“Some find a beautiful space, others make a space beautiful.”

H.I. Khan

As technology continues to flourish, we often forget about basic things in life that does not have a battery or screen.  Things that bring stability and comfort in one’s life.  Simple things that can be brought into a room and add color.

Yes, we’re talking about a rug.  Not only does a rug bring comfort to a person, but it also brings out the creativity that may be locked away.  Rugs are a great inexpensive solution to showing your creativity, but, choosing the perfect rug can be daunting.

In recent years the rug business has evolved; choosing the best rug for your home or business has become an exact science with the help of carpet experts.  From selecting the correct size of a rug to the steps to color and finally ordering, the process has been streamlined to you, the consumer. Koeckritz Rugs, provides complementary samples to make selecting your perfect rug easy!

This article will be your ultimate rug and carpet selection guide from beginning to end!

Selecting the Size

Will you need to cover the entire floor or just part of it? What if you only have a small confined space, what’s the right proportion of the size of the rug?

In a more detailed approach, here are more tips regarding rug size broken down room-by-room:

Bedroom

If you are narrowing your search to one large rug to be placed adjacent to your bed, we recommend that the rug extend at least 2-3 feet on either side of the bed. If a rug of that size is simply out of your price range, a good alternative is to opt for a traditional “bedside” layout. This features two small rugs on either side of the bed and one rug at the foot of the bed. For a guest room or kids’ room with two beds, consider placing one rug between them.
For more tips check out our blog 3 Ways to Use Area Rugs In Your Bedroom

Hallways

Many people forget about hallways when they are decorating with rugs.  A runner is a beautiful solution to make a statement in this often neglected space. First, measure the hallway and then subtract 12 inches from the length and width. This will allow for a six-inch border all around. If you have an extra long hallway, using two runners laid end to end is perfectly acceptable.  You may also want to consider investing in a rug pad, which will protect both the rug and the floor from scuffs.

However, should you need further assistance regarding the best rug size, please contact the experts at Koeckritz Rugs at (847) 859-5459.

Choosing the Right Color

Solids and colors and patterns! Oh, my!

You’re almost ready to really begin your rug shopping. Your next step should be taking a quick inventory of your color scheme. To tie the look of the room together, you’ll want to select a rug that complements the main colors in the room.

If you visit a physical store, we suggest you take along a throw pillow and a color swatch of your drapes, furniture or wall colors with you. It’s incredibly hard to visualize how the colors will work together without any reference.

Use these basics to get you started on your hunt:
1) If your primary furniture, such as a sofa, is a solid color, consider selecting a patterned rug.
2) Match the secondary color in a patterned rug to your sofa. Match the third rug color to your pillows, drapes, wall color or other accents in the room.
3) If your primary furniture is upholstered in a pattern or is elaborate in design, a solid-colored rug would work really well.
4) Make sure a solid-colored rug complements your sofa color, and match it to the accent colors in the room, such as artwork or a vase.
5) Since a rug serves to anchor the room, the color and style of your rug can establish the mood. Dark, rich colors help define a more intimate space while lighter colors make a smaller space appear larger. Spicy hues such as yellow, orange or red add warmth while cool colors create calm, especially in a sunny room.

For more tips check out our blog How To Choose the Right Rug for Your Home

Choosing a Color Scheme

Color is important. It helps to define our mood and our overall sense of style. Cool colors like purple, blue and green are said to be calming and relaxing. Warm colors such as red, orange and yellow lift our mood and pump up our energy levels.

Rich, dark jewel tones such as burgundy, burnt orange, mahogany and hunter green often set a more traditional and formal style. Bright blues, yellows, greens and reds create a more Provencal or Scandinavian feel depending on which textiles and furniture you choose. Sleek black and silver usually lend themselves to a contemporary look. Pastels lend well to shabby chic, country, cottage and beachfront-inspired décor.

When choosing color schemes for your home it is often best to choose colors that are either directly opposite from one another on the color wheel (complementary colors) or directly next to each other on the color wheel (tertiary colors). These are the colors that are most harmonious with each other and they tend to produce the best looking interiors.

Alternatively, you can call 847-859-5459 and a Koeckritz Rug expert will be happy to assist you in choosing the best rug color for your home.

Consider the Traffic

Photo credit: http://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/how-to-choose-a-rug-for-your-space_502cfb00d5159_w1500.jpg

The infographic above shows that we also need to take into consideration foot traffic. There are rugs more suited for entry ways rather than for bedrooms.  Also, how do you want the rug to feel?  Plushy?  Woven?  The infographic will be your guide in choosing the right material from the four categories.

Choosing the Material

The look, feel, durability and value of a rug has a lot to do with the materials used during manufacturing. If you want a rug that meets your needs immediately and are not concerned with its longevity, then any rug will do. However, if you prefer to get many years of use, then select luxury materials are a much better choice.

Let’s start with an overview of the various types of materials commonly used in manufacturing rugs. Just as the characteristics will vary between the types of rug materials, so will the cost. In-depth information on various types of materials can be found on their respective pages.

There are two groups of rug materials:

Natural: Animal or plant fibers, including wool, cotton, sisal, jute, seagrass or bamboo.

Synthetic: Man-made material such as viscose, rayon, nylon, acrylic or polypropylene/olefin.

Wool is widely used and it is the main component of higher quality pile area rugs. Most wool comes from sheep, but it can also come from goats, llamas or alpaca. Wool is a resilient material and it has greater durability than synthetic material. Wool absorbs and retains dyes amazingly well. It is naturally resistant to fire, water and stains. Wool area rugs also naturally resist dust mites, which is important to people with allergies, because dust mites can aggravate allergies.

Cotton is a natural fiber that is strong and durable. Area rugs made of cotton can easily absorb and retain a wide variety of dyes, which provides the user with a multitude of color choices. In rug making, cotton is often used in conjunction with wool. Area rugs made with the cotton-wool blend have a nice feel, especially on bare feet. Cotton-wool rugs usually cost less than all-wool rugs, but people should be aware that cotton has a tendency to wear out sooner than wool.

Sisal, extracted from the leaves of the ‘Agave Sisalana’ plant, is the most popular of the plant fibers used for rug making. This plant, sometimes called the American Aloe or Century Plant, is native to Central America, but is now grown all over the world, especially in Java, East Africa and Mexico. Even though sisal is only one of the plant-based rug materials, the name has come to be used generically for all plant-based rug materials. Sisal has long, fine fibers that allow it to be made into smooth textured yarn. Sisal rugs are anti-static, sound absorbing, flame retardant and long lasting, all of which make sisal rugs worthy of your consideration.

Jute, made from stem fiber plants, comes mainly from India and China. Jute is well-suited for making durable yarns and fabrics because of its stability and firmness. Like other plant fibers such as sisal and coir, jute has a nice look when made into rugs, but it can be coarse and also susceptible to stains. This is just one of the reasons that natural and synthetic rug materials might be blended together to make area rugs.

Seagrass (also spelled sea grass, with a space) comes from a tall plant found in wetlands areas. It has grass-like stems and is a durable material for rugs. Seagrass is known for its non-porous surface that gives it a naturally smooth texture. It has a hay-like smell and color, both of which will fade over time.

Nylon, another of the synthetic rug materials, is widely used in rug making. Nylon rugs have great characteristics such as uniformity and strength as well as stain and soil resistance. Nylon area rugs come in an unlimited variety of colors and they can be easily cleaned. The resilient nature of nylon rigs makes them a good choice for placing under furniture and for areas of heavy traffic. The cost of a nylon rug is usually less than that of rugs made from natural materials. However, nylon rugs do not hold their value as well as a quality wool or silk area rug.

For further reading regarding rug materials: http://www.area-rug-tips.com/rug-materials.html

For more information check our blog How To Choose the Best Rug Material
As you can see, there are numerous materials to choose from with different pros and cons. If you feel a bit overwhelmed after reading that, please do not hesitate to call our rug experts at 847-859-5459.  We’ll guide you thru the process.

Thickness

If your rug is very thin or delicate, you probably shouldn’t dust it yourself. In fact, the looser the weave in the rug, the less dirt and grit will stay in the rug. The thicker the weave, the more particulates it can hold – up to 1 pound per square foot!
For more information check out our blog What To Know About Rug Pile Height
This is a short and sweet tip, but nonetheless an important consideration in buying a rug. However, if you’d like to talk about the thickness of a rug in more details, feel free to call Koeckritz Rugs at (847) 859-5459 and an expert will be more than happy to speak with you.

Here’s another quick tip from Twitter regarding thickness: https://twitter.com/Channel9/status/570871565396520961

Settle on a Budget

Carpet dealers at most specialty rug stores will show you a range of rugs styles at various price points. Choosing a wool/polyester blend over silk or even wool will mitigate costs without sabotaging style. Or consider a machine-made rug while you save up for that hand-woven masterpiece.

Luxury rugs are designed to last a lifetime. Before handing over your credit card, take a rug home on approval to ensure you love your choice, the coloring is correct, etc.

Read more: http://www.styleathome.com/shopping/buying-guides/buying-guide-rugs/a/1016