How to Select an Area Rug

Up on the blog today we have guest blogger Holly Clark.  Holly is the resident area rug expert from LandOfRugs.com.  She is giving her tips on selecting the perfect area rug based on your own interior design style.

Today's market is flooded with different varieties of area rugs. A good rug complements your home while a bad rug, on the other hand, can make a decent place look like a catastrophe.

Assessing the suitability of an area rug for household needs means an assessment of abrasion resistance, resilience, ease of cleaning, soil and moisture resistance, and durability. Consider the following before setting out to purchase an area rug for your home.

Texture and design

When it comes to choosing the texture and design of your area rug, you need to take into account the interior design style and the furnishings of your room. The rug texture you choose for your room is very important. Texture subtly adds character to the room, maybe even without realizing it. For example, a wool carpet with a soft and warm feel complements smooth, shiny surfaces.

Photo Cred

The goal of every homeowner is choosing a rug design that complements a room. Oriental rugs are perfect in traditionally decorated rooms.

Photo Cred

Geometric patterns go well with modern room designs.

Photo Cred

Braided rugs would work best for the country and rustic decor.

Photo Cred

Heavily patterned rugs are good for high traffic areas as they hide dirt and pet hair.

Photo Cred

Material

Rugs can be made of natural or synthetic materials. The most popular choice for most homes is a wool carpet. They are quite durable and easy to maintain, not to mention the elegance they bring home. Wool offers warmth, beautiful matt finish, durability and resistance to dirt.

Photo Cred

The carpet fibers from the alternative area are defined by comparing them with the quality standard defined by the wool. Silk is a close favorite to wool, although, it is more expensive. Cotton is great for small area rugs but is not as durable as wool. Grass rugs are good for maintaining a natural ambiance in a room.

In the case of synthetic materials, polypropylene and nylon may be considered. They look great and are very durable. They are much cheaper and have little maintenance, particularly due to their stain resistance. But then they lack the heat and pillows that carpets from natural materials bring.

Lifestyle and color

Lifestyle is also a very important factor to consider when choosing the best area rug in your home.  It doesn't matter if you live in Philadelphia or California.   If you have children and pets, for example, you want to choose a rug that is easy to clean and maintain. Wool rugs are an ideal choice for this scenario. If your rug is in a high traffic area, you should consider one that is thick, with a deep pile. Generally, if you want a rug to last longer and to save you money, choose one that is compatible with your lifestyle.

Different forms of colored alliances can be created depending on what appearance you want to achieve in the end. For a safe contract without risk, the color of the rug that you choose for your rooms must harmonize well with the color of the walls of these rooms. If you want to be creative and use many colors, plan the colors of the walls and perhaps the furniture in the room around those on the rugs. In this way, the interior design of the room takes on a brighter, more vivid appearance.

When you put all these factors into consideration, you should be able to choose an area rug that perfectly defines your home. The most important thing to do is to consider what you like because after all, you are the who will see it and walks on it every day.