Hardwood is wonderful but it can’t warm up chilly toes and bring personality into a room like an area rug can. Don’t know where to start? Let us show you!
Hardwood floors have become the most popular choice in flooring for the last decade. From walnut to bamboo, homeowners continue to embrace hardwood for its warm look, versatile feel, and durability.
If you’ve recently bought a new home or recently installed hardwood flooring, it’s a good idea to protect your investment with rugs. A great rug can also help punctuate the look of your room by adding pattern and color that hardwood can’t pull off. Whether used in high-traffic areas, under furniture, or just as decoration, they can help extend the life and look of your hardwood in a variety of ways.
Before you go shopping for your perfect floor covering, there are a number of factors to keep in mind:
Your budget:
Wondering where to buy them? Shop without leaving your house or changing out of your sweats! While the cost of a quality rug can sometimes send buyers into sticker shock, the internet offers access to both local and national floor covering outlets offering the cheapest and most inexpensive rugs on the market heavily discounted. You can also find them for sale through online retailers who sell them discounted or offer incentives like free shipping. [Shameless plug: BoldRugs offers free shipping and no sales tax on our orders and we have some of the lowest pricing available online.]
Your needs:
Just like when you’re shopping for clothing, you need to consider what the appropriate material is for the space they will eventually sit. You wouldn’t wear a cotton shirt to go swimming, so think about the conditions they would be exposed to during its use.
Bamboo, nylon, and jute are great for high-traffic areas. Silk, wool, and other natural fiber materials are better in areas where they’ll be shown off, but not treated too roughly (just like your favorite cashmere sweater). And if you’re looking for something durable that also makes a statement, consider using an unexpected material like leather, chenille, shag, sisal or sea grass.
Construction itself is also important. You’ll be given the choice between braided, hand knotted, and handmade, hooked, tufted and woven rugs. Each type offers a different style and quality.
Your space:
They come in many shapes and sizes. Retailers will let you choose from very large sizes that cover an entire room to ones that just serve as hallway runners. You can simplify this process by measuring the area you’re looking to cover and then deciding if you’ll need a large area rug or a smaller one.
Then, consider the shape you’d like it to be, such as round, square or oval. Try to think creatively. The shape can make just as much of a statement as any other element of its construction. If you’re looking to cover an entire room, make sure you’re buying from a retailer with many large ones for sale – you’ll get a better selection.
Your style: Finally, the fun part! Your taste in home décor also comes into play when selecting your decorative floor covering. Whether your tastes are contemporary or traditional, there truly one for every taste available. Consider the colors that currently exist in your home and try to compliment with corresponding colors and patterns or create a little drama with something like an all black or red rug.
For example, if you’re looking to outfit a traditional living room – you know, that room no one ever goes in? – an oriental styled area rug might be just the thing. If it is for your bedroom, to warm up those toes on chilly mornings, you might want to go with a solid color item in a soothing color like blue, green, brown or white.
For those wishing to channel a specific style, such as the casual elegance of New England, look for these from the Martha Stewart collection. From orange to floral patterns, Martha’s got lots of ideas for making your home Nantucket perfect. And if you prefer something a little more modern, the bold patterns of Momeni might be just the thing.