Why You Should Buy Rugs for Your Apartment

Rugs benefit apartment dwellers in many ways

Man sitting on sofa with laptop in loft
Andreas Pollok/The Image Bank/Getty Images

Most of the time, apartments don't come carpeted, which means many people who move into an apartment consider buying rugs for their floors. If you're trying to decide whether to buy a rug or two for your place, it's easy to think it's a simple matter of decor.

Top Reasons to Buy Apartment Rugs

But there are actually many reasons why adding a rug to your apartment may be a good idea, and so it's important to keep all of them in mind to give you ideas as you furnish your place. Here are seven reasons why every apartment dweller should consider buying rugs.

Enhance Your Decor 

As mentioned, people usually think of rugs as a way to enhance their apartment decor. This is for good reason since rugs come in just about every color, design, material, and shape you can imagine.

A whimsical or bright-colored rug can make a bold statement, while a neutral or traditional patterned rug may serve as the perfect complement to a room. You might also want to place a dark rug on a light floor and vice versa for contrast.

Be Inviting to Visitors

Most of the time, common area rules bar tenants from placing welcome mats outside their door. But you can certainly put a small rug that says "Welcome" just inside your door. Such a rug can serve as a nice way to greet guests as they enter your apartment while also giving them a convenient means to wipe their shoes, which helps keep your apartment clean.

Increase Safety

Rugs can help lower the risk of injuries from slipping mishaps inside your apartment. If your apartment has a long hallway and you have young children living with you, adding a runner there can help prevent injuries. Similarly, if you notice part of your floor gets slippery after it's cleaned, you might choose to put a rug over that part to prevent slipping hazards. Be sure to place liners underneath rugs, as necessary, to keep them firmly in place. You can also add a bath rug to absorb water and prevent slips after showering. 

Cover Imperfections

An unsightly stain or distracting imperfection in wood can be a great reason to cover that part of your floor with a rug. If part of your floor is damaged, however, you should bring it to your landlord's attention. Tripping hazards in floors should be fixed, and never just covered up, to avoid accidents.

Be Courteous to Downstairs Neighbors

If you own a co-op or condo or even rent an apartment in a co-op or condo building, the rules may require that 80% of floor space is covered by carpeting or rugs. If not, adding rugs can help prevent noise complaints from any downstairs neighbors you might have.

Reduce Echoes

You may notice an echo in your apartment at the start of moving day. As you add items that absorb sounds, such as furniture, window treatments, and rugs, the echo diminishes. If you think that a room or hallway has too much of an echo for your liking, adding a rug to that area should help.

Add Comfort to Your Feet

If you're not the type to wear slippers when walking around your apartment at night, you may wish to add rugs to certain parts of your floor so that your feet feel more comfortable, especially with floors that tend to get cold. For example, you can buy a contour rug, shaped to fit around the base of a toilet and protect your feet from a cold, hard bathroom floor.