Monday, August 25, 2008

How to Choose a Great Area Rug

There are many places in a home that can benefit from the use of an area rug. Typically, area rugs are used for style and design, but they also serve a function as well. Not only can they add a style element to the room, but they can also protect your floors from dust, dirt, and scuffing from high volumes of traffic. What you will want to consider when you purchase and area rug for your home is the size, style, color, texture and function. You will want to look at the area where you want to put it and get a complimentary rug. It is easy to choose a great area rug if you are prepared before you shop for on.

First, you will want to look at your home, particularly the room where the rug will be. Determine the size of the rug that you need. Are you looking to just put It under the furniture in the middle of the room? Or do you want the rug to stand out from the furniture in front of it? If there will be a lot of foot traffic, a wool rug will stand up better than many other styles.

Next, you will want to measure the floor space where you want to lay the rug. This is important so that you do not buy the wrong size of rug and have to return it. When you go to the store, look for the right style. An oriental rug tends to accent expensive furnishings and antiques best. And if you are looking for a more functional area rug for a playroom or other family area, durability should outweigh the style of the rug, but you can still get a great style even with good functionality. If you are getting a rug for a room that is already decorated, you will want to get a color that will compliment the décor of the room.

In order to get the best color, you will want to pick out three of the major colors in the room and then look at a color wheel. This is a chart that will show you what colors compliment others. Choose a complimentary color for one of the three major colors in order to make your room more aesthetically pleasing. If you will be walking barefoot on the rug, texture is very important. High traffic areas will usually need a texture like Berber, and those rugs that will not see a lot of traffic will benefit from Saxony that is velvety and soft. But remember—Saxony will leave vacuum marks on the rug.

Area rugs are important for the style of the room, but if you are looking to collection area rugs, you will want to be more careful in your purchasing decisions. You will to get rugs that have denser knots, ones that were hand dyed, or hand stitched. This will raise the value of the rug as well as giving your home a little bit of expensive style.

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