Tips for Choosing the Perfect Area Rug

Area rugs make the ideal accent to just about any room in your house. If you have no interest in the work or expense involved with installing wall-to-wall carpet, or want to enhance your existing wall-to-wall carpet, an area rug will add warmth, color and comfort.

Of course, choosing the perfect area rug

involves several different factors, and it’s important to follow them closely if you want your rug to have the desired effect.

Materials

One of the decisions you’ll have to make before you buy an area rug is what kind of material you want. Here are some of the available area rug materials:

Nylon – nylon is soft and resistant to stains, which makes it ideal for high traffic areas in the house.

Acrylic – acrylic rugs have a similar look and feel to wool, but don’t cost nearly as much. They keep their color well, and are good for medium-traffic areas.

Cowhide – a cowhide area rug works well for high traffic rooms and rooms where kids like to play. They are stain resistant and have a natural look.

Cotton – cotton rugs are known for durability and are usually available in a wide assortment of colors. They are known for comfort and warmth.

Viscose – viscose tends to look like silk, as it is very shiny and smooth. Pure viscose rugs aren’t great for high traffic, but adding another fiber will enhance the durability.

Polyester – polyester area rugs won’t stain, fade or wrinkle and spring back into shape easily. They work well for any room or traffic volume.

Wool – wool area rugs will work well with just about any décor or in any room, to create an upscale kind of look. Wool is stain resistant and very durable.

Basic Tips

When choosing an area rug, it’s wise to keep some basic tips in mind as you start the search. For the size of your rug, make sure to measure the room ahead of time, and mark down the configuration of the furniture. All of the furniture within any room should sit on the area rug. Here are some more basic area rug tips to keep in mind:

Never lay an area rug down without using the correct type of rug pad underneath. The type of floor will determine which pad to use.

Rotate your area rug annually if the floor type underneath is prone to fading.

Use caution when vacuuming if you purchase an area rug with fringe around the outside.

Consider the type of traffic in the room, and how the edges and corners of the rug may affect people, when making your choice.

Dining Room Tips

When choosing an area rug for your dining room, make sure that the edge of the rug extends at least two-feet beyond the edge of the table, all the way around. This way, all of the chairs will remain on the rug at all times.

If you have leaves as part of your dining room table and you use them often, make sure you purchase a rug that it is large to accommodate the table with the leaves in.

Living Room Tips

For your living room, you may want an area rug to sit just under the coffee table, or as the main rug in the whole room. If it’s for the coffee table, a 6x9 or 4x6 rug will usually suffice. Just be sure that the entire table sits comfortably on the rug.

If you want to use it in the whole room to create a warmer feel or reduce the noise, follow the basic rule of keeping all the furniture on the rug. It’s ok if the back feet of your couch don’t fit on top of the rug.

Bedroom Tips

If you have hardwood or some other cold surface in your bedroom and you want the rug for warmth and comfort, make sure it extends far enough away from the bed so you land on it each morning. It will completely defeat the purpose if you have to step down onto a cold floor in the morning. Make sure you nightstands rest completely on the rug, so they remain level.

If using one big rug isn’t an option, you can also place a few smaller rugs throughout the room. Set them down in seating areas and at the foot of the bed for a nice effect.

Hallway Tips

In places such as hallways, there are more tips to follow. Try to cover as much of the hallway as possible, but don’t let the rug sneak into one of the rooms. This is a good place to use a colorful pattern to help hide any dirt or wear from heavy traffic.