Keep Your Area Rugs Looking Great

Regular care and upkeep will keep your area rugs looking great and your home looking as beautiful, stylish and unique as ever. Here are some maintenance tips.

• Don’t avoid walking on your area rugs.
• Vacuum or sweep your rug as you would wall-to-wall carpeting.
• Rotate your rug 180 degrees every few months, or every year, depending on the traffic patterns.
• All parts of the rug should be exposed to an equal amount of traffic so that the pile wears evenly.
• A water spill should be dried immediately with a hairdryer set on a warm temperature.
• Have your rug washed by a professional every two to five years, depending on the amount of traffic on the rug.
• Do not take your rug to general carpet-cleaning companies.
• Consult with your retailer about the proper padding to be placed under your rug.
• If the rug is to be stored for a long time in a place without exposure to light or air, first vacuum or sweep it.
• When considering repairing a rug, factor in the cost of repair in comparison to the value of the rug.

 

Give Your Living Room A Wow Factor

A rug on top of your living room hardwood is an accessory that can easily transform your space. Small rugs look great on top of sleek hardwood flooring and can add a whole new dimension to the room, especially if they include rich colors, textures or patterns.

Any carpet can be custom bound into a unique area rug. With such a wide variety of carpet styles and designs, giving your room a completely different atmosphere is simple and effortless. Consider these rug ideas for your living room design.

Durable Patterns
Houses catering to a family should include a rug that can withstand the wear and tear usually inflicted upon the floor by children.

“Real Simple’ magazine suggests patterned rugs to make the space more visually interesting, adding another element of texture to your living room.

Use Your Rug As An Accessory
The size of your rug should be smaller than the area that your furniture covers. People often make the mistake of using an oversized rug for their room, covering up more of their hardwood floor than they have to. According to HGTV, the front two legs of your sofas or chairs should be placed on the area rug, supporting the gathering space, but not taking away from the overall sleekness or openness of the room. Think of the rug as an accessory, just like your ottoman or coffee table. It shouldn’t take over your flooring, but complement it instead.

“Real Simple” recommended using a decorative rug to draw attention to a specific piece of furniture, like your bold-colored sofa. This is easily done by contrasting the color of the rug with that of the piece of furniture you want to make the focal point of the living room.

Source: Shaw Floors

Choosing Area Rugs For Your Home

• Why should a homeowner consider placing a small or large area rug in a particular room? Area rugs are an excellent option to accent a room and protect hardwoods from excessive wear. They also provide comfort in a gathering space.
• What are the benefits of using a rug? Since many homes have hardwoods and tile, rugs protect from heavy wear and tear. They also help with sound reduction.
• What different rug fabrics, colors, styles, shapes and sizes are available today that perhaps weren’t available years ago? Area rugs are more often made from carpet, which provides flexibility in size, shape, color and pattern. We are able to provide a custom rug within three to six weeks. Many pre-made rugs come in standard sizes that no longer fit larger spaces and to order a custom size can take several months.
• In which rooms are area rugs most effective and why? All rooms that need softness, warmth or an extra element of design are good candidates for an area rug.
• What are some things a homeowner should consider before choosing the perfect rug for their chosen living space? Clients should consider the use of the space. 1-Stain resistant fibers like nylon and polypropylene are best for spaces with heavy traffic, children and pets. Wool is a very durable and luxurious option. Sisal and Seagrass are natural choices that can be accented with fabric borders. 2-The size of the rug can be determined by the room or the seating space. Dining tables should always be 18 to 24 inches larger on each side to allow easy movement of chairs. 3-When choosing a rug you should have swatches or pictures of your current furnishings and fabrics. Rugs can be used to create a neutral canvas for a bold room or as an accent in a monochromatic design.
• What is the expected lifespan of an area rug before you should consider replacing it? Area rugs require proper cleaning maintenance to achieve the longest life span, just like carpet. The fabric quality and location can also dictate the lifespan.
• Any other tips or suggestions on this topic? When shopping for a rug bring fabric swatches, pictures of the space and a rough dimension of the room. This helps the designer or the sales person make informed suggestions.

Source: Leslie Waller, MODA Floors & Interiors project consultant/designer

Hot Trends: Rug Layering

Want to spice up a room? Try rug layering!

Creative Carpeting

Whether you’re looking for wall-to-wall, area rugs, runners, solids or patterns, carpet can dramatically change the look of your living space. And in today’s marketplace, the possibilities are endless.

Color is one of the most personal and subjective elements of carpet buying. Fortunately, there are more colors and designs available than ever before. Consider some of the new neutrals, like yellow, light blue and pale green, in addition to the more conventional yet forever elegant beige, tan, ivory and cream. Also, remember that while light colors make a room seem larger, dark colors can make a room seem cozier and more intimate.

The area in which the carpet or rug is placed will determine the importance of durability. A high-traffic area needs a long-wearing, stain resistant fiber, while your bedroom may require only something that is soft to the touch and pleasing to the eye.

Rug Tips

• If possible, buy the rug first and make it your focal point, then dress the area with furniture.
• If space permits, the furniture should sit on the outskirts of the rug, not on top of it.
• Rotate area rugs periodically to minimize the wear and tear to any one part.
• If furniture lies on the rug, try to occasionally move everything one or two inches in order to keep it from permanently crushing the carpet fibers and leaving depressions in the rug.

Patterns can blend in or stand out. A large design can cut your room down to size, while a minimal pattern or solid colored carpet can make your room appear to grow in size. A bright floral design can make a room that doesn’t get much natural light, more welcoming than before. Patterns can also hide a multitude of sins, camouflaging the little spills and mishaps that come with life at home.

Carpet has become one of the most versatile items in home decorating and has found its way into 95 percent of all households in America. Recent innovations have produced products that are more vibrant, stronger, and wear better than ever before.

Source: Stanton Carpet

Is an Area Rug Right for Your Home?

Photo: Shaw Floors

Area rugs are an excellent option to accent a room, protect hardwoods from excessive wear, and help with sound reduction.

Area rugs are more often made from carpet, which provides options for choosing the size, shape, color and pattern that will work best in your home. Your custom rug can be available within three to six weeks after placing your order.

Here are three things to consider before placing your order for a custom rug.

1. Stain resistant fibers like nylon and polypropylene are best for spaces with heavy traffic, children and pets. Wool is a very durable and luxurious option. Sisal and Seagrass are natural choices that can be accented with fabric borders.
2. The size of the rug can be determined by the room or the seating space. Dining tables should always be 18-24 inches larger on each side to permit easy movement of chairs.
3. When shopping for an area rug, take fabric swatches, pictures of the space and rough dimensions of the room. This will help the designer or sales person make informed suggestions.

Rugs can be used to create a neutral canvas for a bold room or as an accent in a monochromatic design. Would you like a custom rug in your home?

Source: Leslie Waller, Project Consultant/Designer, MODA Floors & Interiors

Choosing Carpet? Think Creatively!

Photo: Stanton Carpet

When we think of making interior design changes to our home, we often think of a fresh coat of paint, a new sofa or even reupholstering a piece of furniture without ever looking under our own two feet for the obvious solution. A change of carpeting can bring out new charms in your old furniture and in you!

Whether you’re looking for wall-to-wall, area rugs, runners, solids or patterns, carpet can dramatically change the look of your living space.

Color

Color is one of the most personal and subjective elements of carpet buying. Fortunately, there are more colors and designs available than ever before. Consider some of the new neutrals, like yellow, light blue and pale green, in addition to the more conventional yet forever elegant beige, tan, ivory and cream. Also, remember that while light colors make a room seem larger, dark colors can make a room seem cozier and more intimate.

Durability

The area in which the carpet or rug is placed will determine the importance of durability. A high traffic area needs a long-wearing, stain resistant fiber, while your bedroom may require only something that is soft to the touch and pleasing to the eye.

Patterns 

Patterns are the spice of life. A large design can cut your room down to size, while a minimal pattern or solid colored carpet can make your room appear to grow in size. A bright floral design can make a room that doesn’t get much natural light, more welcoming than before. Patterns can also hide a multitude of sins, camouflaging the little spills and mishaps that come with life at home.

Carpet has become one of the most versatile items in home decorating and has found its way into 95 percent of all households in America.

What trends in carpeting are you seeing where you live?

Source: Stanton Carpet

Fiber: Basic Ingredient in Area Rugs, Carpet

The basic fibers used in area rugs and carpet today all have their individual strengths. Your ultimate choice will be determined by the characteristics that are most important to you.

Nylon Area Rugs and Carpet

Nylon has been the most commonly used carpet fiber since the early 1960s and is used in the production of area rugs as well. In overall performance characteristics, nylon is the most versatile of all fibers, providing excellent flexibility in creating a variety of area rug and carpet styles. Nylon can be found in a wide range of both cut pile and loop pile styles. It is durable, resilient, and receptive to dyeing for color versatility and uniformity; many new nylon yarn systems are also exceptionally soft. Though not inherently stain resistant, most nylon area rugs and carpets feature a stain-resist treatment for protection against household spills and stains.

Polyester (PET) Area Rugs and Carpet

Polyester offers exceptional softness and color clarity, and it is also naturally stain and fade resistant. While polyester is not as inherently resilient as nylon, area rugs and carpets made of polyester fiber will perform well if appropriately constructed. Thanks to technological advances in yarn processing and improved carpet construction techniques, polyester’s purported weakness as a high-performance fiber has been largely overcome. When properly twisted and tufted, today’s polyester yarns perform much better than in years past.

Polyester styles are good choices for low – to medium – traffic settings such as bedrooms. Polyester carpet styles typically represent good value.

Polypropylene (olefin) Area Rugs and Carpet

Unlike other fiber types, polypropylene will not absorb water and must therefore be solution dyed (pigmented) to impart color. Solution dyeing is a pigmentation process in which color is actually built into the fiber when it is formed, or extruded, thereby becoming an inherent part that cannot be removed from the fiber. The color will not fade, even when exposed to intense sunlight, bleaches, atmospheric contaminants or other harsh chemicals or elements. Since it is not as resilient as other fibers, polypropylene is normally used in loop pile constructions in which there is less need for superior resiliency.

Source: Shaw Floors

Change the Look of Your Home

When we think of making interior design changes to our home, we often think of a fresh coat of paint, a new sofa or even reupholstering a piece of furniture without ever looking under our own two feet for the obvious solution. A change of carpeting can bring out new charms in your old furniture and in you! Whether you’re looking for wall-to-wall, area rugs, runners, solids or patterns, carpet can dramatically change the look of your living space. And in today’s marketplace, the possibilities are endless.

Color is one of the most personal and subjective elements of carpet buying. One person’s “beautiful” is another’s “boring.” Fortunately, there are more colors and designs available than ever before. Consider some of the new neutrals, like yellow, light blue and pale green, in addition to the more conventional yet forever elegant beige, tan, ivory and cream. Also, remember that while light colors make a room seem larger, dark colors can make a room seem cozier and more intimate.

The area in which the carpet or rug is placed will determine the importance of durability. A high traffic area needs a long-wearing, stain resistant fiber, while your bedroom may require only something that is soft to the touch and pleasing to the eye.

Source: Stanton Carpet

Choosing an Area Rug

Photo: Shaw Floors

Colors and designs for area rugs run the gamut from serene and subdued to spunky and bright. But don’t be confused about your selection. Here are a few guidelines.

Color and Design

If you want to make a bold, contemporary statement, consider a large floral pattern or dazzling geometric that becomes the room’s main focal point. To add warmth, texture and quiet style, try a rug with more subdued colors or a classical pattern in subtle shades.

Tips for Choosing

• Living Areas: A rug should be large enough to hold seating groups and small enough that the floor forms a contrasting frame around it.
• Dining Areas: Choose a rug large enough to accommodate chairs when they’re pushed away from the table.
• Foyers: The rug should cover a large portion of the area, allowing a generous 18- to 24-inch border of floor to frame it.

Do you have a favorite area rug?

Source: Shaw Floors