Using Area Rugs to Enhance Your Home

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Using Area Rugs to Enhance Your Home

Posted On : Mar-31-2011 | seen (615) times | Article Word Count : 599 |

Area rugs are an excellent way to enhance the home and complement the rest of your decor. Most commonly used on hardwood floors, these large rugs add warmth and color, while protecting the flooring.

Area rugs are an excellent way to enhance the home and complement the rest of your decor. Most commonly used on hardwood floors, these large rugs add warmth and color, while protecting the flooring. The rugs also have a way of bringing the room together, making all sides flow seamlessly with each other. While an area rug can certainly improve a room, it can also ruin the look if you don't know what features to consider. To make matters worse, it can be difficult to make the right selection when you're thumbing through samples at a local home improvement store or online. Fortunately, we have a few tips to help make the selection process easier.

Selecting a Color Scheme

Color is one of the most important factors when choosing an area rug, as the color should complement the rest of the decor. Consider that at least 30% of the room's color is determined by the flooring, so choose wisely and opt for something that will integrate well with the rest of the room. Neutral colors are often best, such as shades of brown, black or white, depending on the overall color scheme of the room. Of course, if you have a brightly colored area, don't be afraid to match the rug to the walls and select vibrant reds or blues. Since an improperly colored rug can cause a room to look unbalanced, make sure you can return the rug if need be.

Choosing the Material

There are many different types of materials that area rugs are made from and they can be divided into two categories: natural and man-made. In general, natural rugs are made from wool, although other selections include silk, cotton, jute and viscose. These natural selections are definitely more expensive than their man-made alternatives, but they are also more aesthetically pleasing and have a longer lifespan. Their durable qualities and differences in texture make them stand out from other rugs and will certainly gain the attention of visitors.

That's not to say that man-made materials aren't worth eyeing. Coming at more affordable prices, these selections include nylon and polypropylene. They are easy to maintain and come in a variety of colors, textures and patterns, making it easy to select a rug that fits the bill. Some people claim that man-made fibers don't compare in terms of warmth and comfort with natural fibers, but man-made area rugs remain popular choices, especially in kids' rooms and basements.

Determining the Quality

When it comes to flooring, you always want to choose quality before value. After all, floors are always being used and endure frequent wear and tear. Investing in the beginning will save you from having to replace your floor, or area rugs in this case, in a few years. That being said, not all rugs are the same. Some are hand-woven, while others are machine-woven. Some use high quality materials, while others use plastic-like fibers. So how do you know a quality rug when you see one?

First, look at the density of the area rug. The more yarn that was used to make your rug, the longer it will last. The fibers should be tall and soft, which can be felt just by running your hand along the rug. Second, the fibers should be tight and you shouldn't be able to see any visible frays or loose material. Also, when patting down the rug, you shouldn't feel the backing easily. Instead, the material should be soft and plush, allowing a comfortable barrier between you and the floor.

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<h1>Using Area Rugs to Enhance Your Home</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Gina H Hopkins.aspx'>Gina H Hopkins</a> Area rugs are an excellent way to enhance the home and complement the rest of your decor. Most commonly used on hardwood floors, these large rugs add warmth and color, while protecting the flooring. The rugs also have a way of bringing the room together, making all sides flow seamlessly with each other. While an area rug can certainly improve a room, it can also ruin the look if you don't know what features to consider. To make matters worse, it can be difficult to make the right selection when you're thumbing through samples at a local home improvement store or online. Fortunately, we have a few tips to help make the selection process easier.

Selecting a Color Scheme

Color is one of the most important factors when choosing an area rug, as the color should complement the rest of the decor. Consider that at least 30% of the room's color is determined by the flooring, so choose wisely and opt for something that will integrate well with the rest of the room. Neutral colors are often best, such as shades of brown, black or white, depending on the overall color scheme of the room. Of course, if you have a brightly colored area, don't be afraid to match the rug to the walls and select vibrant reds or blues. Since an improperly colored rug can cause a room to look unbalanced, make sure you can return the rug if need be.

Choosing the Material

There are many different types of materials that area rugs are made from and they can be divided into two categories: natural and man-made. In general, natural rugs are made from wool, although other selections include silk, cotton, jute and viscose. These natural selections are definitely more expensive than their man-made alternatives, but they are also more aesthetically pleasing and have a longer lifespan. Their durable qualities and differences in texture make them stand out from other rugs and will certainly gain the attention of visitors.

That's not to say that man-made materials aren't worth eyeing. Coming at more affordable prices, these selections include nylon and polypropylene. They are easy to maintain and come in a variety of colors, textures and patterns, making it easy to select a rug that fits the bill. Some people claim that man-made fibers don't compare in terms of warmth and comfort with natural fibers, but man-made area rugs remain popular choices, especially in kids' rooms and basements.

Determining the Quality

When it comes to flooring, you always want to choose quality before value. After all, floors are always being used and endure frequent wear and tear. Investing in the beginning will save you from having to replace your floor, or area rugs in this case, in a few years. That being said, not all rugs are the same. Some are hand-woven, while others are machine-woven. Some use high quality materials, while others use plastic-like fibers. So how do you know a quality rug when you see one?

First, look at the density of the area rug. The more yarn that was used to make your rug, the longer it will last. The fibers should be tall and soft, which can be felt just by running your hand along the rug. Second, the fibers should be tight and you shouldn't be able to see any visible frays or loose material. Also, when patting down the rug, you shouldn't feel the backing easily. Instead, the material should be soft and plush, allowing a comfortable barrier between you and the floor.

About the Author: Gina Hopkins writes about different home renovation tips and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flooringamerica.com/arearugs.aspx">Flooring America designs</a>, out of St. Louis, MO. Always looking for the best bargain on renovation materials, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flooringamerica.com/arearugs.aspx">Area rugs</a> she tends to end up shopping at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flooringamerica.com/">http://www.flooringamerica.com</a> more often than not.

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Gina Hopkins writes about different home renovation tips and Flooring America designs, out of St. Louis, MO. Always looking for the best bargain on renovation materials, Area rugs she tends to end up shopping at http://www.flooringamerica.com more often than not.

Keywords : Area rugs,

Category : Home and Family : Interior Design

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