Decorating Hints
Size and placement
When you plan to include an area rug in your decorating theme, one
of the first questions you should ask yourself is “What size?” You
can use masking tape in the corners of where you would like to see
your rug placed and then measure for approximate size.
Do you need more than one rug in a room?
Doing so starts to define areas within a room. Don’t divide a room
in half with two equal sized rugs; a large rug and a small one makes
for a better contrast. Also, designs and colors needn’t “match.”
Rugs should complement each other -- vary the scale of the pattern
and the type of design.
Living room
When arranging furniture, it is general practice to place the front
legs on the rug and the back legs on the flooring. The primary
concern, however, is not whether the furniture is on the rug or off
the rug as long as the uncovered spaces on the floor are balanced
and the rug is right for the room.
Dining room
To measure for your dining room, the rug should be of adequate size
to move chairs away from the table without falling off the rug. In
most cases, an eight-foot-wide will be adequate. A rule of thumb is
to measure your table, and add tow feet to all four sides. The
resulting dimensions will be your minimum rug size.
Surrounding furniture in the dining room (breakfronts, serving
stands, China cabinets) should be on the floor -- not on the rug.
Bedroom
Fewer things are nicer than stepping out of bed directly onto a
plush rug! In addition to the wonderful tactile experience, a rug in
the bedroom also muffles sound. A bedroom is a restful place, and an
area rug helps keep it quiet and comfortable.
Decorating
The first question you should ask yourself is “How will the room be
used?” Anticipating a room’s use has a very practical function: some
rugs may be better suited to high traffic and activity than others.
A dark colored rug, for example, will hide the dirt between
cleanings more readily than a light colored rug and might be
considered for a family room or entryway. A light colored rug, on
the other hand, will help a small room seem a little brighter.
Of the three components in room decorating (walls, floors, and
furnishing), your floor covering is often the largest single design
statement. A well-chosen rug will, at a glance, define the
personality of a room. Furniture and well decoration may make bold
statements in and of themselves, or may combine together to create
the atmosphere you desire, but the floor covering is, in a sense, a
backdrop to the proceedings. Defining a room’s use will start to
define its look, and will help start to narrow your choice of floor
covering. A “formal dining room” will certainly have a personality
different from a “casual family room” or a “master bedroom” or a
“country kitchen.”
A well-decorated room is made up of a balance of color, texture, and
pattern. Color, in this sense, means value: light, medium, and dark.
You want a little of each. Different values give depth and interest
to a room. A predominance of any one value will end up feeling a
little “flat.” Think of value in terms of a good snapshot -- a good
picture isn’t underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too light).
Beautiful photographs have a complete tonal range from darks to
lights.
Patterns are infinite in their variety. Florals, geometric, stripes,
plaids, and tiny repeat patterns are only the most common. With
patterns, “scale” is the key: avoid a predominance of any one kind.
For example, a large floral patterned sofa and a striped arm shair
on a repeat geometric rug provide the right amount of visual
contrast and balance.
Padding is a must
The first step in caring for your area rug is installing proper
padding. Padding muffles the sound of footsteps and prevents the rug
from sliding on smooth flooring.
More importantly, padding helps protect your rug from incessant
crushing between shoe heels and flooring. The proper padding is no
more than one half inch thick and is just smaller than the rug
itself.
Click here for padding
options and products.
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