The Different Types of Area Rug Styles

A creative, comfortable room design often hinges on the correct choice of rug to match the flooring and décor. Take advantage of the plethora of unique carpet styles for area rugs, and you will quickly gain an eye for design. Rug style can determine a rug’s materials, pile height, and appearance. You can find the perfect rug for any room or space inside or outside your home by considering the different types of area rug styles.

Cut Loop Pile Rugs

One of the most common types of area rugs is the affordable, comfortable, cut loop pile style. When looking at the fibers closely, you may notice that the tops of the fibers stick straight up and do not weave back into the base of the rug. This makes the fibers look as though they are cut. Cut loop area rugs come in many different styles, as the length and appearance of the yarn may vary from rug to rug. Some of the most popular cut loop pile rug styles are:

Plush Rugs

Plush rugs are known for their soft, velvety texture and thick, dense fibers. Not to be confused with a shag rug, the pile height of a plush rug is generally low. Fibers in a plush rug are woven close together to create the dense texture. Though plush rugs are comfortable for bare feet, they show footprints and vacuum marks easily, which makes them harder to clean. Plush rugs work best in areas of the home with low foot traffic, such as living rooms and formal areas of the house.

Slightly twisted yarn adds extra texture to a plush rug. These textured rugs hide footprints better than regular plush rugs. They are also easier to clean. Twisted fibers make a rug better for areas with a lot of foot traffic compared to straight pile counterparts.

Straight Saxony Rugs

A saxony rug is one of the most common forms of carpet you will find in a home. As a medium height rug, saxony fibers stand straight and even. These rugs are the perfect balance of class and comfort, and they are perfect for nearly any room in the house. Because the fibers are so uniform, you will easily notice foot or vacuum marks.

Twisted Saxony Rugs

Twisted, or textured, saxony rugs provide the same comfort with the extra benefit of hiding footprints or vacuum marks. Since all the fibers point in different directions, it is nearly impossible to mark up the carpet. They are easier to clean and add a simple decorative element to any room.

Frieze Rugs

The curled, rounded fibers of a frieze rug may make you think it is a loop pile rug, but it is not. Frieze rugs are much like shag rugs, with a medium pile height. All the fibers of a frieze rug point in different directions, which gives it the iconic curly appearance for which they are famous. For rooms that require easy-to-clean rugs or carpeting, a frieze rug will fit well into the design.

Shag Rugs

Everyone recognizes the long, soft fibers of a shag rug when they see one. While they are comfortable for walking, a shag rug is one of the more difficult types of rugs to clean and maintain. Vacuums can damage the fibers if you are not careful. Keep shag rugs in areas with low foot traffic that require a soft touch, like bathrooms and bedrooms. They also work well as accents in living areas so long as you keep foot traffic to a minimum.

Loop Pile Rugs

Loop pile rugs get their name from the woven loop-like texture of the fibers—you can see where the yarn comes out of the base and then goes back in. Typically, loop pile rugs have the shortest pile height. This makes them some of the easiest rugs to clean and maintain; however, they have a rather informal appearance. Because they are so easy to clean, you can use loop pile rugs inside or outside a home. These rugs feature four significant subcategories:

Level Loop Pile

Level loop pile rugs are the simplest of the bunch—they are typically one color and have a uniform loop pile height. They work well in high foot traffic areas of the house that only require a small splash of color or texture in the design.

Multi-Level Loop Pile

For rugs with an extra level of texture and patterning, a multi-level loop style of rug adds various colors and loop heights to the design. Sometimes, these loop placements are random, but often they form a recognizable design or pattern. These different layers give your rug a greater visual interest than the level loop design. Since the multi-level looping adds so much texture, it is easier to hide imperfections and dirt—making them perfect for entrance areas of the home.

Sisal

Sisal looping is the name for the iconic lined loop rug. The striped pattern occurs when there are straight rows of uniform loops that differ from other rows. Whether you have a multicolor sisal rug or a singular color, the lined pattern of the loop pile height often adds a pleasant element to a home’s design.

Berber

Most common in areas of the home where you would want to hide dirt or footprints, a Berber style rug provides large loops of yarn featuring flecks of color. Typically, these rugs use neutral colors like browns or creams.

Cut and Loop Pile Rugs

By combining both cut loop pile style with loop pile style in a singular rug, you can create an interesting texture or pattern. Cut and loop pile rugs use high pile height fibers to serve as a background for a pattern of looped fibers. Rug makers use this method to create swirling rug designs or crisscross patterns. Not only does the pattern look elegant, but it also retains the easy-to-maintain nature of a low pile height loop style rug.

All of these different types of area rug styles and more are available for purchase at Koeckritz Rugs. Create the perfect item for your space with our selection of custom size area rugs that allow you to input the size you need for a professionally cut, luxury area rug.