Rug Collection is endorsed by Care & Fair, an industry-led, not-for-profit organisation founded in Europe and committed to breaking the cycle of illegal child labour in the carpet knotting communities of India, Nepal and Pakistan.”