The Complete Guide to Buying a Rug in Bluffton and Hilton Head: What to Look For, What to Spend and Where to Shop

Rugs are one of those purchases that can be surprisingly confusing.

You can find a 9' x 12' rug for well under $1,000, or spend $10,000, $15,000 or considerably more for the same size. At first glance, they may both look beautiful. So, what exactly are you paying for? And perhaps more importantly, how much should you spend on a rug for your home?

The answer has less to do with an arbitrary idea of what is “good” and much more to do with how you live, where the rug is going, and what role you want it to play in the room.

A family room where dogs come in from the backyard has very different requirements from a formal living room where the rug is intended to be the star.

Start With Your Lifestyle

Before falling in love with a rug, think about what is actually going to happen on top of it.

Do you have dogs? Cats? Young grandchildren? Do people regularly eat in the room? Is it a main walkway through the house? Are you the type of person who will panic when someone walks across an ivory wool rug holding a glass of red wine?

If so, performance may need to rank higher than pedigree.

For homes with pets and lots of activity, I generally look for low-pile, easy-to-clean rugs without delicate fibers or large loops that can catch claws. Synthetic fibers such as polyester and polypropylene can offer very good stain resistance, and polypropylene is inherently resistant to stains and fading. No rug is completely stain-proof, however, so spills still need to be addressed quickly.

Indoor/outdoor performance rugs have also come a very long way. Some are attractive enough today that you would never guess they were originally designed with performance in mind.

What About Wool?

Wool is one of my favorite rug materials because it is resilient, beautiful and generally wears very well. A good wool rug can last for decades.

But “natural” doesn't automatically mean “pet-proof.” Wool still requires proper care, particularly with pet accidents. If you have a puppy in training or an older dog who regularly has accidents, I probably wouldn't choose an expensive pale wool rug for the most frequently used room in the house.

Once the pet situation is predictable, wool becomes a much more reasonable option.

Jute and Natural Fiber Rugs

Jute and sisal are enormously popular here in the Lowcountry because they bring warmth and texture into a room without adding another strong pattern.

I use them frequently.

But they aren't necessarily the best choice for every pet household. Natural fibers absorb moisture, which can make accidents and certain spills difficult to completely remove. They can also be harder to spot-clean than a performance rug.

I love jute in living rooms, bedrooms, offices and spaces where I want a casual coastal texture. I would think twice before putting an expensive natural-fiber rug somewhere that routinely sees wet paws or pet accidents.

Be Careful With Viscose

Viscose rugs can be incredibly soft and have a beautiful sheen, which is why people are often drawn to them in a showroom.

But viscose is not my first choice for a heavily used household. It tends to be more sensitive to moisture and cleaning than wool or many synthetic fibers.

A rug can be expensive and still not be practical.

That's an important distinction.

Why Does One 9' x 12' Rug Cost $800 and Another Cost $12,000?

Much of the difference comes down to how the rug is made, what it is made from, how much hand labor is involved and whether it is mass-produced or essentially a piece of textile art.

Machine-Made Rugs

These are generally going to be the most affordable.

Modern manufacturing makes it possible to create great-looking rugs at very reasonable prices, and many of them are extremely practical. For a secondary bedroom, bonus room, pet-heavy family room or a house where you simply don't want to worry about the floors, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing one.

A good-looking rug doesn't have to be expensive.

Hand-Tufted Rugs

Hand-tufted rugs are made by inserting yarn into a backing using a tufting tool. They can provide the thick, plush appearance of a more expensive handmade rug without requiring nearly as much labor as a true hand-knotted rug.

They're often a nice middle ground.

They are handmade, but they are not the same thing as hand-knotted, and they generally won't have the same longevity.

Hand-Knotted Rugs

This is where rug making becomes much more like an art form.

In a hand-knotted rug, individual knots are tied by hand to create the pattern. A large rug can require an extraordinary amount of labor, particularly as the complexity and knot density increase.

Quality wool, silk, natural dyes, intricate designs, country of origin, age and rarity can all influence value.

A beautiful Persian, Turkish or other hand-knotted rug may last for generations. In the right room, I don't necessarily think of a $10,000 rug as simply an expensive floor covering.

It can be an investment piece in much the same way you might invest in original artwork.

And unlike a trendy sofa fabric that you may want to change in ten years, a beautiful hand-knotted rug can move from house to house and work with many different furnishings over its lifetime.

So, How Much Should You Spend?

There isn't one correct answer.

For one client, spending $800–$1,200 on a 9' x 12' rug may make perfect sense. For another, $4,000 may be the sweet spot. And someone creating a more collected, one-of-a-kind room may happily spend $10,000 or more.

I think about it this way. Spend less when the rug is serving the room. Spend more when the rug is helping make the room.

If I need a quiet natural rug underneath a beautiful sofa, chairs and artwork, there may be absolutely no reason to spend $8,000.

If I've found an incredible Oushak or Persian rug and intend to build the entire room around its colors and pattern, that's a different conversation.

Your budget also needs to make sense in the context of the entire house.

When furnishing a new build that needs eight, ten or twelve rugs, spending $8,000 on every rug can consume an enormous portion of the furniture budget very quickly. I may recommend investing in one or two special rugs for the most visible spaces and using more moderately priced rugs elsewhere.

Not every rug in the house needs to be an heirloom.

Standard Size vs. Custom: Sometimes Six Inches Really Does Matter

Whenever possible, a standard rug size is going to give you more options and generally a better price.

Common sizes such as 8' x 10', 9' x 12' and 10' x 14' are produced in much larger quantities. The minute you need a custom dimension, you're often paying for made-to-order manufacturing, cutting, binding or specialized finishing.

But sometimes custom is worth every penny.

Maybe a 9' x 12' is just slightly too narrow for your dining table, but a 10' x 14' overwhelms the room.

Maybe you need another six inches so that all of the dining chairs comfortably remain on the rug when they're pulled away from the table.

Or perhaps you're creating a stair runner and need an exact width.

Those are the times when I wouldn't force a standard size simply to save money. The right proportion can make a much bigger difference to a room than the price tag on the rug.

Several manufacturers and local flooring resources offer rugs that can be custom cut or ordered to specific dimensions. Locally, Ethan Allen and Gilman Floors, for example, currently offer custom-cut rug options.

Where to Shop for Rugs Around Bluffton and Hilton Head

There isn't one rug store that I recommend for every client. Where I shop depends on the look we're trying to achieve, the budget and how many rugs we need.

Furnitureland South: Worth the Trip If You Need a Lot

If you're building or furnishing an entire house and need multiple rugs, Furnitureland South outside High Point, North Carolina is hard to beat for sheer selection.

Their current Rug Gallery spans approximately 25,000 square feet and includes thousands of rugs ranging from hand-knotted and natural-fiber rugs to machine-made options.

From Bluffton, it's roughly the kind of trip I would plan as an overnight or dedicated shopping trip rather than casually driving up for one rug.

But if you're furnishing a new build and need eight or more rugs? It can absolutely be worth it.

One of the biggest benefits is being able to see so many full-size rugs in person rather than making decisions from a tiny sample or computer screen. You can compare casual rugs, jutes, traditional rugs, Oushaks and hand-knotted pieces across an enormous range of price points.

If you need one or two rugs, however, I probably wouldn't make that trip solely for rugs. We have plenty of good options closer to home.

Ethan Allen: A Good Mid-to-Upper Price Option with Samples

The Ethan Allen Design Center in the Bluffton/Okatie area is another good resource because rugs are incorporated throughout the furniture displays, making it easier to visualize scale and color in an actual room setting. The store also offers standard and custom rug options.

They also have smaller rug samples that designers can bring into your home, which I find much more useful than trying to make a color decision underneath showroom lighting.

Price varies substantially by construction, but in my experience around $4,000 for a 9' x 12' is a reasonable ballpark for many of their better wool options, with some less expensive and others considerably more.

Their custom rug programs are particularly useful when a room simply doesn't cooperate with standard sizing.

Gilman Floors: One of My Favorite Value Sources

For clients who want to keep the rug budget closer to the $1,000 range, I've found some excellent options at Gilman Floors on Fording Island Road.

They keep a substantial selection of area rugs and also offer custom area-rug and binding options.

I've used several of their rugs in client projects when we wanted something attractive and well-scaled without devoting several thousand dollars of the room budget to the floor.

The hanging displays are especially helpful because you can actually see a substantial portion of the rug instead of making a decision from an 18-inch square.

They also have deck-board options that can be ordered in custom dimensions, which can be particularly useful for stair runners, hallways and natural or jute-style rugs.

Allen Home: For Colorful Oushaks

If you're looking for a colorful Oushak-style rug without moving into true antique or investment-rug pricing, I like Allen Home online.

They offer a large selection of hand-tufted wool Oushak designs at relatively approachable prices.

There is one important caveat when ordering these online: you need to be comfortable with some color variation.

Allen Home itself notes that its wool rugs may have up to approximately 10% color variation because of the nature of the product.

That can be perfectly fine when you're working with an overall palette of blue, green, coral or beige rather than trying to match one very specific shade.

It's also why I always tell clients that the photo on the screen is not a paint chip.

Fletcher's Rug Company in Yemassee: A Hidden Gem for Traditional Rugs

For a traditional Persian or Turkish look, or for someone searching for a one-of-a-kind statement rug, I'd recommend Fletcher's Rug Company, in Yemassee.

It's tucked into the historic train depot area, which almost makes the shopping trip feel like you've stumbled onto a secret source.

You'll find handmade and traditional rugs ranging from quieter neutrals to rich, colorful statement pieces. It's particularly worth exploring if you want something with more character than a mass-produced rug.

Fletcher's keeps limited Thursday-through-Saturday hours, so this is definitely a check-the-hours-before-you-go destination. Current listings show Thursday and Friday hours of 10–3 with shorter Saturday hours, although hours can change.

One of my favorite things about shopping somewhere like Fletcher's is the opportunity to find a rug that doesn't look like something everyone else has.

And because the inventory includes individual pieces, you can let the rug become the beginning of the room rather than the last thing you add to it.

Added bonus at Fletcher's Rugs, is that it's run with true southern hospitality. The two women that run the showroom will actually allow you to take a rug home and try it in your space before purchasing.

Serena & Lily: Beautiful Coastal Rugs, At a Premium

Here in Bluffton and Hilton Head, the Serena & Lily aesthetic is understandably popular.

Their collection works beautifully with the relaxed coastal homes we see throughout the Lowcountry, with lots of jute, natural texture, subtle blue, woven patterns and understated designs. Serena & Lily currently offers rugs across standard sizes including 8' x 10' and 9' x 12', along with a number of natural-fiber options.

I keep many of their rug samples in my studio, which allows my clients to see the actual colors and textures rather than relying exclusively on website photographs.

They make some beautiful rugs. That said, they can also be expensive for what you're getting.

With Serena & Lily, you're paying not just for the rug but also for the brand, styling and aesthetic. Sometimes the design is exactly right and it's worth it. Other times, I can find a very similar natural-fiber or coastal rug elsewhere for considerably less.

That's where having access to multiple sources makes a difference.

Don't Buy a Rug in Isolation

One of the biggest rug-shopping mistakes I see is falling in love with a rug before considering everything else happening in the room.

A rug has to work with your flooring, upholstery fabrics, drapery, wood finishes, adjacent rooms, artwork, traffic patterns, pets and children, and, of course, the actual dimensions of the room.

Something that looks beautifully beige in a showroom can suddenly look yellow against your flooring.

A muted blue online can arrive looking teal.

A pattern that looked subtle on a computer screen can become extremely busy when enlarged to nine by twelve feet.

This is one of the reasons seeing samples in your actual home is so valuable.

Natural daylight, artificial lighting, paint color and the undertones in your flooring can completely change the way a rug reads.

The Best Rug Isn't Necessarily the Most Expensive One

There are rooms where I'll happily recommend a $1,000 rug.

There are others where I think a $10,000 hand-knotted rug is worth considering.

Good design isn't about spending the maximum amount possible on every item. It's about knowing where the money will make a difference.

Think about your lifestyle first.

Decide whether the rug needs to quietly support the room or become one of its defining features.

Consider how long you want to own it, how much wear it's going to receive and how much maintenance you're willing to tolerate.

And then choose the price point that makes sense.

Because sometimes a rug is simply a beautiful foundation for a room.

And sometimes the rug is the artwork.

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