Decorating With Area Rugs
by Nikki Willhite - Willhite@aol.com
Description: Tips for decorating your home with area rugs.
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Area rugs can be well used by the frugal decorator. They are
extremely versatile, and serve many purposes. They can start off
in the living room, move to the Family Room or Bedroom, and
eventually end up in the garage or an indoor/outdoor room.
Unlike wall-to-wall carpet, which is best kept in a neutral
color, area rugs can bring colorful designs and patterns into
your room without overwhelming it. Also, unlike wall-to-wall
carpeting, once you buy them, they are yours to keep; as you can
take them with you if you move.
You are lucky if you have wooden floors under your carpeting. It
may take some work to refinish them, but they last forever. They
do not collect pollutants, like carpeting, and are much easier on
people with allergies. New houses are so well insulated, that you
need all the help you can get keeping your home fresh.
If you do have wall-to-wall carpeting, you can still use area
rugs. You can lay them on high traffic areas to protect the
carpet, or use them to tie a seating area together. You can also
just use them for display, even on the walls.
Some people will tell you not to lay one carpet on the other.
However, from experience, I know that if I put down a carpet
runner in a high traffic area, I can fluff up and restore the
carpet. If I don't, the carpet will be ground down to a pulp and
there is no fixing it.
We have runners in all our hallways. We also have them in front
of the sofas- an area which seems to take a lot of abuse. The
longer we can preserve the carpet, we save money. The only thing
I am concerned about is safety. If we are moving furniture, or
carrying heavy things around, I take them up. You also need to
be sure they have a non-slip surface on the bottom so that you
are less likely to trip over them.
There is tremendous variety of types and prices of carpets, from
woven mats to oriental rugs. Stores like Costco often get in
luxurious wool rugs, as well as some of the more novelty type.
Quality rugs are easy to maintain. We bought an off while Berber
rug over 10 years ago at a discount store. We have yet to see
any dirt on it. We also have a wool one, and the same is true.
Braided rugs add wonderful country charm. However, generally
they are not of the same quality and they do become dirty and
require more care.
As far as decorating, if you need texture in your room, think
about a Berber carpet. To read more about texture, see:
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/texture.htm
If your room seems very square and angular, consider an oval rug
to soften it.
Add interest to your room by choosing from the many designs and
styles, such as contemporary, Oriental, Indian, Floral,
Geometric, etc. Using area rugs with color and texture lessen
the need for other accessories in a room.
Most area rugs are used to group furniture arrangements. For
instance, in a living room the area rug would most likely be
placed in front of the sofa and under the coffee table. The
chairs and tables would be grouped around it. You may be able to
create an interesting effect by placing it under your furniture
at an angle.
If you can't find what you want, think about having one made to
your specifications. One very durable solution is to find a
beautiful commercial carpet that you like, and have it bound to
your dimensions. If you want to cover your whole room, leave
about a foot between the wall and carpet, and be sure and turn it
once a year. It will last for years.
Take advantage of area rugs if possible. Wall-to-wall wears out,
and eventually your house becomes patched with different
carpeting as you replace worn out carpet in different areas. Use
area rugs as you can to save money and beautify your home.
Reprinted with permission from:
All Things Frugal
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com
