When you search for rugs online, you’ll notice a whole host of styles and colours available. However, it’s not just about picking between the different styles. You can base your search on something else, like whether or not you’re after the latest designer pieces or something that represents a bit of a bargain.

So, one of the pivotal decisions you may find yourself making in the course of shopping for the perfect rug is between designer rugs and clearance rugs. Here we examine the major benefits of each to make it easier to choose.

Designer rugs

Designer example

Perhaps the best thing about designer rugs as opposed to all the other options out there is that you know you’re buying something on trend. Designers pride themselves on being on the ball. You’re definitely shopping for the latest style, the trends that are lighting up the world of interior design, when you shop in this section.

Something else you can generally rely on when you are browsing the designer collections is that the very best materials will have been used in their production. In terms of quality, designer rugs tend to stand out. You pay more for the privilege of having designer rugs at home but you get top notch materials and dyes that give you that little something extra.

Speaking of dyes, it’s worth dwelling on colours and patterns for a moment. Designer rugs often feature the most attractive and eye-catching patterns and colours. That shouldn’t really come as a surprise when you consider the time and effort that has gone into expanding the artistic skills and instincts of the team behind their designs. Designers use colour and pattern especially intelligently.

What’s the effect of all this? Well, designer rugs make pretty exceptional centrepieces. They are the rugs to go for if you’ve got a decent budget to spend and you’ve decided that your rugs will provide the biggest influence on your interior design instead of being mere supporting players.

Clearance rugs

Clearance example

So what makes clearance rugs a popular alternative to designer rugs even in the face of all the positives about the latter?

It all starts with budget. If you want style on a budget then you aren’t going to be paying top whack for your rugs. The clearance selection is an important resource for those who are looking to decorate cheaply or those who change their minds too often about interior design to stick with one more expensive item for its entire life span.

Then there’s the fact that certain discontinued lines are available offering designer quality for much, much less. They once occupied a space in the designer rugs section but time has seen to it that they end up in clearance. The same time, effort and artistry has been put into their production, but they’re no longer the very latest thing. You have to ask yourself whether this matters to you when you’re shopping and when you see the price difference.

Now, some rugs are less about aesthetics and more about functionality. If you’re shopping for rugs for more perfunctory reasons – say, to reduce noise around the house, to boost your insulation or to protect the floor – then there’s really no need to pay more than you would for clearance rugs.

So that’s the sort of thing you need to think about when faced with the two options. It’s always worth looking at the discount specials in case there’s something really good in there at a great price, but if the latest style is what you’re after then the designer section is probably more your thing.