Even though my laminate floors look good, they do look monotonous if not broken up with smaller rugs and the surface also gets very cold in the winter. Since I wanted to add some color to the room and was in need of a soft, round rug for the reading area in my room, I went to my local Ikea to see if they had a rug that would be suitable.
Even though most of the rugs there were rectangular or square shaped, there were a couple of round rugs and this red one caught my eye immediately.
The color of the Bälum rug is very rich, deep and vibrant. It definitely adds some personality to the decor and the color also looks good on the floor. What I like most about this particular area rug, though, is the fact that it is not flat.
Instead, it has a very soft surface that also gives the appearance of a textured rug due to the fact that that the materials used are not all the same. The yarn that makes up the surface is a mixture of strands with different widths. This makes it optically appealing.
The Bälum area rug was more of a splurge that I treated myself to, because it is not among the cheap rugs at Ikea. However, it is worth the money since it is very well made, large and durable. Unlike many other rugs I looked at, a lot of yarn was used to make the pile. There are no spots where you can see through the pile or which are lacking on yarn. The entire rug is held together by a jute border, which is very strong and keeps the rug from fraying.
Even after vacuuming the rug still looks good and it can be cleaned without a problem. At first I was worried about the red bleeding if I cleaned up a spot, but nothing happened after it was cleaned a couple of times.
The size of this area rug is also impressive. It has a diameter of 77″, which is more than enough for almost any room or purpose. It is not a light rug, either, and I know it was a lot easier to carry with someone else than alone. I don’t know if it is the backing used, the shape or the weight, but the Bälum area rug does not slide around everywhere like some of them do.
Overall, I can’t think of any reason not to buy it other than the price, which is a bit on the high side for people on a tight budget.
