Expert Tips for Styling Rugs in Commercial Spaces

When it comes to commercial spaces, rugs are more than just floor coverings -  they’re design statements that tie a space together, set a mood and even enhance functionality. But let's face it, choosing rugs for busy environments like offices, hotels or retail spaces can be a bit daunting. How do you choose the right rug for a space that’s both practical and visually appealing?

This blog dives into the art (and science) of styling rugs in commercial spaces, offering both practical tips and industry insights from Gill Thorpe, our head designer. Added to that is some design inspiration to help you make your next project shine.

Whether you’re designing a sleek co-working space, a luxurious hotel lounge or an eye-catching retail experience, these tips will help you make informed decisions to create an impact.

Before jumping into the how-to, let's set the stage (or rather, the floor). Here’s why rugs are must-haves for commercial spaces.

Alongside our catalogue of designer and off-the-shelf rugs, we offer both a customisation service and completely bespoke rug design. By designing your own, you can impress your clients with the attention-to-detail and design flair whilst also bringing a tactile feeling of fine craftsmanship to a space.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure about going totally bespoke because of time or resources, why not customise an existing designer rug by changing the colour or shape. This means the rug will match the scheme without having to start from scratch.

Every space serves a specific function and your rug choices should reflect that. Here’s how to align rug selection with the purpose of the room:

• Office Spaces: Opt for durable rugs with a muted or neutral palette to complement the professional setting. Modular rugs or carpet tiles are great for adaptability.
• Hospitality Spaces: Go bold for hotel lobbies or lounges. Plush textures and eye-catching patterns create a luxurious atmosphere. Use layered rugs to define spaces within large, open floor plans.
• Retail Stores: Use rugs to direct foot traffic, highlight key areas (like checkout counters), or make fitting rooms feel more intimate and cosy.

Pro Tip: Think of the colours and materials that are used, mixing 2-3 tones of wool will hide marks more than a solid colour.

Rug size isn’t one-size-fits-all. It should connect with the proportions of the room and its furniture layout.

• Large Areas: Go big or go home!  Select oversized rugs for open lobbies or conference halls to prevent the rug from looking like a “floating island.”
• Small Zones: Use smaller rugs to define separate areas like seating zones in coworking spaces or reading nooks in libraries.
• Runners: Perfect for narrow spaces like hallways or entranceways, runners elongate the space while adding a touch of personality.

Pro Tip: Make the rug big enough for furniture to sit on, not only does it look more luxurious but it holds everything in place. 

Your rug should work in harmony with the overall design scheme but that doesn’t mean it needs to be the same colour:

• Monochromatic Looks: Stick to neutral tones for a sleek, modern style but play with shape and size.
• Contrasting Colours: Use rugs as a statement piece in muted environments. Think vibrant reds, rich blues, or bold geometric patterns.
• Muted Elegance: For spaces that prioritize a calm aesthetic, opt for soft earth tones or muted pastels.

Pro Tip: Using complimentary colours will make the rug fit into the scheme and not stand out too much. Colour blending helps create subtle accents, using mottled effects helps dilute the brightness of colours making them settle into the space without being too loud.

Commercial spaces see a lot of wear and tear, so durability is key. Materials like wool are up to the task. They’re resilient, easy to clean, and maintain their quality over time.

There’s so many reasons why wool is such a great material for rug-making outside of durability so do check out this key information.

Make sure the rugs are slip-resistant and meet commercial safety regulations. Our Jacquard rugs come with an anti-slip backing and for other constructions we can supply anti-slip underlay upon request.

Wool is naturally fire retardant but we have however put our rugs through fire testing and have certification available to prove their credentials.

Sustainability matters more than ever in today’s design world. Look for rugs made from recycled materials, organic fibres, or BREEAM-approved options. These not only satisfy conscious clients but also make a strong statement about your commitment to responsible design.

Pro Tip: Ethics are also really important in this realm, so make sure to look for rug certification like Label STEP who ensure fair trade standards throughout the rug-making process.

Choosing and styling rugs for a commercial space doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start by understanding the needs of the space, the flow of foot traffic and the desired vibe. Add a thoughtful mix of textures, patterns, and sustainable materials to bring your design vision to life.

Looking for bespoke, high-quality rugs tailored for innovative commercial designs? At FLOOR_STORY, we help you craft timeless rugs that demonstrate your commitment  to quality and detail to  your clients.

1_MOOD: Help us get a feel for the vibe you want to achieve. This could be a mood board of reference images or even a picture of an object or artwork that’s already in the space. If there are rugs you’re already interested in from our collections, send a reference image over and we can customise this to fit the scheme and space.

Disclaimer: all the rugs we design are original, we will not make copies of existing designs.

2_LOCATION & FURNITURE: Sharing a floor plan that outlines where the desired rug will go will help us guide you through any issues that may occur. Whether for a boardroom, communal kitchen or reception area, consideration of the space and the other furnishings within it is essential to ensure the rug functions with the space and vice versa. 

The type of furniture can dictate which construction of rug is most suitable. For example, a flatweave is most suitable for furniture on castors because of its low pile height which allows the wheels to manoeuvre smoothly without leaving tracks in the rug.

3_COLOUR: Choosing colours is a crucial part of the rug design process and always better done in person if possible. A great place to start is by coming to our showroom where we have over 3000 coloured poms to select from.

Doing this in person ensures the tone of the rug in reality is how you imagined. For accurate colour matching from afar, you can send us colour references, this can be RAL or Pantone. Another option is to send us any paint colour swatches, fabrics or furnishing samples you want to match and we’ll do the selecting in-house based on this.

Pro Tip: Colour looks different depending on lighting so getting a sample made of the rug and placing it in the correct space ensures that it translates in the way you envisaged it. Our sampling process takes four weeks and we’d strongly recommend this part of the process, particularly if you’re new to bespoke rug-making.

4_ PRODUCTION: We recommend getting a colour sample made before putting the rug into production. This means that you can test the colours in the space before committing to the rug. The cost of sampling is off-set against a rug order. Once you’re happy and everything has been signed off the rug goes into production with our trusted manufacturers in India and Nepal, each are audited by Label STEP.