Whether your floor is wood, tile or carpet, an area rug can be a fabulous feature of your interior design. Area rugs come in many shapes, sizes and patterns to complement any home decor. Knowing a few key facts will help you shop intelligently, so you can purchase good quality rugs that will meet your needs and last for years.
Here is some basic information to help you wade through all the options, so you'll know what kind of area rugs will work best for you.
You have two choices, decor or speculation. Area rugs can actually be an investment item; some centuries-old Oriental or Persian rugs are antiques valued at thousands of dollars. If you're just buying accent rugs to complement your furniture, buy something you enjoy looking at and walking on. If you're buying an antique wool rug to finance your retirement, you'll want to take extra special care--its condition 30 years from now will be a major factor in its value.
In any case, don't buy cheap rugs. Good quality costs extra, but that doesn't mean you should buy full-price floor rugs when you can buy discount rugs. Decide exactly what you want, shop around, find a good deal, then spend what you must to get the rug you want.
When you have the right rug, get a rug pad. Like padding under carpet, it makes the rug more comfortable to walk on, but it also helps prevent movement on slick surfaces like polished wood--a must-have safety feature!
Wool rugs have been popular for centuries because of their durability and luster--key elements in high-quality rugs. Wool lasts longer and looks better than any synthetic so far created. Wool does come in different grades, the finer the wool, the better (and pricier) the area rug. Cotton is more barefoot-friendly and less costly than wool. These two fabrics are often blended to produce beautiful, affordable rugs.
Silk is used in the highest-quality Oriental and Persian rugs, often blended into wool for added luster and shine. Area rugs containing silk must be handled with special care--never clean it yourself.
Nylon is very cost-effective, great for high traffic areas and may be machine washable. If you are buying for investment, however, nylon isn't the way to go.
Most area rug cultures are also no-shoes-in-the-house cultures. Imagine walking barefoot over grass versus concrete. That's how your rug feels about hard-soled shoes (especially high heels) versus socks.
The best rug cleaning plan is never to need it. Bare feet and socks also track in less dirt, making life easier all around. (Besides, rugs feel better that way.) Don't over clean floor rugs like carpets. High-traffic wool area rugs need an annual professional cleaning, plus the occasional thorough vacuuming. The rug less traveled may only need a good, professional scrub once or twice per decade.
Of course, accidents happen, especially with small children and pets. Urine is the worst--it doesn't just look and smell bad, it can chemically damage your rug. With any spill, act fast. Blot up the liquid with towels, soak the spot in a water-vinegar mix or commercial spot remover you have tested to be sure it won't do more harm that good, and let it dry. Then clean it again with a mild rug shampoo and let it dry. If that doesn't do it, call in a professional.
Speaking of professionals, if a rug is damaged, it can often be repaired, but this is not a do-it-yourself project. The rug must be rewoven and that is a job for a real rug maker.
Whole books can be written on making area rugs, a practice which has a language all its own. For most consumers, just a few key terms are need-to-know:
Warp and weft: The rug design is made by weaving knotted threads onto a foundation (like the canvas on a painting); warp are the longer foundation threads, which also form the fringe; weft are shorter threads crossing the width and forming the selvage.
Antique rugs: Must be over 60 years old, though some dealers start at 100 years old.
Contemporary rugs: Also called new or modern, anything under 25 years old; often featuring sparse designs, they are increasingly popular for modern decor; bright colors and unusual shapes give them a pop art feel.
Oriental rugs: Produced in Asia, these hand-knotted rugs have up to 1,000 knots per square inch.
Persian rugs: Actually from any part of the Middle East, these feature bright colors and elaborate geometric, floral or pictorial designs.
Pile, nap or face: The visible surface of the rug; the material knotted onto the warp and weft to produce the pattern.
Shag rugs: That popular carpet of the 1970s is back, featuring better materials and long, thick fibers that provide excellent insulation and a high bare toes coziness index.
Tapestries: Area rugs hung on the wall; huge wall-hangings were popular in medieval castles as a way to add color and insulation to stone walls. Still popular today, though the modern versions don't usually cover the whole wall.
Selvedge: The weaving on the longer edge that strengthens the side and prevents unraveling; as the most-handled part of the rug, it most often needs repair.
Can I get rugs in a set?
Yes, you can. Typical sets include large area rugs for use in the living or family room, smaller accent rugs for a conversation nook, and rug runners, usually placed along walls or in halls.
Are all area rugs rectangular?
In times past, yes, but modern rugs (or contemporary area rugs) can be round rugs, oval area rugs, square area rugs, even octagonal rugs.
Can I put rugs in any room?
Why not? Rugs come in sizes from very small to absolutely huge. Easy care materials like cotton or nylon are wonderful for bathroom or kitchen rugs. Stepping out of the shower onto a luxurious, deep-pile shag rug can be a great antidote for mornings.
As you shop, consider the rug maker. Area rugs from our Worldstock partnership are made by skilled local artists all over the world. Some Overstock rugs are commercially produced, but many are woven by small business owners. Handcrafted by talented artisans, each rug varies slightly in size and embroidery pattern, making your Worldstock area rug a unique piece of art. Worldstock prices these goods as inexpensively as possible in order to drive up volume and create as many employment opportunities for these talented women as we can.
You are probably buying area rugs, in part, to protect your floors. Why not do the same for your furniture with a great slipcover? Slipcovers are available in sizes to fit chairs, loveseats, sofas and couches in almost every color of the rainbow. If the furniture is getting a little worn, a slipcover is much less expensive than a new living room set. (Although, if you insist, we will happily sell you one of those instead.)
Spend once, save much. In other words, people needlessly stress over the great decorator's question: "Will it match?" If you buy it all at the same time, the answer is, "Absolutely!" You might as well save more money and buy it all from Overstock.com's home store.