Moving into a new flat can be exciting and fun, especially when it means freedom of choice to decorate it the way you would like to decorate it.

My friend Cindy had recently had her flat redecorated and it looked amazing. The color combination and the furniture were simple but looked amazing and the minute you walked into the living room you got this lived in feel, making the flat cozy and welcoming.

So, when I moved into my new flat, I decided to redecorate each room in a different style. The master bedroom was decorated in the Victorian style, the guest bedroom was decorated with a garden theme to it and the nursery was in shades of blue with stars and a lot of cartoon posters in it.

The kitchen was in the French style, with a rustic look to it. The furniture was wooden and we decided to put up pictures and hang the pots and pans on the walls.

When it came to the living room I thought it was necessary to give it a warm lived in feel to it. We decided on rugs and cane furniture for the living room. That evening I invited Cindy over for tea to get her take on the way I had decorated my home. She loved the way the house had been decorated, and suggested: why don’t you use bamboo lampshades, this will help in adding a touch of class to your living room and sure enough it did.

Choosing the perfect area rug for your hardwood floor isn’t a difficult task. Just follow this easy to use guide to put yourself in the know and play the match maker.

One of the most exciting things you can do for your home in terms of livening it up a bit is to throw out your carpets in favor of something a little more exquisite, like hardwood floors or stone tiles. The major difference between these two being whether they can stand up to your current décor and your current area rugs, or if you’ll have to throw out all of your décor along with your carpets.

With hardwood floors you can usually keep your current décor, area rugs included, even if they are jute area rugs or some other less known fabric. But just because you can keep your area rugs, doesn’t mean you have to or that you should. And what if you’re building a brand new home or striking out on your own for the first time and don’t have any décor to take along with you?

That’s why there’s a simple guide to choosing your area rugs wisely for your hardwood floors.

The first thing you want to do is choose high quality wood flooring. You don’t have to spend an arm or a leg or sell off your first born child to get it, but the fact remains that you get what you pay for. Typically, the 99-cents per square foot flooring isn’t going to cut it. The cheapest wood flooring you should go for is typically in the $1.99 to $3.99 price range. Here you’ll find dark woods and light woods, including oak, cherry wood and sometimes, if you’re lucky, Brazilian woods that are on sale.

Once you’ve chosen your hardwood floors and had them installed, the next thing you have to do is dress them up with a nice sealant and surface protectant that will not only give them their own lustrous look and shine, but will also keep you from having to hide digs, scratches and other surface defacers.

Now to choose your area rug. Choosing an area rug to go with the perfect hardwood flooring is no easy task. But what you should remember is that black rugs go with everything. Modern area rugs and contemporary area rugs with plenty of bright colors tend to go best with the darker hardwood floors, but oriental area rugs are great for all woods.

But don’t get so caught up in theme and color that you forget about texture. Bamboo area rugs have a tendency to get lost in the lighter wood floors while cotton area rugs simply slide around too much (unless they have proper backing, which defeats the purpose of the easily washable area rug), but wool pile area rugs, jute area rugs and seagrass area rugs can be at home with any type of wood flooring since they naturally work with the wood and give your home the perfect elegance or earthy flair.

And always remember to take a sample of your wood flooring along for the area rug shopping adventure!

From the palaces of power to the humblest of homes – that’s the path that Oriental rugs have traveled for centuries. Today they are among the premier types of area rugs chosen to enhance a room’s décor.

Legend has it that Queen Cleopatra was smuggled into the presence of Julius Caesar wrapped in an Egyptian rug. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine introduced “Oriental” rugs to Europe when she returned from the Middle East after the First Crusade. The great traveler and merchant Marco Polo probably beheld Oriental rugs when he visited the great empire of Kublai Khan. From this exalted beginning, Oriental rugs have become such a standard for area rugs that they’re often the first image to come to mind when considering a rug.

In reality, the term “Oriental rug” is an outworn phrase that refers to a vast variety of rug types created by makers found in the Middle East, Eurasia and Asia. Historically Oriental rugs came from China, but much of that production has now moved to India and Iran. As a descriptor, “Oriental rug” these days often is subdivided into more specific groups, such as Chinese Rug, Persian Rug, Tibetan Rug and so on. These phrases most closely describe where the rug was made, and thus its likely design.

Oriental rugs are made by hand or manufactured. They can be created by the traditional methods: hand-knotted, hand-woven or hand-loomed. Some rug makers use a combination of machine and hand techniques to produce handsome area rugs of Oriental style, but at much less cost. Expensive handmade Oriental rugs are often prized as collectible fabric art. Manufactured styles combine more affordable Oriental design with the durability of contemporary rugs.

The designs of traditional Oriental rugs were complex and deeply toned. Ornate styles include centered medallions, scattered layouts known as Afshan, curvilinear and paisley designs. The colors of Oriental rugs mirrored their brilliant cultures, with deep earth tones, gold, black, bronze and crimson. Down the centuries, as pigments and dyes became more sophisticated, colors such as jade, white, medium blue, plum and brick red began to be seen. However the patterns remained intricate and intriguing.

Once a dark and dominating presence in a room, Oriental rugs today have adapted to contemporary tastes. The traditional patterns are still popular, but artists and rug makers have added modern variations to antique motifs. Lighter color schemes often hold sway, such as gold, crimson and teal matched together, or a modern art pattern in pastels. Innovations such as these may shock or offend traditional Oriental rug owners, but they’re proving to be excellent choices for more contemporary décor needing a quality area rug.

Oriental types of area rugs are still crafted mostly in 100 percent wool, silk or cotton. Some area rugs in Oriental designs are created using blends of these traditional fabrics. Some times the standard materials are combined with synthetics such as olefin or polyester, mostly to add durability for rugs intended for high-traffic areas. The natural-synthetic blends also help to hold down the cost, making Oriental type area rugs much more affordable and accessible to homeowners. It’s best to be at least somewhat aware of the properties of each type of material, including how it must be cleaned, when choosing an Oriental rug.

One thing to watch out for: supposed Oriental rugs that are actually manufactured in Europe or America. They may feature traditional designs but they are manufactured by machine. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you are simply seeking a good-looking area rug for a den or family room where the rug will be exposed to lots of feet upon it. However, if you are looking to purchase an authentic Oriental rug as an investment or family heirloom, be sure to check with the merchant about how and where the rug was made.

Aside from that one caveat, an Oriental rug can be an excellent choice – a classic that still brings thrilling style to any room.

Everyone wants to add a bit of beauty to their home and an apparently small task such as finding a good rug can mean the difference between rooms looking fabulously furnished or just plain unfinished. With a plethora of rugs available to purchase, in all kinds of shapes, styles and colors, knowing which one will serve you the best can be a difficult task to undertake. The other factor that will of course dominate proceedings is how much a rug costs and how it will fit into your budget.

Deciding on what type of usage the rug is going to get is a good place to start. If you are simply going to throw an accent rug in front of a door to take the brunt of heavy traffic, then it would probably be fine to go out and get a cheap rug which will be replaceable. That rug will serve a purpose in contrast to sourcing an expensive, high quality rug which will be better served as a decorative piece.

Cheap rugs are obviously predominately more available than what would be considered more expensive ones. The ability for manufacturers to turn out generic rugs, will allow them to sell them at a cheaper price to the masses. But if you are looking for quality, then you should consider antique rugs.

Antique rugs are available in many styles. They can be made from several different materials ranging from wool to silk and feature varying types of dyes, vivid colors and symbolic patterns. The choice, just as in looking for a modern rug, will be down to your personal taste.

Hand woven rugs and braided rugs are considered top of the order when it comes to rugs. Persian and Moroccan rugs are particularly popular, due to their uniqueness and unsurpassable quality when it comes to hand made techniques. Importing one of these may sound like an expensive prospect, but rest assured that you would be getting the very best quality, and you may be surprised as to how much you really have to pay for one.

The internet has made the world a smaller place, and if you are looking for an antique rug, then it could be a great place to start. The popularity of online auction sites has made these antique and high quality rugs more accessible than ever. Getting your hands on a rug which has been well taken care of and was hand crafted many years ago can be done easily with the help of the internet.

So what is the difference between new rugs and those which may be considered antiques? Antique rugs are often treated as family heirlooms, for they will have seen a lot of history having been passed down from one generation to the next. These are generally well looked after items, out of respect for those family members who had the rug before the current owner.

Modern rugs are often cheaper and in some cases just as durable, but they are likely to be very generic and not have the same unwritten connection with history, as something which has come from the past. There are also rugs which fall in between both categories, those which are not new enough to be considered modern, but not old enough to be considered antiques. This field of area rugs can be a great way to find something unique for your home, as well as having it possess a bit of history.

Older rugs are usually noticeable for their styles and colors, and immediately imbue the onlooker with a sense of warmth, beauty and familiarity. The rug should make a house feel like a home, and that is what older, if not antique rugs, can easily do.

Either way, whichever route you wish to take, whether you opt for old world charm and elegance over modern style, there will be retailers online to suit your preference.

Area rugs are one of the most versatile pieces in the home décor market. They give you the comfort of carpeting minus the maintenance, and the freedom to choose colors and designs without worrying about keeping with your theme. That’s why more and more homeowners, and even design experts, are turning to area rugs as this season’s must-have accessory. Indeed, if you want to liven up your home in a flash, your best bet is to shop for rugs. Of course, the problem is not all of us know what to look for—and unfortunately, not all rugs deliver the same value for your money.

So how do you tell a good area rug from the bad? You need to go beyond the obvious, such as color and design and material. No two homes are exactly alike, so what may be the perfect rug for you may be all wrong for the house next door. The first thing you need to consider is your own home, and how an area rug will fit into it. Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s simply a matter of finding the best value. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started.

Highlight or downplay the floor?

An area rug must always work with the floor it’s sitting on. There are several ways to do this, and it’s mostly a matter of aesthetics. If you have an attractive hardwood floor, you’ll want to show it off rather than let the rug steal all the attention. Beige area rugs usually work well with wood because they offer a nice, subtle contrast. But if you have a dull-colored tile floor that you want to jazz up, an eye-catching area rug may be just what you need.

No matter what your goal is, however, some rules still apply universally. One of the most important is to give your rug some “breathing space.” Don’t let it cover the floor completely; otherwise, you might as well have gone for a wall-to-wall carpet. Make sure there’s at least 18 inches of bare floor between the rug and the nearest wall or piece of furniture.

What else is in the room?

How would your area rug look compared to other elements in your space? For most people, rugs work as “exclamation points”; that is, they pop out of the picture and downplay everything else in the room. This can be useful if you’re starting from scratch and don’t know what your focal point is just yet

If you already have a focal point, however, you may want to go for something simpler. A rug can play a secondary role and still be attractive. The Dynamic Rugs City 2301-440 olive area rug offers a good example: it’s got a neutral yet attractive color that still catches the eye, but the lack of pattern allows it to blend into the background so other elements can take center stage. Use it to highlight some antique wooden furniture, a beautiful fireplace, or a large window with a good view.

Does it add texture or movement?

One of the most common uses of area rugs is to add texture to a room. If you already have lots of color around the room, you could go for a plain-colored area rug with an interesting pattern to give it some character. Texture makes a room look more dynamic, rather than just a space with colors and furniture thrown in. Besides patterns, you can also look for rugs with embroidery, different pile lengths, and monochrome designs.

Floral area rugs are a great way to add texture to a room without going overboard. Most people associate it with classical or traditional décor, but rug manufacturers have gone much further than that. These days, you can find floral rugs that fit modern, country, Asian, and contemporary décor themes. Look around for a pattern and color that fits your current design, and use it to complete your theme.

How long will it stay in style?

The best thing about area rugs is that it leaves a lot of room for experimentation. Since you don’t have to tack it down, you can make bolder choices and not worry about changing your mind afterwards. So if you feel like red today, add a splash of red to your floor and let your creativity guide you. If you’re more into cool colors next season, it’s just a matter of rolling it up and laying out a new rug.

If you like to stay ahead, the internet offers lots of useful resources. For instance, a rug blog or user forum can help you keep track of styles and trends throughout the year. Many designers now run their own blogs where they post their ideas, latest creations, and future projects to inspire homeowners. You may even get some buying advice or tips on where to get the best deals.

Hardwood floors are a dream for every homeowner, and it’s easy to see why. Wood adds instant warmth to any home and goes with practically every decor theme. It’s also surprisingly durable, and if properly maintained, can last just as long as concrete or marble. There’s only one drawback: it’s hard to find rugs that match it.

Area rugs are a must for protecting wood flooring, but choosing the right rug is no piece of cake. Your rug has to provide ample protection and complement your room decor at the same time. If you’re having trouble choosing rugs for your hardwood floor, read on for a few quick tips.
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