If you are looking for a way to warm up the look of bare floors, consider adding an area rug to a room. These versatile floor coverings can be used in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, home offices, and playrooms. One of the advantages if you decide to choose an area rug for your home over wall to wall carpet is that if you ever get tired of it and decide to make a change, it’s very easy to update the look – you can replace the rug very easily. Changing out wall-to-wall carpet requires much more planning! <strong]]>Choose an Area Rug for Your Home 1. Consider your Budget You should buy the best quality rug that you can afford for the space. Consider the cost of the furniture in the room and use it as a guide when you are deciding how much you will spend on the floor covering. For example, if you are looking for an area rug for your living room, you be looking at spending about the same amount as you spent on your sofa. 2. Choose a Size The area rug should be a couple of feet shorter than the smallest wall in the room. If you are looking to place an area rug in a conversation area in a large room, make sure that it is large enough so that the front third of the furniture will sit on the rug. You can choose two area rugs (and make two conversation areas) in a big room. The two rugs do not have to be identical, as long as the colours and patterns coordinate in some manner. It can be challenging to determine what an area rug will look like on your floor when you see dimensions listed on a website or a catalogue. To “see” the dimensions in your room, tape pieces of newspaper onto the floor in the dimensions of the rug you are considering this will help you decide whether this is the right size for your needs. 3. Consider Material and Pattern Next, look at the material and pattern to choose the right area rug. If the room is a high-traffic area, you’ll want to choose a rug made from a material that can stand up to a lot of wear and tear. A delicate needlepoint rug would not be a good choice in this instance, but might be better suited to a formal living room. If you are looking for a rug for your dining room, you may want to consider a hand-knotted Persian rug, since it is highly durable and it will also hide stains well due to its rich patterning. Do you need help finding the right area rug? Call or stop by Tony’s Flooring Centre and we would be pleased to assist you.