THE PROS AND CONS OF THE RUNNER

Today on the blog we’ve got an episode of Confessions of a Rug-A-Holic. This is my secret. I have always been a runner hater. While I am a big, huge, lover of the rug and all its virtues, the runner – not so much.

However, like many of my fellow Capetonians, this cold is messing with me, and I have the sudden urge to put rugs and runners on any bare patch of flooring in my house. Just to help warm it up. This includes our very long and barren hallway. It is begging me for a runner.

It’s like a deep dark design secret I’ve had to guard for years. I’ve skirted the topic on many occasions, and I have never understood why people love them so much.

Let me talk you through my aversions.

RUNNER CONS

For some reason they always look dirty and worn out. Is that just me, or does the average runner look threadbare and pretty grim? Faded and dirty? To be fair they are typically used in high traffic areas, so they inevitably will take on a lot of wear and tear, but do they need to look so depressing?

They are always too short. It’s true. Think about the runners you know. They are always too short for their space, and I find myself wanting to pull the runner in one direction or the other, hoping it will magically grow and fill the length of the space.

Often they are slippery little suckers, and even with an anti slip pad underneath you can find yourself unexpectedly surfing the runner down a hallway.

On that same vein, they can and do curl up at the edges. Now true, this could also be said of rugs, and my personal view is that this particular trait comes down to quality. A really thick and heavy rug (read: good quality) will hold its own weight down and you are less likely to suffer from the trip and curl factor. The same applies to runners.

But then just recently, two and a half years after moving into my own home I looked down our long, bland and cold hallway and thought – damm girlfriend, you need a runner! I had been playing with the idea of adding a moulding detail to the walls to play up the heritage feeling in the hallway, or turning the hallway into my own personal art gallery (which is still on the cards), but it suddenly became very obvious that I needed to break up the long, barren expanse of flooring running through our hallway. We are talking 8 meters of old pine flooring.

If we had decided to redo the floors in this front section of our house (a design regret), I would have chosen a herringbone or chevron pattern, just to help break up the long expanse. However here we are, with the original floors sanded down and me staring down the barrel of a runner. So instead, I broke. I turned to the idea of bringing in a runner.

Image via Ari Yona Interior | My Simply Simple | Home Bunch

Naturally my research into runners went into overdrive and now I find myself becoming open to the idea of a runner.

So what are the pros of the runner, and why do people love them so much?

RUNNER PROS

Runners are used to liven up transition spaces such as hallways, landings and stairs. They are said to bring instant warmth and personality to a space.

They are used to warm up flooring – and the room – especially in areas where the floor is tiled, bringing a softness to the setting. This is mostly done through the texture and pattern of the runner, which is why you find so many runners either in a jute style or a more traditional vintage inspired motif.

With all the hard floors running through a house, they offer a welcome softness underfoot. This softness can bring other benefits too, such in as mulling the resonating sound of feet crashing through the ouse.

Runners are also a quick way to update the look and feel of a space, as well as acting as a great foundation for creating a unique scheme. A runner has the power to unite everything in terms of colour and structure.

As part of their duty in connecting spaces, hallways can be an opportunity to make a statement – and the runner can be part of that statement. They are a great way to turn hallways into design features.

Why about runners in kitchens? Are you as sceptical as I am? Most people are put off about placing a rug in the kitchen, with the likelihood of them being covered in spills and food scraps, and looking permanently dirty.

For some homweover they are an affordable and easy way to cover up flooring that you’re not particularly fond of. Like a hallway, a kitchen runner can also help tiedthe overall aesthetic of the room together and give it a cosy flair.

When it comes to putting a runner in the kitchen, a practical washable runner makes the most sense. You should consider outdoor runners and flatweave options. Many people place runners as a kitchen mat in front of the sink, to help soak up water and spills, and protect the floors. Others prefer between the islands and cabinets, to tie the look and feel of the space together.

Read on to view our round up of contemporary and traditional runners. Use at your own discretion.