Decorating with Area Rugs

Shown: Tiburon in Rusted Rose from Colonial Mills, Inc.

Area rugs make a wonderful addition to nearly every type of room in your home. Regardless of the type of flooring or carpet you have, the addition of an area rug can spice up the décor as an accent feature or become the focal point of a room. Area rugs come in many shapes, styles and colors to match nearly any decorator’s taste.

Aside from being a great decorating tool, area rugs have quite a few benefits you may not have considered. One of the best features is that an area rug can protect high traffic areas of the home. Placing an area rug on a hardwood or laminate floor can help prevent wear and tear and protect the floor’s surface from scratches and gouges that may happen due to chair legs scraping the surface under normal circumstances.

Large rooms can be a challenge to decorate, especially rooms in the home designed to serve multiple purposes. Many people love open floor plans which can include living rooms with sitting rooms or sunrooms attached: but a real challenge is found with laying out furniture in these types of rooms. With a lack of wall space comes the difficulty of blending one room into the next. An area rug can easily divide a large room into functional parts by drawing attention to the rug itself, with furniture placed strategically around the rug. This set-up can make furniture in the room without a wall appear to be in place, rather than out of place.

In contrast, area rugs can do the opposite of dividing a room if multiple sizes of the same patterned rug are used throughout the home. For example, a living room with a dining room attached can feel like a cohesive space with the use of matching rugs in both rooms.

Tips for Choosing a Rug Size:

• Leave 18 to 24 inches of border between the rug and wall on all sides in rooms used as living or family rooms

• Leave 2 to 4 inches between the walls and the rug in hallways. Hallway rugs should also be roughly two feet shorter than the hallway.

Choosing Floors With Children in Mind

Choosing flooring options that are both aesthetically pleasing and child-friendly, can be a tough decision. The trick is to find the perfect balance between safety and budget-constraints.

While stone and ceramic tile flooring have a classic look about them, they offer no cushioning for falls or dropped items (such as your child’s favorite toy). Even with their beautiful look, these floors are not child-friendly and will not absorb the inevitable tumbles and spills children take daily.

Kid-friendly carpeting from Heritage Floors, Inc.

Wood floors are an option when considering flooring. The convenience about wood floors is that you can have them installed, and then easily place an area rug over floors in the rooms where your children spend the most time. One downside to wood floors, though, is that any messes/spills that happen have to be cleaned up immediately so the liquid does not penetrate into the flooring.

Finally, another option is wall-to-wall carpeting.  The idea of a soft, cushioned, padded floor is perfect for children to sit and play, and even take the occasional tumble.  As a very forgiving floor, it’s important to remember to color-coordinate your carpeting to match paint/furniture, while also taking into consideration the possible spills on the carpet and the best color necessary to cover those up.

While all floors have pros and cons connected to each, ultimately it is your decision as to which floor will work best for you and your family!

Decorating With Area Rugs

Shaw Rugs, Contemporary/Modern, Mirabella Collection – Shown: Milan

Area rugs make a wonderful addition to nearly every type of room in your home. Regardless of the type of flooring or carpet you have, the addition of an area rug can spice up the décor as an accent feature or become the focal point of a room. Area rugs come in many shapes, styles and colors to match nearly any decorator’s taste.

For more information on carpet and rugs, visit www.heritage-floors.net.