Monday, July 20, 2009

Rugs - Buying Guide - From Rugsale.com


Area rugs are an easy way to not only spruce up a room but also to add warmth and make living that little bit more comfortable. However when it comes to buying an area rug you will probably be faced with a huge range of styles, sizes and colors, which can make finding the perfect rug a daunting task.

The below is a guide which points out the factors which you should look out for when buying area rugs and will make your purchase a more informative and pleasant one. Before even thinking about going to the rug store you first need to do some planning.

The first issue you need to think about is the size of the rug you need. Area rugs are a great way to define a spot in the room or even a piece of furniture like a table. Large rugs are ideal for lounge rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms while small rugs are best for more confined spaces like hallways.

If your rug is going to be placed underneath a piece of furniture, make sure the rug is larger than the furniture and that borders showing are of an equal size.

If you’re going to be using multiple rugs in the same room that is fine, however it’s best that you use different sized rugs. If all your rugs are the same size it tends to give the room a divided appearance, which may not look natural.

Next up is the appearance of your rug, properties like color, style and pattern are very important to address. Unfortunately when it comes to choosing a rug color, it’s not always a good idea to simply go with your favorite color. You need to look at the décor of your room and use that as a starting point. Generally if your room has a bright colored theme it’s best to go with a neutral color like black, as you don’t want to overdo the brightness.

On the other hand if the room has a more natural look, you can complement the rooms look by adding a vibrant colored rug, but don’t just use any color though. Take a look around the room and look for any colors that stand out on paint, furniture, paintings or any other elements and choose a rug, which contains that color.

As far as which rug style to go with, rugs with a symmetrical pattern are best used for rooms that are busy in nature. If your looking to liven up a room than you may find the contemporary style rug is best. The bright colors, shapes and interesting patterns are perfect for sprucing up a room and defining a spot.

All good rug stores should have hundreds if not thousands of different rug designs. So even if your tastes are selective, don’t worry because you will definitely find a design you like – provided you go to the right store that is.

Perhaps the most important factor of rug buying has little to do with the look of it. The material of the rug is extremely important because no matter how attractive it looks, if it’s not comfortable to use the rug is basically useless. The best way to determine if a rug has the right feel is to simply feel it at the store.

There are several types of materials used in rugs and each is quite different from each other.

Wool and cotton are both similar and are highly durable and both have a soft feel to them. They’re also resistant to water, fire and stains in nature, which makes it a favorite among rug users. Wool and cotton also a natural material and are favorable for those who suffer from allergies. Cotton rugs are generally less expensive than wool rugs but to be fair they do tend to not last as long.

Synthetic rugs such as nylon and olefin are fine choices and have excellent strength and stain resistant properties. You will usually find the more unorthodox designs using these materials. Compared to softer materials like wool and cotton, synthetic based rugs generally don’t feel as good and don’t have the same quality factor. Having said that, everyone’s different and if you find a synthetic rug that you like, there’s no point in paying extra for a wool or cotton rug if you’re satisfied with a synthetic rug.

The final factor you will need to think about is the ideal shape of the rug. The shape is not exactly a critical issue however it should be said that rectangular rugs are best suited for larger areas while round rugs are usually found under coffee tables or in the center of a room.

Rugsale.com