Area Rugs: What is the Best Choice

Area rugs can serve as a decorative enhancement to a dull room, spice up your living space and show guests your personal style. However, deciding what area rug is best for your needs can be a challenge. Your decision will depend on where the rug will go, your willingness to clean and pets or children in the home. If you keep these factors in mind, your area rug search will be a whole lot easier!

Choices and more Choices

The size of the space where the area rug will be placed will influence the size of your area rug. If by chance you have an awkward space with unusual measurements; keep in mind area rugs can be custom ordered. Area rugs can be purchased as a rectangle, square, oval or runner. The fiber choices range from natural fibers, such as sea grass, flax, cotton, jute and wool; to synthetic fibers, such as olefin, acrylic, nylon and faux silk. Lastly, area rugs can be made in different ways as well. They can be hand knotted, machine made, flat woven, braided, hand-hooked and hand tufted (slightly different from hand hooked). A final consideration is the theme of the area rug. Are you going for a traditional country feeling, something more modern but not quite contemporary, transitional or are you looking for a contemporary flare.

Location Location Location

Where will your area rugs go? You will want to select the best fiber for your area rug, which depends on the desired location of the rug. You would never put a 100 % wool area rug in an outdoor environment, would you? No, there is too much of a risk that the rug will be ruined by the elements and a higher risk of fading. An indoor/outdoor area rug or a synthetic area rug would be more appropriate. If you want an area rug for your bathroom, then you may want to avoid a wool area rug and opt for a synthetic area rug instead. The lesson here is to be mindful of where the rug will be placed. Remember natural fibers need more care and can be more of a challenge to clean; however, synthetic fibers tend to be less expensive, easier to clean and not require as much attention.

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