Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas and a Rug Roundup
Our outdoor space right off our dining nook has not-so-nice decking. At some point, I would love to do something with that but for now, I just want to make it look a little nicer. An outdoor area rug is a great way to cover that ugly old deck surface. While I was looking, I thought it might be nice to write up a blog post all about outdoor patio rug ideas and include a round-up of some of the options I found!
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Table of Contents
- Why a Patio Rug?
- Where Else Can You Use an Outdoor Rug?
- What size rug do I need?
- What are Outdoor Rugs Made Of?
- How to Clean Your Outdoor Patio Rug
- Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas – The Design
- Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas – A Neutral Outdoor Rug
- Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas – A Little Colour
- You Might Also Like:
Why a Patio Rug?
I mean…. I have said it time and time again but if you CAN add a rug to a space, you should. Rugs add such design interest to any space. I love that you can change a rug and change the whole look of a room!
Your exterior space is no exception to this. Especially if you have a rough surface like a wooden deck that might not feel so good on the bare summer feet. They provide a soft texture underfoot and really bring the indoors out for that true outdoor living experience.
The minute I put the rug out on the deck in the Spring, the whole family flocks the outdoor sofa.
Where Else Can You Use an Outdoor Rug?
Large outdoor rugs made of synthetic materials make an excellent choice for under a dining table, too! Often people worry about ruining a rug under an eating area so using an outdoor rug here is an excellent option.
The outdoor rugs look so good these days that you really can not tell that they are meant for outdoors! They are also great for high-traffic areas indoors and out (like an entrance or mudroom).
An outdoor runner rug would be great in a kitchen where it can be easily cleaned right up when you drop that whole lasagna on it (I did that once if you can believe it.) The synthetic fibres clean right up!
What size rug do I need?
If you know how to find the right size rug indoors, the same principles for rug sizes apply to outdoor spaces. All the outdoor furniture that is meant to be on the rug should be placed with the feet at least on the rug, if possible.
If the rug is under a dining table, the rug should be big enough so that the chairs can pull out and still be on the rug. The same is true of your patio furniture, all of it should be on the rug or at the very least, the front legs.
A few years ago it was very difficult to find different sizes of outdoor rugs, but now there are a lot more choices available.
As a general rule of thumb, bigger is better when it comes to rugs and that applies to rugs for outdoor use too. Choose the largest size that can fit on your deck or patio, if you can find one! You can also use multiple rugs for separate areas if you are lucky enough to have a seating area, dining area, etc.
If you need a really large rugs and can’t find one, I have seen people take two smaller rugs and lay them side by side to create the illusion of a larger rug.
What are Outdoor Rugs Made Of?
When outdoor rugs first became a “thing” the only ones I ever saw were the ones that were very plastic looking like a beach mat. They didn’t look very designerly. I just saw these ones at my local Costco and this the type of rug I am not a fan of.
The good news is that in the past few years, outdoor rugs have come a LONG WAY. They are generally synthetic rugs made from water-resistant materials that can be hosed right off for easy cleaning. Often they dry fast and are also very stain resistant.
What you want to stay away from outdoors is anything made up of a natural material like sisal, jute, or wool.
How to Clean Your Outdoor Patio Rug
The best part about outdoor rugs is that they are made to withstand moisture so cleaning them is super easy. For the outdoor rugs I’ve had in the past, generally, I just vacuum them from time to time with my indoor vacuum, and then give them a bigger cleaning as needed.
You can take your rug out to the driveway or fence and hose it down. Depending on the rug or the stain, you might need a little soap or scrubbing but I have not personally had to do that yet. Most of them clean up really well.
Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas – The Design
When trying to decide on an outdoor rug keep in mind the color scheme for the space. I like to think of outdoor spaces the same way that you would think about an indoor space, keeping things like color, texture, and pattern in mind.
I am not a big fan of really bright colors in an outdoor space, although when you go into any retailer the outdoor section seems to be stocked to the brim with vibrant colors and bold geometric patterns. If you don’t have vivid colors indoors, I don’t think you should use them outdoors either. If you choose a color palette that is cohesive with the rest of your home, you are always going to be happy with that choice.
Prior to the rug I have now, I had a dark blue outdoor rug from Target and it was something that I could have easily used in a room in our house.
The most beautiful designs that I have seen for outdoor spaces include an outdoor space that is a natural extension of the living space.
Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas – A Neutral Outdoor Rug
So let’s get into a round-up, shall we? The first group of rugs I’m going to look at is the neutral rug. It generally has the look of natural fibre rugs (like jute or similar natural materials) but since they are synthetic outdoor rugs they can be cleaned up and allowed to get wet.
I think a neutral rug is always a good choice because it allows you to change up other items on your patio if you want to with pops of color and it’s always going to coordinate.
I love the idea of keeping every single thing on your patio neutral and bringing in all the color and vibrancy through plants. (This is a wonderful idea in theory but my black thumbs do not seem to want to cooperate!)
Here are a few outdoor rugs that are neutral that I’m loving this season!
(Prices shown are at the time of publishing this post and are subject to change. Prices are for an 8×10′ or similar but many rugs come in more sizes!)
- Black and Brown Geometric $379
- Black and Cream Plaid $200
- Dark Brown Jute-Look Stripe $619
- Geometric Grey and Cream $849
- Neutral Check $227
- Neutral Border Rug $186
- Neutral Windowpane $230
- Diamonds $169
- Handwoven Grey and White $898
- Dark Grey Plaid $335
- Black and Beige Grid $998
- Beige Broken Stripe $231
- Checkered grey and beige $230
- Dark Grey Striped $250
- Geometric Circles $136
Outdoor Patio Rug Ideas – A Little Colour
If you are looking for outdoor rug ideas that bring in a little bit of color, I found a few for you here. I don’t love a really colorful rug that is overly vibrant but I can get behind some muted tones like the ones below for sure!
(Prices shown are at the time of publishing this post and are subject to change. Prices are for an 8×10′ or similar but many rugs come in more sizes!)
- Red Stripe $594
- Hand Knotted Blue and Red $1439
- Green Diamonds $489
- Green and Beige Geometric $489
- Persimmon Kilim $799
- Blue Triangle Geometric $190
- Blue Diamond $489
- Light Blue Check $235
- Vintage Style Light Blue $182
- Grey and Blue Diamonds $765
- Blue Tone on Tone Grid $798
- Green Stripe $326
- Blue Checks $1126
- Light Blue Geometric $1236
- Multicolor $603
At some point, I would love to fix up my deck and do something with the decking, but for now, the outdoor rug certainly does the trick! Happy Spring!
