Tips on Choosing the Best Entryway Rugs for Hardwood Floors

Natural Area Rugs Blog Staff

Natural Area Rugs Blog Staff

Choosing the right area rug for your entryway or mudroom can be both a difficult task and a lot of fun. If you’re decorating a new home or redesigning an old one, you’re probably trying to come up with the perfect decor, with custom hardwood flooring or tile being the centerpiece of your space. Choosing the right rug for the room is one that often gets overlooked, though; after all, you don’t really think about it until it’s time to consider a different rug. But an entryway rug can actually set the tone for the rest of the room and can make a huge difference in your entryway’s overall look.

entryway rug

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Your entryway is often a high-traffic area in your home, so it’s important to make sure this area is both beautiful and functional. Choose the right entryway rugs for hardwood floors, which will not only dress up this high-traffic area but will also help protect your floor. There are many different styles and materials of entry rugs to choose from, but which should you choose?

Decide on the material of the rug

Wool

Wool rugs are a great option as an entryway area rug on hardwood floors. This is because wool is durable and easy to clean, which means it can be used in high traffic areas. The best part is that you can find wool rugs at a wide variety of prices, meaning you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a quality entrance rug.

Wool rugs are durable. Maybe not as durable as some other natural fibers, such as sisal or jute, but they cant withstand a lot. This is largely due to the presence of lanolin, a wax that naturally coats wool fibers. This wax helps resist stains and soils, keeping your wool rugs looking cleaner for longer. Lanolin, as a natural sealant, prevents dirt and stains from penetrating into the fibers of your rug, making it easier to clean and keeping the wool fibers themselves from being damaged or discolored.

Additionally, wool rugs will not damage or scratch your hardwood flooring if used without a rug pad. However, we recommend using a rug pad in this situation as this entryway wool rug will likely catch dirt and liquids that could seep into the hardwood floors beneath. 

Cotton

Cotton rugs are a great option for entryway area rugs on hardwood flooring. You will love the softness and comfort that comes from a rug that is made of 100% natural cotton fibers. The rug will also be easy to vacuum since it does not have any pile or knots that can get caught in the vacuum. 

Cotton has long been a popular choice for entryway rugs because they are strong, durable, and affordable. Cotton is also soft, breathable, and easy to clean, making it a great choice for your entryway.

Seagrass

If you want to add some character to your entryway, a seagrass rug is a great option. The durability of a seagrass rug makes it perfect for high traffic areas. Seagrass rugs look great on hardwood floors and can help to define your space.

Seagrass rugs are a great way to add some character to your entryway. Seagrass rugs are woven from seagrass, a fast growing grass that is harvested and woven into rugs. The durability of seagrass makes it perfect for high traffic areas such as hallways, stairs and mudrooms. Seagrass rugs look great on hardwood floors, and they help define your space by adding a touch of color and texture.

Jute & Sisal

One of the biggest trends in area rugs is the use of jute. Jute is one of the most environmentally friendly fibers available and is durable and surprisingly soft. The texture of jute is unique, and it can be woven in a number of different patterns and designs. A jute rug is a great option for the entryway because it will help protect and preserve the hardwood floor.

Sisal rugs are often used in entryways because they’re inexpensive and easy to clean. The fibers have a rough, coarse texture that’s easy to vacuum and doesn’t show dirt or stains. Oftentimes, homeowners choose sisal rugs in a dark color that won’t show the dirt. Many sisal rugs are made of recycled materials, which is a plus for those who are trying to be more eco-friendly.

Helpful Buying Guides

Consider the width of the rug

The width of the entryway rug is important. 

The entrance rug size should be proportional to the size of the space it is intended to cover. If you have a small room, you don’t want to go with a huge, 8×10 rug. It will visually close in the space. Instead, choose a smaller rug that will allow the room to feel bigger. The same holds true for hallways. You want the runners to allow for traffic flow and to provide a little extra warmth for your feet. You don’t want your guests to trip over it, though, so make sure it’s not so small that it becomes an obstacle.

Choose an area rug with a design that matches your home

A good idea is to choose an entrance rug that matches the colors of your home. A more interesting alternative that’s gaining popularity is to choose an entryway rug with a design that contrasts the colors of your home. Entryway carpets are often chosen to tie the interior of your home together and to provide color to a room that may otherwise be one color. This can be done by choosing an entry mat that has colors that match your home, but with a pattern that is distinct from the rest of your home. Your entryway is a great place to make a bold design statement.

Look for an entryway rug that complements the hardwood floors. An entry mat rug can make a big impact when it comes to adding comfort and style to your home. Consider choosing one that complements the hardwood floors and doorways in your home.

To pull this off without making it look like a mess of patterns, choose a rug that’s in a similar color family to the hardwood flooring. A rug with a similar color family will highlight the floors, rather than contrast with them.

Invest in a non-slip rug pad

This is especially true if your entryway rug is thin and known to bulk or move when stepped on.

Some rug pads are better than others when it comes to placing on hardwood floors. There is a misconception out there that says rubber rug pads are bad for hardwood floors. This can be true if it consists of synthetic rubber. 

Most cheap or imported rug pads are often coated with adhesives to enhance the grip. However, these can ruin your hardwood floor. One of these harmful adhesive chemicals is phthalates. Phthalates are used to make plastics more durable, flexible and less brittle. They are also used in PVC products, and in cosmetics. Phthalates are both toxic and can be used as a dissolving agent. Long-term exposure to phthalates can cause health effects in humans, such as cancer and birth defects, as well as asthma in children.

So you want to definitely stay away from any rug pad using these harmful chemicals in them. 

We always recommend Rug Pad USA to our readers. They make amazing, eco-friendly, organic rug pads. They also manufacture rug pads for specific flooring materials, such as their line of rug pads made safe for hardwood flooring. 

Rug Pad Buying Guides

FAQs on entryway rugs for hardwood floors

What are the qualities of a good entryway rug?

The most important criteria for choosing an entryway rug is that it is durable and easy to clean, and able to collect or stop dirt, dust, or other debris from entering the home. Other important qualities include the material used and the size. The entrance rugs should complement the entryway and it should be able to withstand high traffic.

Also, consider whether it will fit in with the decor in your home.

What is the best way to place the entryway rugs?

There is no definitive answer to this question since it depends on the style of your home and the size and shape of your entryway. 

The placement of the rugs depends on the size of the entrance. The smaller the entrance, the closer the rugs to each other. The larger the entrance, the farther apart the rugs should be. Typically, entryway rugs are placed about a foot from the entryway doorway. Rugs are meant to protect the floor and extend the living space, such as the living room or dining room. A runner rug used as an entry mat can be a great option here.

Will rubber rug pads damage hardwood floors?

The wrong ones can. As mentioned above, cheap rubber rug pads can cause damage to hardwood floors. So it’s best to stay away from these. Consider natural rubber rugs made by Rug Pad USA. 

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