The perfect rug for your home may seem as elusive as seeking the magic carpet from children’s stories. For some, it can be a daunting task. But, finding the right rug will be quite rewarding for many years to come.
Finding the Right Rug
The perfect rug for your home may seem as elusive as seeking the magic carpet from children’s stories. For some, it can be a daunting task. But, finding the right rug will be quite rewarding for many years to come.
Evaluating a rug can be a bit like selecting artwork. It should appeal to your taste and sense of style. At the same time, it should also be functional and work for you on a daily basis. This means that he rug selected should be harmonious with the rest of the room and adhere to certain design concepts as well.
The Rug Business
Shopping for a rug has become more complex. There has been dramatic change in the rug industry over the last few years. Improved technology and manufacturing efficiencies have lead to better products and more affordable rugs for the market.
For many consumers, rugs have become more of a fashion statement than simply a floor covering. The rug industry has proven itself to be a fashion forward business with sophisticated manufacturing processes and top quality materials. This is evidenced in part by the emergence of “designer labels” in rug lines. Nourison’s Calvin Klein, Shaw’s Kathy Ireland, and Sphinx’s Andy Warhol lines (to name a few) point to the fact that rugs are indeed an important design element and are considered as such by consumers.
There are also many more choices available today than there were even a few short years ago. New designs and new color ways are always being introduced. Most anything you can imagine is available. If it’s not available yet, then someone, somewhere can create it for you. The choices are truly unlimited.
Where to Start
Begin the process by thinking about what you want the rug to do for the room. Do you want the rug to be dramatic or do prefer that the rug lie there and behave?
Think about patterns that you like such as strong geometric motifs, intricate floral patterns, or even no design at all. The scale of the design should compliment your upholstery fabrics. If you have a bold design on your furniture, you might wish to consider a more muted design for the floor.
Do you consider your home contemporary, traditional, or somewhere in between? The style of the rug needs to be at least compatible with the overall theme of the room.
These are important concepts because the rug needs to be the unifying element of the room. Have some ideas on what you’re looking to find. But, also have an open mind for something that you may not have considered.
Magazines and catalogues are a great place to get started. The internet obviously offers an even faster browsing experience. All of these are good places to gain a sense of direction. But it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine the actual color, quality, and feel of the rugs pictured. Shopping for rugs is intended to be a “hands on” experience.
Color is Everything
In real estate they say “location, location, location”. In the rug world, it’s “color, color, color”. Color is probably the most important variable in rug selection. It can sometimes be the most challenging.
It’s preferable to compliment and coordinate the colors in the room as opposed to trying to match them. Working with contrasting colors in the rug will help accent your furniture. For example, if you have a lot of green tones in the room, you might consider a rug that features red as its predominant color. It’s even better if there are also some shades of green in the rug in order to unify the entire room. It should also be noted that rugs with many colors may tend to have relatively more pattern but can they can also be quite versatile.
The Budget
Quality and price issues should be determined as well. Figure out what price and quality level is comfortable for you. At a minimum, you should have an estimated price range in mind for the size of rug that you need.
There are many factors involved with quality and price. The material used, such as natural fibers or synthetic fibers, can impact the price of a rug. The way the rug is made whether handmade or machine made will have also an effect on the price.
To be sure, there are quality distinctions even with in these basic categories. Further, the distinctions are not as clear as they once were. The machine made, synthetic fiber category does not necessarily equate to inferior or inexpensive. The quality of many synthetic fiber rug lines rugs have gotten better due to technological innovations. At the same time, overall prices of wool, handmade rugs have decreased. Each category will have its “pros and cons” on different attributes. The point of this is that you can no longer attribute price to a certain category of rugs. You will need to consider the prospective rugs on their individual merits based on your criteria.
How to Shop
Should you start or finish with the rug when decorating a room? Most designers agree that it’s better to start with the rug if you have that option. The reason being is that the rug sets the pace for the rest of the room. And, it’s usually a significant commitment in terms of square footage it occupies and resulting impact on the room.
But, you can always go the other way and find a rug that will highlight and ground your existing pieces.
When you do go shopping for your rug, be sure to “bring your colors”.
Fabric swatches, paint samples, and anything else that is portable will help you narrow the field of possibilities.
For size, have your ideal size along with your minimum and maximum dimensions that will dictate your size options. There are several generic sizes such as 4x6, 6x9, 8x10 and so forth. In reality, manufacturers will produce their own version of these sizes. Keep in mind, you may be looking at size ranges more like 3.6 x 5.6, 5.3 x 7.9, 7.6x 9.6 etc. And, there are many other shape options, such as round, that are available. The more flexible you can be on size, the more options you will find to consider.
If possible, bring pictures or diagrams, or at least be able to explain your décor situation to the person assisting you. In a dining room, you will likely need an 8x10 or 9x12 depending on the size of your table and chairs. The rule here is that you should be able to move the chair back from the table and still remain on the rug. For a living room, it depends on how much furniture you want to be on the rug. Besides the size of the room and scale of the furniture, it largely becomes a matter of personal preference.
Some people know the right rug when they see it. But, when in doubt, take the rug for an in-home trial to be sure. Having your sample colors is great, but nothing is better than seeing the rug in your lighting and with your furnishings.
You might also want to try a few different ideas. Many times there is more than one correct answer in terms of finding the rug for your room. Several rugs might work but it just depends on what you want the rug to do for the room.
Evaluating a rug can be a bit like selecting artwork. It should appeal to your taste and sense of style. At the same time, it should also be functional and work for you on a daily basis. This means that he rug selected should be harmonious with the rest of the room and adhere to certain design concepts as well.
