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Living Space: Area rugs to the rescue

An area rug is a magician when it comes to instantly pulling a room together with unifying color, like this rug. This versatile accent can make a sitting area cozy in a snap and can solve many common decorating dilemmas.
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  • Originally published March 24, 2011 at midnight, updated March 24, 2011 at midnight

If you live in a loft or a large, open-concept home, defining your space can be a challenge. Or maybe your apartment and your furniture seem at odds with one another. Fortunately, there's one decorating accent that can unify all these situations. It's the humble area rug. But far from being little more than something to walk on, area rugs can solve a number of problems and make your rooms look fabulous while they work.

FAST FIX

When you have a large, open living space, it's easy to feel lost. An area rug under a table or in a seating area instantly defines those two spaces as distinctly different. Better still, an area rug is a magician when it comes to instantly pulling a room together. This versatile accent can make a sitting area cozy in a snap and soften your decor - even dampening sound - which is so important if you have tile or wood floors.

RUG DO'S

One of the most important considerations when placing a rug is to make sure that corners aren't sticking out in walkways. Otherwise, your area rug becomes an area hazard. If you place a rug under your dining table, be sure to find a rug that extends past the chairs when they're pushed in and when being sat in. This is the proper size for dining area rugs. You don't want guests to be wobbling in their chairs on the edge of the rug.

Area rugs placed on smooth floors, especially small rugs, are often a source of slips and falls. Make sure you place rug pads that stop slipping, or your rugs could raise your homeowners' insurance rates. To get more size out of a small area rug, move furniture off of the rug and place around the outer edges.

CHOOSING A RUG

If you can find a rug dealer that will let you take several rugs home to try, that's your best bet for finding a rug you'll love and that works well with your furnishings. A good rule of thumb for choosing a rug color is to use the color to contrast the furniture. Dark furniture or floors call for a lighter-colored rug. If a dark rug is selected, the whole area will become heavy with little distinction between the floor and furniture. If your room is small, a light-colored rug will visually open up the space. If you're interested in drawing the eye away from your furniture, select a rug with a bold pattern and it will steal the spotlight.

Consumers today have a variety of rugs to choose from that range from natural fibers, such as sisal, to wool and cowhide to bamboo. Natural fibers wear well and stand up well over time, making them a good choice for areas of heavy traffic. Area rugs are even popping up in today's large bathrooms to warm up cold floors and catch hairspray and other personal products from building up on tile or stone. Another option in area rugs is to make your own. Talk to your local carpet store and have them make an area rug for you. A custom rug can be made from the carpet of your choice in virtually any shape and then bound professionally.

Kathryn Weber is a home and decorating columnist and publishes the Red Lotus Letter feng shui E-zine. For more information, contact Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.



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