Why Picking a Rug is So Hard, According to a Pro—Plus How to Make It Easier

Picking a rug—whether it’s an area rug, a runner, a welcome mat, or even just a bath mat—is no small task. It can take hours of measuring, research, scrolling through websites, and staring at the blank patch on your floor, and then you have to actually figure out how to pay for the thing and get it situated in its new home. All of that, just for something you’re going to spend the next few years stepping on and cleaning.

If you can relate to the rug-picking struggle, you’re definitely not alone—Havenly designer Elyza Brillantes says many of her clients have a difficult time making a decision when it comes to this decorative and functional floor covering. “They know they need a new rug, but they don’t really know how to find one or have a hard time committing,” she says.

The process is so tough for a number of reasons, Brillantes says.

First, it’s a large item, which means there are more logistics involved in ordering it, figuring out where it will go, and actually getting it home.

Second, online pictures of rugs don’t always tell the whole story. “It can be hard to conceptualize a small picture of a rug that’s laid flat on their website and how it will look laid out on your floor in your home,” Brillantes says. Plus, many people need large area rugs that are 8 feet by 10 feet or larger; visualizing a picture on a home goods website at that scale is challenging.

Third, a rug isn’t something you can try before you buy or plan to return. Committing to something large and expensive, like an area rug, can feel overwhelming, Brillantes says. “I totally get that fear of commitment and worrying about that you’re getting the wrong one.”

Sit for a second with your rug-picking fears and anxieties. And then keep moving, because you still need a rug, and Brillantes has tips to make picking one a little easier.