Hellenic Rug Imports | Rugs 101

Decorating with Rugs

The rug pulls all of the design elements of a room together. Here are some hints to pick the right rug fro your home

1. To place a room –sized rug on a hardwood floor, choose a rug which allows eight inches of wood to be exposed around the rug’s perimeter.

2. For cozy nooks in large rooms, create small sitting areas by gathering furniture around a 4’ x 6’ or 5’ x 8’ rugs.

For a dining room rug, measure your table top. Add four feet to the width and length to find the minimum size of your dining room rug. This extra length and width facilitates pulling chairs out from under the table.

Brighten up small areas, like your foyer, bathroom or kitchen with an accent rug using either a
3’ x 5’ – 4’ x 6’ – or 6’ Round Rug

Keep your family safe by making sure that rug corners do not extend into high traffic areas –

We always recommend using a rug pad under all rugs – this will help keep your rug in place and also save the life of your rug – Rugs wear from the bottom not the top – since the friction is on the bottom when being walked on – using a rug pad will help keep your rug in good condition and last for many years –
 

Decorating with Patterns

Putting pattern in a room adds color, texture and design to your room without being overwhelming. Unlike solid colors, patterns have a “chameleon” effect: they readily blend with other colors in the room. This makes it easy to decorate from the floor up or match patterned carpet to existing upholstery and wall colors.

Geometric with Floral
Floral patterns provide pleasing contrast with geometric designs
 

Simple with Complete
Busy intricate patterns pair nicely with less complicated designs.

 
Small with Large
Large patterns and small patterns couple well.
 

If you are starting your decorating project from scratch, set the tone and design of the room by selecting a pattern carpet. Then find complimenting upholstery and wall colors by following the Opposites Attract guidelines.

If you are redecorating, take a swatch of the most visible pattern in the room to the carpet store. Using only color as a consideration, match the swatch to samples of patterned carpet. To narrow down your alternatives, use the Opposites Attract guidelines to choose the right pattern. Then simply choose your favorite.

Tips and Facts

Choosing the right rug for an area requires planning. Home, work, play or retreat area should make a statement. If you are working with an empty area build from the foundation up. Choose the flooring first, and then plan the paint, furnishing, fabrics & accessories around the floor.
 
• Imagine the total look of the room or space you are creating
• What will the area be used for
• Area with high traffic should have a pattern in mid to darker tones to down play traffic patterns
• A sitting area could have a lighter more fragile pattern
• Lighter rugs will increase the perceived size of the room
• Darker rugs will create a warmer, intimate decorum
• Color, style & texture of the rug will set the "personality" of the room
• Consider the existing floor & size of the area when determining the size of rug. Do you want to play down the existing floor, and then get a larger rug with an overall pattern. If you want to show off the existing floor get a smaller rug in solid or tone on tone pattern.

 
Rugs are a functional part of any room. They have many tasks. Protecting or hiding flaws to the existing floor, warming up the floor, creating a look and building a decorative foundation. The choices are virtually endless when it comes to selection.

RUG PAD

A rug pad is not just for keeping your rug in place! Area Rugs wear out first on the bottom of the rug – not the top - The cushion is an important aspect of prolonging the life of your rug. The pad helps cushion the rug from the existing floor underneath to absorb the weight of traffic and to help keep the rug from breaking down. Choose the correct pad to keep the rug from slipping. Determine whether the rug will be on top of carpet or on a hard surface floor.