FINDING YOUR OWN RUG STYLE

You’ve bought a home, furnished it, and now you’re ready to decorate. What better time to look for that perfect rug to compliment your home than now? How do you even begin to shop for a rug? Every Department Store, Home Furnishing Company and Floor Covering Stores are selling Oriental rugs. But, if you’re looking for an area rug and want to purchase the best for your home, you’ve come to the right place. We are here to educate you, have the ideas, suggestions, and creativity to help ensure you’re making the right selection, and you’re getting the most and the best for your money. The best way to approach interior decorating is by first choosing a rug style. From the elegance of a classic Oriental to the casual look of a natural sisal, a rug adds personality and warmth to a room. But with so many styles, colors and materials to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? Do you prefer a look that's traditional, contemporary or an eclectic mix of styles? It’s actually easier than you think. Here are a few ground rules to help you find the right area rug for your room.

RUG STYLES

Two of the biggest factors to consider when choosing a rug that you’ll love to live with are one that suits your personal taste and lifestyle. “Buying a rug is just like buying a piece of artwork. The first criteria is to trust your own judgment, don't be afraid to be bold and different. Buy something you will enjoy. And full enjoyment of your new rug means considering your taste, your lifestyle, and of course, your budget,” says Ali Inal, Founder of Designer Rug Warehouse. For a rug that’s going to last, you’ll want to make sure it can hold up to your lifestyle. Are you placing your rug in a high-traffic area, such as a hallway or family room? Do you have young children or pets? If so, you’ll want to go with a rug that’s durable and easy to clean, like wool, a synthetic blend or Seagrass rug. And keep in mind, a dark-colored patterned rug will hide stains or dirt in high-activity areas. Since you’ll be the one living with your choice, make sure any rug you’re considering ultimately complements your sense of style. You may not think so, but you really do know your style better than anyone else. So trust your instincts. Don’t talk yourself into a popular pattern or color if it’s really not you. You might love it today, but will you like it tomorrow? "Traditional Rug" Many rug styles fall into the traditional category. The most enduring styles are Persian-inspired such as Tabriz, Heriz-Serapi, Kashan, Sarouk and Ghome, etc. French-inspired Aubusson styles have also withstood the test of time. Turkish Ushak and other earth toned and antique finished rugs are staples of traditional style. Rugs will often feature wool pile, veggie dye, antique wash and/or antique finish, in jewel-tone or muted shades. "Transitional and/or Casual Rug" Transitional style blends fresh contemporary rugs with the best designs of the past for an attractive, easy-to-live style. Defined by understated form and restrained approach to line and material, this style is versatile, adapting easily to different decors. A transitional rug can be dressed up to complement a more formal, or casually accented to suit a contemporary room "Contemporary Rug" Designed for today’s lifestyle, usually vibrant colors and geometric patterns are used. DRW’s Contemporary Collection brings romance into your home with its vast array of designs and hues.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT RUG STYLE

Choosing an overall style establishes harmony and unity throughout the home. However, you can still create a custom look for individual rooms through different color schemes and with accents such as collections, artwork or themes from nature. Once you've decided on a style, you're ready to move forward with your decorating plan. However, selecting a rug can be daunting, but you should consider several other things when shopping: Before you go shopping you’ll need to do a little homework, starting with measuring the area where you’ll be placing your rug. You might want to select a minimum and maximum optimal size to give you a wider selection of rugs to choose from. You’re almost ready to start rug shopping. First, take a quick inventory of your color scheme. To tie the look of the room together, you’ll want to select a rug that complements the two or three main colors in the room. If you go to a store, we suggest you take a throw pillow and a color swatch of your drapes, furniture or wall colors with you. It’s incredibly hard to visualize how the colors will work together without any reference.

CREATE A FOCAL POINT

Rugs can pull the elements of a room together. Or they can be used to distinguish different sections of a larger room. Before beginning the shopping process, you’ll need to think about the purpose and look that you want to achieve. Are you looking to modify decorative elements or just keep your feet warm? How about both? Think about which room your rug will go in. Is it going to be a high-traffic area? How is the room used typically? The use of the room will determine the type of rug that you choose.

RUG SHAPE AND SIZE

Rectangular rugs are most common, but it is useful to remember that there are many different shapes and sizes available. You can add some flair and interest by choosing a round or octagonal rug. Circular and oval rugs do a nice job of transitioning room-to-room. It’s always a good idea to have specific measurements for the room that you are shopping for. Visualizing the size, shape, and function of a room will help you make the right purchase to fill that space.

HOW TO MEASURE FOR AN AREA RUG

1- Dining Room: A great tip is to pull out the dining room chairs as if you were sitting at the table and measure the floor space being taken up by both the table and chairs. That way you will have the perfect size area rug for your dining room set, and not have to worry about the chairs slipping off the rug when guest scoot their seat out.

2- Living Room or Great Room rug: Keep in mind that the area rug should fit slightly under the front of the sofa, and allow your guests to walk around your coffee table comfortably (typically a 2’ to 3’ space around the coffee table works).

3- Bedroom rug: Consider a large enough rug to stand on when getting out of bed.

4- Hallway rug: Measure the size of your hallway and subtract 12″ from the length and width. This will allow for a 6″ border of flooring to show all around.

COLOR AND PATTERN

You’ll want to choose a rug with colors and patterns that compliment the existing walls, furniture, floor, and window treatments. Color powerfully sets the mood of a room, so choose carefully. Since buying a rug has a large impact on both your home and budget, it’s good practice to look through magazines and catalogs to get some ideas of what appeals to you. Then you can look for rugs that you know will suit your taste before you begin shopping. Like a famous painting, you may not be able to afford the real thing. You can always get a print of the original, which can be just as pleasing. Buying a rug can be very similar. Rugs come in all different types at various prices. The rug expert or designer who is serving you will be able to distinguish each type for you. Your new rug will be most enjoyable when it pleases your taste, meets the needs of your home décor, and fits your budget. Think about it this way: An Oriental rug brings beauty and function into your home for a lifetime.