An area rug is an effective way of protecting your floors and adding a stylish touch to any room. By purchasing an area rug you save money in the long run preventing scuff marks and scratches due to movement from ruining your marble entryway or hardwood living room floors. Alternatively, an area rug can cover unpleasant flooring and help save your home renovation funds for other projects. When purchasing an area rug for your home consider size, style, color, texture and function.
-Decide where in your home you plan to use the area rug. This will help determine not only the size of area rug you need, but also what purpose it will serve. For example, wool rugs are very sturdy and stand up well to heavy foot traffic, making them perfect for entryways.
-Measure the floor space with a measuring tape and take the dimensions to the store. This will help prevent purchasing the wrong size of rug.
-Choose a style and color that matches the decor of the space you plan the rug to occupy. For example, if the area rug is going into a room that is expensively furnished with antiques, choose an Oriental rug that will accent the antiques. If the area rug is going in a playroom the best choice is a durable machine-made rug.
-Ask rug store employees about the texture of the rugs you like. There are many textures to consider when choosing an area rug, such as the velvety Saxony style or the looped Berber style. The Saxony style is luxurious but it shows vacuum marks, while the Berber style is a better choice for high traffic areas.
-Consider what quality of rug you desire. The quality of the rug can be determined by whether it was hand dyed or hand stitched. Keep in mind the denser the knots of the rug, the better the quality, so look for rugs with a weave of 400 to 750 knots per square inch.
