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Area rugs are great for frugal decorators. They are extremely
versatile, and serve many purposes. They can start off in the
living room, move to the Family Room or Bedroom, and eventually
end up in the garage or an indoor/outdoor room.
Unlike wall-to-wall carpet, which is best kept in a neutral
color; area rugs can bring colorful designs and patterns into
your room without overwhelming it. Also, unlike wall-to-wall
carpeting, once you buy them, they are yours to keep, as you can
take them with you when and if you move.
You are lucky if you have wooden floors under your carpeting. It
may take some work to refinish them, but they last forever. They
do not collect pollutants, like carpeting, and are much easier on
people with allergies. New houses are so well insulated, that you
need all the help you can get keeping your home fresh.
If you do have wall-to-wall carpeting, you can still use area
rugs. You can lay them on high traffic areas to protect the
carpet, or use them to tie a seating area together. You can also
just use them for display, even on the walls.
Some people will tell you not to lay one carpet on top of
another. However I know from personal experience that if I put
down a carpet runner in a high traffic area, when I remove it I
can fluff up and restore the carpet. If I don't, the carpet will
be ground down to a pulp and there is no fixing it.
We have runners in all our hallways. We also have them in front
of the sofas- an area that seems to take a lot of abuse. The
longer we can preserve the carpet, we save money.
The only thing I am concerned about is safety. If we are moving
furniture, or carrying heavy things around, I take them up. You
also need to be sure they have a non-slip surface on the bottom
so that you will not trip over them.
There is tremendous variety both in the types of area rugs
available and in the prices. Designs and fabric of area rugs
range from inexpensive woven straw mats to luxurious, costly
oriental rugs.
Quality rugs are easy to maintain. We bought an off while Berber
rug over 10 years ago at a discount store. We have yet to see any
dirt on it. Contrary to what common sense tells you; off white is
one of the best colors for hiding dirt! We also have a small
oriental wood rug that we purchased at Costco. It looks
luxurious, and has yet to show any signs of wear.
Braided rugs add wonderful country charm. However, generally they
are not of the same quality and they do become dirty and require
more care.
As far as decorating, if you need texture in your room, think
about a Berber carpet. To read more about texture, see:
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/texture.htm
If your room seems very square and angular, consider an oval rug
to soften it. Add interest to your room by choosing from the many
designs and styles, such as contemporary, Oriental, Indian,
Floral, Geometric, etc. Using area rugs with color and texture
lessen the need for other accessories in a room.
Most area rugs are used to group furniture arrangements. For
instance, in a living room the area rug would most likely be
placed in front of the sofa and under the coffee table. The
chairs and tables would be grouped around it. You may be able to
create an interesting effect by placing it under your furniture
at an angle.
If you can't find what you want, think about having one made to
your specifications. One very durable solution is to find a
beautiful commercial carpet that you like, and have it bound to
your dimensions. If you want to cover your whole room, leave
about a foot between the wall and carpet, and be sure and turn it
once a year. It will last for years.
Take advantage of area rugs if possible. Wall-to-wall wears out,
and eventually your house becomes patched with different
carpeting as you replace worn out carpet in different areas. Use
area rugs as you can to save money and beautify your home.
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