How to Choose the Right Area Rug for your Home

November 21, 2008

For novice rug buyers, choosing an area rug is often a daunting task that causes can cause great anxiety and uncertainty. From options like color, size and material, the choices can just go on and on. As a roomâ ™s centerpiece, an area rug is given primary consideration when mapping out your homeâ ™s interior design. While there isnâ ™t an exact science to go by when choosing a rug or carpet, here are some helpful tips that may just make your life easier.

Rug Size

Determining the size and shape of your rug is crucial. A difference of a few inches can drastically affect your room⠙s overall design. When laying out a rug underneath a table, it should ideally be large enough to accommodate your chairs when you slide them out. A practical way of figuring this out is to tape newspaper on the area where you intend to place your rug. This allows you to visualize the size that you need vis-à-vis the other elements of your room.

For living room furniture, avoid getting a rug so small that only half of your furniture or a portion of your sofa is on top of it. This creates an appearance where your furniture seems like theyâ ™re falling out of your rug. As a rule of thumb, itâ ™s either you put all your furniture on top of your rug, or everything off of it.

Rug Color and Pattern

For cramped and busy rooms suffering from lack of space, a light colored rug with very few or no pattern is recommended as this gives your room a less congested look. On the other hand, installing a dark and heavily printed rug inside a crowded room will do just the opposite.

There are several good reasons as to why some homeowners change their rugs through each passing season. A less obvious but important explanation is that rugs help regulate room temperature. Rugs with bright red and orange hues help keep your room look and feel warm during the winter months. Hues of blue and green help create a cooler atmosphere.

Lastly, consider the amount of traffic youâ ™re expecting. Itâ ™s advisable to get darker shades for areas exposed to heavy traffic as soil and dirt buildup less conspicuous on darker patterns. Periodically rotate your rug every two months or so for even traffic patterns.

For additional home decorating ideas, visit http://www.homedecorcenter.com

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