I never thought of myself as someone who would buy custom area rugs. Before I owned my own home, doing something like that just seemed impersonal, impractical, and worst of all, expensive. But then we finally bought a home of our own and suddenly we had a lot of space to fill. I loved our tile and hardwood flooring, but it felt cold in the winter time and the room just looked like it was missing something.
So, that’s when I set out to prove all of my own arguments – impersonal, impractical, expensive – wrong and brought home a beautiful area rug that my family will be cherishing for a long time to come.
Here’s why you should look into buying a custom designed rug too:Custom Designed Rugs can be Personal
A great designer rug has the possibility to be with you for a lifetime. If you intend to pass it down to a child or a friend or family member, then it might even outlive you and become an heirloom. Keep that in mind when you go shopping. You’re not just choosing one for your room’s current décor; you’re choosing one that will stick with your family through changing tastes and styles. So take your time when picking a custom designed pattern or style and think about choosing something you’ll never tire of looking at. It might take a little longer to make a decision this way, but don’t let it overwhelm you. If there’s a particular design you keep coming back to, then it’s probably the one.
They are Practical
If you have hardwood or tile flooring, they can not only serves the purpose of helping add to your home décor, but it will also help protect your flooring from unnecessary wear and tear. When you weigh the cost versus refinishing or replacing hardwood, the cost becomes relative. You might consider placing your designer floor covering under heavy furniture, such as a dining room table and chairs, to further help protect your floors from the furniture’s weight.
They don’t have to be Expensive
While it’s true that a quality rug is an investment, a great custom designed one doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. If you’re wavering between covering your existing hardwood or refinishing it and adding a few custom designed ones, compare what you’d spend to the cost of wall-to-wall carpeting. You might find that once you pay for carpet, padding, and installation, that you could have simply bought a durable designer version. If you’re worried about the cost, set a budget for yourself before you start shopping. It’s best to decide how much you’re comfortable spending before you fall in love with something and not after.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with a few very general tips about shopping for a custom designed rug that I learned during my experience. First, always shop with a reputable retailer. A store that specializes in contemporary rugs and floor coverings will be a much better option than a furniture store that just happens to carry rugs as well. Chances are very good that that retailer will be able to provide you with support such as how to properly care for your new floor covering and be a resource when it comes to cleaning or repairs. Don’t allow a seller to pressure you into buying something you don’t want or need.
Second, take time to measure the area where it will eventually end up. You don’t want to end up buying too much or too little for the space it’s meant to be in. So get out your tape measure and take a moment to see how much room a certain rug would take up or, better yet, how large you’d like it to be. Don’t forget to consider the placement of doors and air vents when measuring. If you’re measuring for a living room and you want to create an intimate space around it, measure both the length and width of the seating arrangement and then subtract 24” from each number. For a dining room, measure both the table’s length and width and then add 54” to both of your measurements. This will allow for plenty of space for your chairs.
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