Information on Floor Area Rugs

Area floor rug is extremely versatile and useful piece of home furnishing.  It can spark a visual interest, muffling sounds of foot traffic, increasing the life of your hardwood floor from heavy use, and much more.  Browse through your local home furnishing stores, look through the internet, and visit rugs showrooms to find the rug that suits your fancy.  Consult with your local interior decorator on how best to use floor area rugs to tie in your home décor.  Here are guidelines to help with your rug decision making process.

• Types of rugs.  There are many choices of area rugs available in variety of styles, colors, shapes, and materials.  For Persian or Oriental rugs, they are either hand knotted rugs or hand-tufted rugs.  Hand-knotted rugs are top of the line for quality; have the finest details and are well known for durability. This ancient hand-knotted technique is still used on contemporary rugs.  The more knots per square inch the better; they can vary from 40 to 1,200.  Check the underside of the rug; if you see the reverse pattern, it is a hand-knotted piece.  Hand-tufted rugs are half man-made and half machine-made.  If you see a backing on the underside of the rug, it is hand-tufted.  Look for the RugMark label, which means it was made without child labor. 

Wool rugs are naturally stain-resistant and the fibers fluff right up with vacuuming, which makes wool rugs excellent choice for use in high traffic area.  Wool rugs should last decades, but you pay for durability.

Cotton rugs are even more affordable choice, but they can stain and wear out quickly.  Most can be washed in a large washing machine.

Rugs made from plant-based fibers such as sisal, jute, sea grass, or bamboo are biodegradable and are renewable resources which made them eco-friendly.  They are good for sunroom or outdoor use.  Plant-based rugs are more difficult to keep clean and may last only a few years with heavy use.

Synthetic rugs are made from either polypropylene or nylon.  Both types hold colors well, are excellent at hiding dirt, and are water and UV resistant.  Yarn made of polypropylene fibers can get crushed over time; the nylon yarn is bulkier and is better quality than polypropylene.

• Size.  An area rug is meant to give a room a focal point, to draw the eye, and to make the room inviting.  For use in an entire room, try to leave an equal amount of flooring exposed on all sides as border.

For the bedroom:  Allow three feet of rug on either side of the bed for a soft landing in the morning.  The bedside table should be on the rug as well.

For the living room:  Furniture that is half-on and half-off the rug creates a casual feel; furniture that is entirely off or entirely on the rug makes the room feel more formal.  For use under a coffee table, buy a 4’X 6’ or 6’X9’ area rug.  Table legs should stand within the rug.  To accent furnishings leave the floor space between the rug and furniture.

For the dining room:  Buy the rug that is large enough to fit beneath the chairs that’s pushed back from the table and then add 6 more inches to get the rug dimension.  Also, to be sure of the size, measure the length and width of the table and add at least 4 feet to each.

• Prices.  A general rule of thumb for how much to pay for a rug:  A rug’s price should match the cost of the other major furniture in the room.  In the living room, the area floor rug should be about the price of the sofa.  5 feet by 8 feet synthetic polypropylene or nylon rug costs less than $100.  5 feet by 8 feet cotton rug costs $50 and up.  Plant-based fibers start at a low $100.  Wool rug prices vary:  5 feet by 8 feet machine-made replica start at $200 up to thousands of dollars for an authentic hand-knotted Persian rug.

• Rug pads.  These handy floor and rug protection provide comfort and have gripping capabilities.  They work to add years to your rug’s life by keeping the rug in place-less movement means less friction translating to less wear and tear on your rug.  Most pads are made of synthetic materials such as PVC or latex and come in various thicknesses.  Buy a pad that is one or two inches smaller than your rug and in your budget.  A good quality rug pad will not mar, stain, or discolor your flooring.  If you have a valuable light-colored hardwood floor, invest in a good quality rug pad so the rug colors will not bleed through to your wood floor.  Some rug manufactures require that their product be placed on a quality rug pad in order to validate their warranty against defects in workmanship.  Pad ranges from $20 to $80.

Decorating with floor area rugs is the easiest ways to revitalize, update, improve, and beautify any room in your home.  Select a floor area rug of your choice and create a new look underfoot without the hassle or high cost of new flooring when you want to change your home décor with seasons or moods.  It could be your magic carpet.