Rug Guide
Rug Guide
Rugs 101
Designing With Rugs
Selecting A Rug
Sizing a Rug
Knowing Your Rug
Knowing Your Area Rug Construction
THE QUALITY OF YOUR AREA RUG AND THE WAY IT LOOKS AND FEELS
FIBER, TEXTURE, COLOR + CONSTRUCTION
Outdoor/Indoor
Woven using 100% polypropylene or
PET (High Content Recycled Materials)
and designed specifically to withstand
outdoor elements. UV stabilized to ensure your area rug retains its color due to sun exposure and other weather conditions, as well as mold and mildew resistant.
Machine Made
An area rug made by large power-looms.
A power-loom is electrically automated
and controlled by computers. Machine
made area rugs can be made quickly and
can be offered at a lower price compared
to handmade area rugs.
Handmade
Area rugs in this category can be hand-knotted, hand-tufted, hand-loomed or hand-hooked. Hand-tufted area rugs are created in a very similar fashion to hand-hooked area rugs. The major difference is that after the loop pile is created, it is usually sheared to produce a flat pile surface. As the name implies, this type of area rug is produced by craftsmen who draw the design on a canvas which will become the area rug’s anchor backing.
Outdoor Living Six Point
Performance Testing
Each of our outdoor area rugs are made of the finest 100% polypropylene and are water, mold and mildew resistant, as well as UV stabilized for longer retention.
Pattern and color
Got a small space?
HERE IS HOW THE USE OF PATTERN AND COLOR IN YOUR AREA RUG CAN ENLARGE YOUR ROOM'S APPEARANCE.
Small patterned area rugs in light shades and natural hues make a small space appear warm, cozy, yet will expand the overall appearance of your space. Stay away from dark patterns and colors, think natural and light. Simple, minimal geometrics and alternating colored stripes will make your space look as if it never ends.
Pattern and Color
Too large of a space?
SIZE IT DOWN.
Big, bold floral or abstract patterns in deep warm colors will make a room feel cozy. Patterns scaled on smaller size area rugs should be filled with contrasting colors in order to make a living space look at its limited size. Use heavily textured patterns for a tighter cozier appearance.
Area Rug Care and Maintenance
VACUUMING, SPOT CLEANING + TREATMENTS
In addition to proper padding it is important to rotate your area rug periodically. Over time, set traffic paths in your home and/or sunlight patterns can cause fading or uneven wear to an area rug that is not occasionally rotated.
Vacuuming
We recommend vacuuming area rugs in your home that receive the most traffic once a day to keep soil from accumulating. Ideally, all floor coverings should be vacuumed a minimum of once a week. We suggest using a good quality vacuum that features a beater brush that can be adjusted to pile height. Improper maintenance or overly aggressive vacuum methods may cause the pile of a hand-knotted area rug to sprout.
(Special care should be taken as vacuuming with a beater bar can catch or pull the knots and fringe, causing severe damage to your hand-knotted area rug)
Spot Cleaning
Daily vacuuming is the most important cleaning activity, however immediate treatment must be taken for spills, spots or stains. Remember to act quickly!
Step 1 — Blot liquids with a dry, white absorbent cloth or a white paper towel with no printing. Do not scrub the stain! Scrubbing can cause pile distortion in the affected area. Continue to use a dry cloth or paper towels until the area is completely dry.
Step 2 — For semi-solid spills, gently scrape up with a rounded spoon. Solids should be broken up and vacuumed until completely removed.
DESIGNING WITH RUGS
When decorating your home, think of your floors as the foundation for your design scheme. An area rug can visually integrate or harmonize eclectic elements in any décor or can revitalize a room.
There’s an endless array of area rug designs to choose from; Oriental, Persian, contemporary, country/casual, transitional and novelty designs are just a few that can be found in nearly any price range.
This checklist, presents some questions you should ask yourself in order to properly assess what your area rug needs are.
✓ What size and/or shape?
✓ What color?
✓ What pattern?
✓ What style?
✓ How is the room going to be used?
✓ Will it have heavy or light traffic?
TIPS FOR
SELECTING A RUG FOR YOUR HOME
° Visualize the desired total look of the room. Do you want a room that’s uncluttered and monotone or a room rich with colors or textures? If you start with a total empty room, choose an area rug, then paint or paper the walls in colors found in the area rug.
° Remember, the area rug has to fit the room – in more ways than one. Consider how the room is used, how much traffic the area gets and who will view it under what light. For high-traffic areas such as hallways and foyers, you may want a durable, patterned area rug.
° Choose furniture that enhances the area rug design or colors found in the area rug.
° If you start with furniture, choose an area rug to pick up the colors used in your furnishing patterns. Patterns can be mixed if they are coordinated by color. Elements of an area rug design can be further incorporated into the overall design scheme. For example, if the area rug is floral, add framed prints or flowers in similar colors.
° Size up the size of the room and the area you want to cover. The most common sizes are 4’ x 6’ and 6’ x 9’. They will work well under a coffee table. An 8’ x 11’ area rug or larger can cover the majority of a room. Smaller area and scatter rugs can be ideal for adorning smaller spaces; a hearth, a bedside, the area in front of a kitchen sink; with a splash of color and warmth.
° An area rug with a bold, overall design can be the focal point of a room with a chair and sofa in solid or subdued patterns.
° Light colored area rugs make a room look more spacious and deeper colors lend coziness to a room.
° Choose an area rug that will perform well, with the right combination of density and fiber. The denser the pile (with closer tufts or stitches), the better your area rug will wear.
° Synthetic yarns – nylon, polyester, acrylic and polypropylene – and the naturals – wool and cotton – are durable, soft and easy to clean.
° You’ve got to hand it to machine-made area rugs; they may look strikingly similar to the handmade kind, but they’re usually much less expensive.
° Watch out for fringe elements. If the area rug you like has fringe, make sure it’s sewn on well, and be sure to carefully use the vacuum cleaner.
° Don’t be boxed in by the idea of getting a rectangular area rug. A circular, octagonal or square floor covering can add flair.
° Remember to take a swatch of any fabrics you’d like to match with you when you shop for an area rug. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what will complement your existing décor.
° Don’t underestimate the value of an underlay. Not only will it absorb the impact of feet and noise, it will reduce wear and tear on the area rug and make vacuuming easier.
FIBERS WITHIN YOUR RUG
When it comes to choosing an area rug, the fiber content of an area rug’s pile could play a major role in your decision-making. Choosing either a natural or synthetic fiber depends on a number of factors; the style of the area rug you are desiring, traffic within the setting you are purchasing for and overall cost. Within our extensive assortment we offer a number of natural and synthetic fibers within our area rugs, here are their benefits and points to consider.
-
FIBER NATURAL/
SYNTHETICBENEFITS AND CONSIDERATIONS Wool Natural - Durable, sturdy pile
- Repels water and stains
- Feels luxurious
- Flame resistant
- Resists static electricity
- May shed initially
Cotton Natural - Strong and stable
- Soft and generally inexpensive
- Durable for high-traffic areas
- Washable perfect for kitchens
- Tends to attract dirt easily
Viscose Derived from a natural fiber - Soft and comfortable
- Easily dyed in vivid colors
- Strong and durable
- Abrasion resistant
Jute Natural - Coarse, silky luster
- High tensile strength and flexibility
- Resistant to heat and fire
- Suited for low traffic areas
- Do not place in high-moisture areas
Bamboo Natural - Durable
- Pliable
- Biodegradable
- Like wool, a smart choice for allergy sufferers
- When hand-spun it is soft and durable
- Can be difficult to clean
Courtron™ polypropylene Synthetic - Resists moisture and mildew
- Soft, luxurious feel
- Resists wear and permanent stains
- Value-oriented fiber
- Maybe used for outdoors
Polyester Synthetic - Provides a soft, thick feel
- Easy to clean
- Strong color retention
- Ideal for rooms meant to be lived in
Linen Natural - Durable and strong
- Cool and smooth feel, natural luster
- Resists dirt and stains
- Has a no pilling tendency
HOW TO SIZE A RUG FOR YOUR HOME
We’re getting back to the basics – starting from the ground up. More and more of us are choosing hard flooring for our homes – from slate tiles to wood finishes. The breadth of style and colors offered in our wide assortment of area rugs has been selected to complement these organic looks.
With a variety of designs and textures to choose from, here’s how you can use an area rug to make a style statement in your home.
° Use area rugs to lend warmth, color and vibrancy to a room.
° Placed effectively, area rugs can help reduce noise levels.
° On carpeting, area rugs add a dimension of luxury.
° On a carpeted or hard floor surface, area rugs can be used to define a dining area or a conversation corner.
How to Buy an Area Rug
A GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE, MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION FOR YOUR SPACE
PATTERN AND COLOR
Got a small space?
HERE IS HOW THE USE OF PATTERN AND COLOR IN YOUR AREA RUG CAN ENLARGE YOUR ROOM'S APPEARANCE.
Small patterned area rugs in light shades and natural hues make a small space appear warm, cozy, yet will expand the overall appearance of your space. Stay away from dark patterns and colors, think natural and light. Simple, minimal geometrics and alternating colored stripes will make your space look as if it never ends.
PATTERN AND COLOR
Too large of a space?
SIZE IT DOWN.
Big, bold floral or abstract patterns in deep warm colors will make a room feel cozy. Patterns scaled on smaller size area rugs should be filled with contrasting colors in order to make a living space look at its limited size. Use heavily textured patterns for a tighter cozier appearance.
THE PERFECT RUG FOR YOUR ROOM OF CHOICE
What shape will look best? What size should I get? Sometimes you need a little guidance when choosing a size for the area rugs in your home. We’ve come up with some helpful tips to make the process a little easier for you.
General Guidelines
° Be sure to carefully measure the area in your house where you are placing an area rug before purchasing. Use a tape measure in order to determine the correct size of the area rug.
° You want your area rug to fit your designated space properly, but also make an impact in your setting of choice, too small and your area rug may get lost in the overall aesthetics of the room.
° Consider the room’s activity – is it a high-traffic area? If yes, it’s best to have an area rug that’s both resilient and effortless to care for.
° The most common rug sizes are 4’ x 6’, 6’x 9’ and 8’ x 11’.
GUIDELINES BY ROOM
DINING ROOM
Use your table and chairs as your guideline. Your furniture, including when chairs are pushed out, should all fit comfortably on the area rug. Leave enough space so that the area rug extends beyond the back legs of a chair when your guests are seated. This is critical as your chairs may wobble on an uneven surface. An 8’ x 11’ area rug is the most common size for a dining room.
BEDROOM
If you want to put an area rug under the bed, be sure it extends a few feet around at least the sides of the bed. To frame the whole bed, have an even amount of area rug showing all around the bed. Roll runners are also a great option for bedrooms.
LIVING/FAMILY ROOM
We suggest picking an area rug that extends past the coffee table and under the first set of legs on your couch or furniture. It’s ideal if the area rug is at least the same width as the couch. General rule is to have 12 inches of flooring space. The bigger the area rug the better chance of making an impact and better chance of bringing all the décor elements of the room together.
ENTRYWAYS
For an inviting entry, measure the width of your home’s entrance and choose an area rug that will take up a majority of the space. Special shapes such as rounds, squares and octagons will provide dimension.
KNOWING YOUR RUG CONSTRUCTION
The quality of your area rug and the way it looks and feels is not only determined by its fiber, texture and color, but also depends on how your area rug is constructed. Performance value and cost can be determined on whether your area rug is machine-made or handmade. Machine-made area rugs are available in both natural and synthetic fibers while their counterparts handmade area rugs are constructed from using natural materials. Here is a quick overview.
FLATWEAVE
Weaving in which no knots are used. The weft strands are simply passed through the warp strands. Dhurries are flatwoven area rugs that originated in India and are usually made of cotton or wool. Kilims are generally finer, tapestry-like flatweaves.
HAND-HOOKED
In creating a hooked area rug, a canvas cloth is first attached to a frame. Using a hooking instrument or device and following the pattern, the weaver punches the yarn up through the canvas, creating a looped pile. Next the area rug is taken off the frame and a layer of latex glue is spread over the back of the area rug. This is necessary to hold the yarns in place, as they have not been knotted or tied into the foundation of the area rug. It is important to note that the long ends of wool that often appear on the surface of the hooked area rug (called sprouts) must not be pulled for this very reason. If they are pulled, versus cutting them even with the pile, it will result in a section of missing wool and will damage the area rug.
After applying the glue, a cloth is attached to further protect the back of the area rug. Lastly, the edges of the canvas are turned under and stitched. The quality and durability of hooked area rugs vary, but it is mostly based on the point size; the smaller the loop the better. Gross point is the largest loop size and is used for a more detailed design.
HAND-TUFTED
Hand-tufted area rugs are created in a very similar fashion to hand-hooked area rugs. The major difference is that after the loop pile is created, it is usually sheared to produce a flat pile surface. As the name implies, this type of area rug is produced by craftsmen who draw the design on the canvas which will become the area rug anchor backing. These craftsmen then tuft the area rug using a “tufting gun” to insert various colored yarns into a backing. Area rugs manufactured in this manner may be either “cut”, “loop”, or “cut and loop” finish, and varying pile heights may be used within the area rug to achieve a textured effect. Hand-tufted area rugs are among the most sumptuous types of area rugs made, offering infinite design opportunities and variations.
HAND-WOVEN
Those area rugs woven either on a hand, or a hand and foot power-loom. To determine if the area rug is hand-woven, look at the back of the area rug near the fringe. If the ridges run parallel, the area rug is hand-woven.
HAND-KNOTTED
Area rugs made by weavers who knot pile yarns around the warp fibers that run the length of the area rug. Generally, the more knots per square inch, the more valuable the area rug. Hand-knotting is the most labor-intensive of all area rug-making.
MACHINE-MADE
An area rug made by large power-looms. A power-loom is electrically automated and controlled by computers. Machine-made area rugs can be made quickly and can be offered at a lower price compared to handmade area rugs.
