How to pick the perfect rug

To add instant colour, texture and warmth to an interiors scheme, start from the ground up – that’s what a designer will tell you. But choosing the perfect carpet to set off a space is not as easy as it looks.

Deirdre Dyson’s designs are known for their skilful use of colour – not surprising when you consider that she is an artist who turned her talent to carpets after discovering, by chance, that she enjoyed “painting with wool”.

She is inspired by what she sees around her – her 2024 Graduation collection, for example, features motifs influenced by autumnal hedgerows and seascapes. A carpet, Dyson says, is key to a beautiful room. “It turns a house into a home, making it a place of warmth and comfort.”

So how do you decide on the right type of rug for a space? “Think about colour first and whether you want your carpet to blend with other shades in the room,” says Dyson. “Consider what kind of atmosphere you want. And think about how dark or light a space is.” 

Pattern should be high on your list, too. “Do you want something busy or simple, quiet or strong?” she asks. “Do you want your carpet to provide a background or is it a statement piece? It’s important to know how much you want a carpet to shout, and how it will sit alongside all the other elements of your space.”

The choices aren’t over yet. “A carpet design can reflect the period of the furniture or the house,” says Dyson. “It might be figurative in nature or abstract. It all depends on your preference. Each of my pieces works within its proportions, like a painting. My Ingots design, for example, features graded wool and silk, which combines brilliantly with vintage or mid-century furniture against a neutral background.”

If you’re attracted by the idea of a bold, colourful piece but feel nervous plunging straight into brights, Dyson suggests choosing a carpet with gradations of colour. “It’s the perfect solution if you don’t want a strong design,” she says. “Colours can be selected to match anything in the room – we have a palette of more than 5,000 shades to choose from. Then we blend them to create a seamless transition, like a watercolour wash.”

Size matters. Always go large, Dyson advises. “The bigger the carpet, the plusher it is.” A small rug not only looks mean in proportion to a room, but will appear like a floating island, “rather than providing an anchor”. And a large carpet absorbs sound and prevents echo.

Another consideration is how much wear a carpet will receive over time. For high-traffic areas such as living rooms, dining rooms and hallways, choose a hard-wearing fabric that’s also easy to look after, such as Tibetan wool. Where you need more of a luxurious feel, in a bedroom or dressing room, say, silk is soft underfoot and surprisingly durable.

Of course, a carpet doesn’t have to be used as a floor covering. Dyson has tapped into the recent trend for using rugs as wall hangings with her Stone designs – their lighter pile makes them easier to mount. 

If you’re really struggling to choose from existing designs, though, commissioning can be a satisfying option. “We bought Deirdre Dyson’s Oak Leaf design from an exhibition at the V&A in London more than 20 years ago, and hung it,” says client Lucy Winterson. “Soon after, we commissioned our own colour take on her Windows rug for our busy living room.” 

It might sound like a lot to think about, but make the effort to get it right and you will be amply rewarded with a carpet that lays the foundations for a warm, textured and beautiful room.

Deirdre Dyson

Pictures from top: Glass Cubes and Transparent knotted silk rugs; Looking Through and Floating Glass; Airborne and Staccato; and Plumes. All by Deirdre Dyson Exclusive Carpets and Rugs