Buying an area rug is a purchase that
reflects your personality and style, so naturally you want to make
sure that it’s perfect. Below are some tips to keep in
mind before you take the leap and purchase a new rug.
Rug
Size: Do some research to find the right size
for your needs. There are a few common sizes of rugs: 2’x 3’, 4’x6’,
5’x8’, 6'x9', 8’x10’ all of which work well in different scenarios.
For example: you want to buy a rug to fit under your
coffee table in the living room. You want to make sure that the rug
fits under the whole seating area, not just under the table itself.
The rug should be under the front legs of the piece of furniture and
typically extend about a foot around the table. You may find it
helpful to mark these locations with masking tape or even lay down a
newspaper to give you a visual of the area you think you’ll want to
cover; it makes measuring a little easier. If you are thinking of
putting a rug under your dining room table, make sure that you can
pull out the chairs and still have them on the rug. Use the same
principles for measuring to get the size you need. One of the
most common reasons rugs are returned is that they are too small for
the area they are intended for. If you’re on the fence, you may
consider going to the next size up.
Rug Color: Colors are
important for any aspect of home decoration, not just when it comes
to picking an area rug. Area rugs can blend in to your existing
decor or become a new focal point of a room. Colors can invoke
emotions: reds give energy but can also create angry feelings, blue
calls to mind feelings of calmness and security, green also has
a calming effect and symbolizes nature, yellow is cheery, warm and
grabs attention. Keep in mind if shopping online for a rug that
screen resolution settings may vary causing the colors to not
exactly what you see on the site. However, don’t avoid shopping
online, many sites have lower prices than you could find in a store
and the color descriptions given are pretty spot on.
Rug
Style: The style of the rug is another
factor to consider and there are many to choose from: contemporary,
shag, traditional, braided, southwestern, the list goes on and on.
This is perhaps where your personality is allowed to shine
through the most. Every style has different patterns or
characteristics that make them unique. If you have a modern loft a
colorful, contemporary rug may be the best fit for you. Shag, or
flokati rugs, also have a very modern feel. Traditional rugs may
work best in a more formal area of the house. The important part of
choosing the style of rug is to find a design that you like and
blends in with your existing decor.
Material:
One final thing to keep in mind when considering
an area rug for your home is the material of which the rug is made.
Different materials stand up to wear and tear, sunlight and foot
traffic differently. Find out what the rug is made of and do some research as to whether
that material has qualities that will work in the space you are
planning to put it in.