How to pick rugs that will floor you

The day we moved into our 130-year-old money pit, my husband Dan and I went crazy stripping away the old, worn trappings that covered the marvelous bones of our house.

One morning I awoke to find Dan ripping up the ancient carpet to see what was underneath. We struck gold by unearthing wonderful hardwood flooring. But now we had a new challenge: Finding a fleet of area rugs to warm up and pull together each room.

Unless you run into one heck of a sale, area rugs can be a hefty investment. For that reason, once you select a rug, you’re likely to keep it forever. Since you and your rugs will be married for life, you need to be careful selecting them. Here are a few tips you can use to find rugs that will absolutely floor you.

• Love the rug

First, don’t settle for a rug you aren’t head over heels in love with. Rugs are like artwork — they have to speak to you. Don’t be in a hurry or settle for second best just to get something down on the floor. Take your time to find the rug that’s just right.

• Stay true

Second, select a rug that works perfectly in your space. Pick area rugs that stay true to the architecture of your home, reflect your personal design style and harmonize with the rest of your home decor. For instance, if you’re going for a country cottage look, choose a romantic needlepoint rug over a traditional Persian wool.

• Be fearless

Third, don’t be afraid to mix up your rug styles, material and colors. In my home, I have wool Oriental rugs, delicate needlepoint carpets and durable sisal mats all jumbled together willy-nilly, and I think the overall effect works well.
One of the reasons I upholstered my living-room furniture in white fabric was so I could bring in lots of color through accents such as flooring.
I had a blast scouting for rugs in lots of different hues. In my living room alone I have one carpet in navy, taupe and maroon, a second in blue green and rusty red, and a third in turquoise and tan. Sounds overwhelming, but it’s not. Every color in the carpets is repeated in the room’s other accessories to create a harmonious, lively space.

• Always pick area rugs that match your lifestyle.

If you have kids, pets or husbands who put lots of wear and tear on your home, make your life easier by selecting rugs that are durable and cleaned easily.

Because I entertain so much in my dining room, I’ve had more than a few glasses of red wine spilled on the formal Oriental carpet under my table. Tired of stressing out about rug stains, I decided to trade the Oriental with a forgiving sisal rug.

I’ve fallen in love with natural fiber rugs because they are attractive, durable and affordable. A friend of mine absolutely swears by natural sea-grass carpets because they can take anything kids dish out. Made from salt marsh grass, sea grass carpets are wonderfully water and stain resistant.

One night her teen boys spilled cola on the rug. When she discovered the puddle the next morning, she simply wiped it up. The rug still looked fantastic.

Finally, make sure you size your area rug correctly. I like a border of wood showing in my rooms, so I pick rugs at least 1 to 2 feet smaller than the dimensions of the room. Old design rules dictate that all the furnishings in a seating arrangement have to be on or off the carpet, but I prefer the front legs on the carpet and the back legs off.

To get the rug size right, arrange your furnishings just as they’ll be when you have your rug, then mark off the rug dimensions with masking tape. Be sure to get two measurements before you go rug shopping: the largest and smallest size that would be acceptable to you.

When you’ve found the perfect rug, you’ll be amazed by how it adds character and charm to your room.

By MARY CAROL GARRITY
Scripps Howard News Service

How To Buy Kid’s Area Rugs

Those that are looking to add a lot of fun to their child’s room should consider the addition of kid’s area rugs. There are some really amazing choices out there that your children will love. No matter if they are just babies or a blossoming teen; they will enjoy having a great looking room to call their own. It used to be that many parents just left their carpeting on the floor of these rooms to provide enough comfort and padding. But, today, adding a fun area rug to the room adds more dimension, character and makes their room, well, more like their own room! Of course, you can also purchase area rugs for kid’s playrooms or just for the area of the home that they tend to play in.

There are several things that you should consider, though, when you purchase a kids rug. You do not want to just head out and just pick one up. You need to consider several aspects about the room, the carpet and your child before you do so to insure that you are making a wise investment. Here are some tips to help you to make the right choice.

• Get the size right. One of the biggest mistakes that people tend to make when purchasing any area rug is assuming that they know what the right size for the rug they need is. The goal is not to think about it at all but to get out a tap measure and take some measurements. In a kid’s room, you may need to purchase an off size or something that is large enough to fit under their furniture. Getting the size right is your first step to finding the right area rug.
• Next, consider the color. If you are designing your child’s room from scratch, you may want to start with the area rug. In many cases, your child will find and fall in love with the area rugs. They come in so many various colors and patterns that it is easy to really enjoy one or the other. You should consider the color scheme of your room as well as the patterns in the area rug. If the area rug will have butterflies on it, adding butterflies to the room’s décor works well.
• Your child’s tastes. One of the fundamentals of decorating a child’s room is to make it his room. That means paying attention to the things that he really loves and adding them to his room. The rest of the house is yours to decorate, but a kid’s room should say something about them. If they have a favorite theme, such as cars and trucks, you will find a good amount of area rugs for this. You can even look for the child’s favorite cartoon characters as many of them are available on area rugs.
• Educational options. Some of those that are looking to add area rugs to their child’s room want to add an educational element to them. This is an excellent way to teach them something without them really realizing that is what you are up to. It’s easy to do with all of the options that you have as well. Area rugs are available in a wide range of themes such as ABC’s and counting, space, and even those that teach things like sharing and friendship. This is a great way to add a theme to a room that is still fun and educational at the same time.
• Quality. There are several things to consider when it comes to the quality of the rug that you will put into your child’s room. First off, kids are rough and tough as well as being messy. The area rugs that you purchase should be able to take what your child can throw at it. Consider the pile of the area rug as well. This is the height of the rug’s fibers. Longer will provide a thicker, more impact resistant surface for falls and bumps. Consider the material. Those that are washable are an excellent choice here. They should be comfortable as well.

Keeping all of these things in mind is essential to providing your child with a kid’s rug that is perfect for them. Now, the higher in quality that the area rug is, the more costly it is likely to be. But, you can still benefit from the highest in quality. That’s because a high quality product will last longer and take more of a beating. If the rug delivers a smile to your child’s face, that makes it even more beneficial to your needs.

Take your time when selecting the right area rug for your child’s bedroom or his playroom. The area rug can add to the fun of his room as well as the character it has. He will love it if you take just a few extra minutes to find the perfect rug for his room.

By: Genuine Area Rugs