Guide to buying area rugs, what size and style should I get?

How to measure a room to determine the rug size you need:

For living rooms, family rooms and dens, set your furniture where you think is best for the room. Measure the open space up to the sofa and chairs, making sure that when seated, both of your feet should be on the rug. Don't "float" a rug in a room! Anchor your rug to the furniture.

Allow about 8 inches of exposed floor around the baseboards on all sides. More than one rug is acceptable.

If you will be placing your area rug over hardwood, tile or carpet, be sure to get the appropriate padding for each surface. Read the section below on rug pads.

In the dining room pull the chairs away from the table, as you would to sit down, on both sides and the ends. Now measure from the rear chair legs in width and length. Add 8 inches to this total measurement. This will give you the minimum size rug needed.

In the bedroom, if the rug is under the bed, allow 3 feet on both sides of the bed.

Try to avoid having the rug end up in the middle of the doors or archway openings.

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Here are some general things to consider before you go rug shopping:

Colors-
Bring swatches, throw pillows, paint chips, etc. for color matching.

Room size and size of rug needed-
Measure first. Refer to section above for measuring guidelines.

Design of the rug-
Center medallion, allover pattern, solid, etc.

Type of rug-
Machine made, hand knotted, flat weave, hooked, etc.

What rug for what room-
Be sure to take into consideration factors such as high traffic areas, bathrooms or barefoot areas where texture will matter.

Thickness of rug-
Will doors have to clear the rug?

Budget-
How much do you want to spend for your rug?

Season-
Are you decorating for a particular season, theme or atmosphere?

Color:

The rug is probably the largest splash of color in the room. If you have the luxury of decorating from the floor up, select your rug first, and then select upholstery to blend with the rug. Next should come window treatments and walls.

If you are purchasing the rug after your furnishings and window treatments, be sure to match your colors as closely as possible.

When you go shopping be sure to bring swatches, throw pillows, paint chips, etc. for color matching.

COLOR AND SIZE

A rug can be the largest splash of color in the room or a simple delicate accent. It should accentuate the furniture and other décor you have or are going to purchase. If you are decorating a room from scratch you have the opportunity to decorate from the floor up. Most designers feel it is much easier to choose fabrics to compliment a rug than the other way around. Therefore, rug shopping is a great place to start decorating.

Regardless of whether you are buying new furniture or using what you have, knowing exactly where the furniture will be placed will assist you in finding a rug that accentuates the room. If you are planning to purchase new furniture, take measurements of each piece you have bought or will buy and plot each item on graph paper where you expect it to go. If you are using what you own, move the furniture into the positions you like best. Then using the measuring guide, determine which size rug will work best based on the room.

The size of the rug along with the colors in the rug will give you a guide as to how much impact you can expect it to have on the room. If you want more of an impact you should use brighter colors and bold lines. If you would like your rug to be less of a focal point and simply add subdued warmth to the room then choose a rug with more neutral colors or tones and softer lines. Whether you want a rug with more or less of an impact, if you purchase a rug that is too small it will visually "shrink" the room.

The colors in your rug should compliment the upholstery of your current or new
furniture. Therefore it is good to take a swatch with you when shopping for a rug. If you are shopping on the web, feel free to contact the vendor to verify that the colors in the rug will work with the upholstery.

Once you have picked out a rug that compliments the furniture colors and upholstery, you can shop for window treatments and then wall color.

DESIGN

If you have a rug design that incorporates a center medallion, the medallion should be centered with the midpoint of the sofa or centered under a table. If you think that your rug will not be staying center, then choose an all over design to avoid throwing your room off balance.

If you are putting a rug in a small room, choose a small pattern to make the room appear bigger. A large pattern will make the room appear too crowded.

If you have furniture with a floral pattern you can also choose a rug with a floral pattern. However, make sure the SIZE of the pattern is not the same to avoid losing visual interest
in your room.