This Farmhouse-Style Rug Was Key to Transforming My Tiny Studio

I love the result of a well-placed, cozy rug, but I’m not the biggest fan of everything that comes before it. Rugs can get pretty pricey depending on the material and size you pick, so it pays to do your research, even if it is time-consuming. (Not to mention, if it doesn’t work, a rug is such a pain to return.) First, there’s the measuring portion of it, and then you have to determine what pile and material best suits your lifestyle. Then, there are seemingly endless brands and patterns and colors to choose from.

I already had one rug for my studio’s makeshift living room — I can’t recommend Joanna Gaines’ washable ones enough — but I needed another for the space next to my bed. The wood floor just looked too bare, and it’s not fun to put your feet on the cold floor after being all warm and cozy under the covers. After a good amount of scrolling through Amazon and debating styles, I decided I wanted the texture of a rope rug and landed on SAFAVIEH’s farmhouse-style Braided Collection Area Rug.

I’m no stranger to SAFAVIEH’s rugs because my grandma ordered one for her own home long before I found this one for my apartment. She’s had it in her space for a couple of years and it’s still in tip-top shape, so I knew I could rely on the brand’s quality. SAFAVIEH has also been around for over 100 years, so it has that going for it, too.

Even though I haven’t owned mine for as long as she’s had hers, this rug seems just as durable. Its texture and appearance stem from the fact that it was handwoven by artisans, and it uses a premium material for high traffic areas: polypropylene fibers, which are designed to shed minimally and require a low amount of care.

It’s also built to perform well in any room, including the kitchen. Beyond its construction, the rug’s versatility also lies in its neutral look. The brand calls it a farmhouse rug, but depending on how you style it, it can easily lean boho, modern, or even cottagecore. The range of colors — from teal to gray to natural — can help you lean into the vibe that best fits your home. Plus, there are over 30 variations of sizes, including runners and oval- and circle-shaped ones. 

To figure out which one exactly fits your space, you can reference Apartment Therapy’s guide on how to buy a rug, which even breaks it down by room. In the case of this one, I’d honestly recommend it for any spot, though you’ll probably get the most bang for your buck if you place it somewhere you walk a lot.

I find studio layouts tricky because I want to distinguish each area — somehow making the “living room” feel a bit separate from the “bedroom” — but I also want them to blend together. The easiest way to create that sense of separation without it being too jarring, I figured out, was through my placement and selection of rugs. The one under my couch and coffee table is green, low-pile, and patterned, so I thought a lighter, textured rug would create a nice juxtaposition.

I even ended up taking it a step further and going with an oval shape instead of a square, making it so it was just about the length of my bed. Over six months later, I still stand by my choice. This rug makes my studio look more complete, for one, but it also blends in well with my apartment’s vintage and vaguely cottagecore style. The texture is noticeable, with little pops of color woven throughout. Underfoot, it feels surprisingly soft for a low-pile rope rug. In fact, its feel almost reminds me of the braided wool rug my grandma used to have in her living room.

Unlike her wool one, though, this rug doesn’t shed. I also step on it a lot, since the area next to my bed makes up my apartment’s main walkway, and it’s shown no signs of wear. (For about two months, I was even going back and forth on it on crutches!) I have no doubt that it would hold up if I set it in the entryway or if I had a pet, so that makes its budget-friendly price even more worth it.

Buy: SAFAVIEH Braided Collection Area Rug, 5’ x 8’, $128.33