The use of area rugs is one of the most important factors to consider when decorating your space. Area rugs emit feelings of warmth, coziness, and intimacy. They feel wonderful and help tie in the furniture with the wall color, window treatments, accessories, and art. They also help reduce noise levels in a room, are great in areas of high foot traffic, and help protect vulnerable floor surfaces. When considering which area rug or rugs you will go with, you are likely to become overwhelmed because of the incredible amount of choices that are available.
One of the first things to consider when choosing your area rug is what size are you interested in. Do you need an accent rug or a large area rug? Are you looking for a round or rectangular rug? To determine this, measure your room. If you are not able to envision the size of the rug, try putting masking tape in four corners to give you an idea of how large of a rug you will need. The tape on the ground is a great visual of how this rug will fit in your room. Since rugs come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, materials, and designs, it is essential to find a rug that suits your needs.
The standard rug sizes are: 2’x3’, 3'x5' and 4'x6'. These sizes are ideal when used to accent an architectural detail, such as a fireplace, sofa, bed, powder room, small entry, or narrow hallway. The larger sizes are: 6'x9", 8'x10', 9'x12' and 12'x15' and are ideal for placing furniture on them.
Another question to consider is what purpose will this rug serve? You can still utilize area rugs in rooms with wall to wall carpet to give flair to a room and to also help protect the carpet in high traffic areas. Are you looking to change a room in your home quickly and inexpensively? Are you trying to draw attention to a particular part of the room?
Before settling on an area rug, consider how you will integrate the area rug with the current décor in the room. Look for rugs that contain colors that will blend with existing colors in the room. This way, it will coordinate and blend in. Also, consider investing in a rug pad to prevent the rug from sliding. In addition to preventing sliding, a rug pad protects the rugs, absorbs noise, makes vacuuming easier, and will prevent the back area of the rug from scratching the floor surface.
If you are interested in a material that is resistant to stains, mildew, and sunlight, consider acrylic. The materials Olefin and polypropylene are known to be the most stain resistant and are less expensive than other rug materials such wool. However, the best choice depends on how much foot traffic the area is expected to receive, how low maintenance the rug is, and what your budget is.
Here is a list of the types of textures available for rugs, along with their characteristics:
Synthetic fibers consist of acrylic, polypropylene/Olefin, and Nylon. As previously mentioned, acrylic is very resistant to sunlight, mildew, and stains. Polypropylene/Olefin is considered the most stained resistant fiber. It can withstand torrential downpours and resistant to stains. Nylon is flexible, lasts a long time and is easy to maintain. It can handle heavy foot traffic.
Natural fibers consist of wool, cotton, jute, and sisal. Wool is dyeable, durable, soft, and easy to clean. Cotton feels softer than wool, but does not last as long. It comes in a variety of colors. Jute is considered the softest of all the fibers, but not as long-lasting. It fades or darkens in color when exposed to direct sunlight and falls apart with repeated exposure to moisture. Sisal is stronger and longer lasting than any rug made of natural fiber. It is static free and will not run when washed.
To know how you are getting the best buy for your money, deal with a company that offers quality. If you have small children at home, look at various rugs that are considered durable and can withstand an enormous amount of use throughout the years. You need to make sure you are going to have a durable rug that is going to stand up to a lot of use through the years. You will find that there are many choices for durable rugs and at affordable prices.
The beauty about rugs is that they are easy to maintain, come in so many styles, and can be rearranged as desired. Consider using an area rug if you are interested in transforming your room quickly and economically. They instantly warm up a room, while enhancing it. Whatever your motivation, you can find an area rug to suit your needs.
