There is one major reason rugs are purchased, whether it be on the internet or in a store- and that reason is simply for decoration. People don’t only buy rugs to add to a room or to cover a bare-wooden floor, but to add elegance and beauty to their home. There really is no limit as to what can be done to your home when decorating with area rugs, since they can be used in a lot of different ways. How you use your rugs is totally up to you, and there are a lot of lists and suggestions out there that will tell you different, but I can guarantee you that this list will show you how important it is to not only think before decorating a room in your home with an area rug, but also following these steps in the order that they are placed.
Before I start listing the three major points on using an area rug as decoration, it needs to be noted that all people placing rugs down in their home should use a rug pad. Basically what a rug pad does is provides a stable, non-slip base for your rug which keeps it in place. A rug is slippery at the bottom, and unless it provides a non-slip base under it alone, every rug in your home should have one. A rug pad also allows your rug to maintain a longer life as the bottom won’t wear out due to excessive use. Once your rugs are all protected, you can be at ease when people walk in your home as your rug(s) won’t cause any accidents, etc.
Rug Placement
It’s important to measure every centimeter of where you are going to be placing your rugs because if you don’t, there may be a bit of awkwardness when you step back to take a look at the room where you’ve just placed a new rug in. The standard sizes for area rugs are: 2’x3’, 3’x5 and 4’x6’, so the measuring shouldn’t be too tedious, just a necessity.
A lot of people use a rug so that it can be used as a base for something larger such as a bed, couch, etc. Normally a small to mid-sized rug is used in this situation. These types of area rugs may also be used in a kitchen, bathroom, dining room, and even a hallway. Homes without rugs are boring so adding style to your home by using area rugs will spice it up a lot.
Many times one will wonder about larger sized area rugs- well there aren’t many larger ones to choose from as rugs that increase in size usually decrease in availability, but there are always ways to customize a rug to your liking- it will just cost a bit more. Common sizes for larger area rugs are: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 9’x12’ and 12’x’15’. These types of rugs are normally used in larger rooms such as a living room
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Area Rugs can act like a room's ribbon that ties all the features together
Before deciding on which rug style you are going to choose, always measure and make sure you have adequate space for them. Many people get all excited when they purchase a beautiful rug and then find out that they cannot use it because they haven’t measured. Always make sure that you aren’t covering a floor vent, so put that into consideration when measuring, as well as doors too. If a door gets caught on a rug that is too fluffy, etc, it would not be a good idea to keep the rug there, so it’s better to not even place the rug there in the first place.
Open Spaces
Since we have already discussed the placement of area rugs, let’s talk leniency shall we? There are many places in one’s home where the area is bare, so placing “something” there, in our case a rug, will change the way a room looks 100 %. It’s amazing on how well a rug can add elegance to a room that really doesn’t have much in it. For instance, a room that doesn’t have much furniture in it would be the prime candidate for an area rug. Even rooms with furniture in them would benefit better with an area rug in them, but bare rooms need some sort of style in them.
If your bare room has a fireplace in it, place a rug in front of the fireplace as it will really compliment the fireplace. A rug also looks good in front of a bookcase or a wall for that matter. Rugs that are used in open areas give the room more personality and certainly add more beauty to it.
Always remember that if there is a certain room in your home that has a lot of traffic (a lot of walking), it is best to purchase durable area rugs for those parts of your home. Some rugs may look pretty but they aren’t too durable, so keep that in the back of your mind when going rug shopping.
Adding Elegance to your Wall
Not only does a rug add style to the floors in your home, they also can complement the walls in your home. People may think that placing a rug up on a wall is weird- but it’s not. When using an area rug as wall-are, make sure there is enough room on both sides, because you most certainly don’t want to cover a whole wall up, that just looks tacky. Attach the rug to the wall with large brads, so that the rug will hold up for long periods of time.
Insulation, warmth, and beauty all come from a lovely wall rug
This is popular in the southwest, but it’s gradually increasing in the north. Many people who live in the mountains place rugs up on their walls. If you have a window that shows the inside of your home, placing a rug on the wall that is in back of that window will really look nice from the outside. Like I said before, it will add more personality to your home.
Once you have done these three things, your home will definitely look nicer. There are a lot more things you can do to spice up your home, but start with these three things. A stylish home is definitely a happier one. Enjoy!
Jean Lynn
