What Are Area Rugs Used For?

People in southern California use area rugs in many different ways. Some purposes are purely decorative, while others accomplish practical goals. A few rugs achieve a single objective, such as improving the appearance of a wall. However, the vast majority exist for multiple reasons. Style A popular justification for buying an area rug is to enhance a room's decor. These floor coverings come in countless patterns, including Asian, European, botanical, tribal and southwestern motifs. They're also available in solid colors ranging from gold to purple.

Comfort Bare floors and thin carpets provide rather hard surfaces. Many people prefer the softer texture of a rug. It's particularly appealing to Californians who like to perform yoga or other indoor exercises. During winter nights, a rug also stays relatively warm to the touch. Insulation Some individuals purchase these floor coverings to maintain room temperatures by keeping unwanted cold air or heat at bay. Like any insulation, they also decrease the amount of noise that can pass through floors. This comes in handy for people with loud neighbors.

Protection Another purpose for a rug is to shield a carpet or floor from damage. Some people do this because it's far easier to replace rugs than flooring or wall-to-wall carpets. They can protect these surfaces from spills, pet paws and sharp or heavy items that fall to the floor. Porches Southern California's climate is conducive to spending time outdoors, so some locals put area rugs on porches or decks. This can make these structures more attractive and comfortable. However, it's only safe to use an outdoor or indoor-outdoor rug for this purpose. Camping A few Californians place small rugs inside of tents. This softens the hard floor and insulates occupants from the ground. Due to the potential for moisture exposure, campers have the best results when they put indoor-outdoor rug products in their tents.

Walls A number of people use area rugs as an alternative to paintings, mirrors and other common wall decorations. Owners employ a few different methods to hang them. Some individuals put them on curtain rods and connect the rods to wall brackets. Others prefer to attach velcro strips. These rugs have so many uses because they're portable and available in a wide range of styles. Shoppers in southern California can find a large variety of area rugs san diego, Los Angeles and other major cities.

3 Great Uses for Area Rugs

For some people, area rugs are the go-to solution for covering up a worn-out floor. For others, the rugs are for keeping the floor pristine. Still others think of them mostly as accent pieces and consider anything else they do to be a bonus. The fact is that rugs are great for all of these uses. Instant Floor Renewal Floors of all types eventually lose their looks. Hardwood finish gets worn until nothing remains but scratched, bare wood. Carpet gets stained. Tile gets dark grout and loses individual tile squares. Fully restoring any of this damage is costly and time-consuming.

Fortunately, there's an easy way to get an instant fix for just a fraction of the cost – roll out an area rug! Area rugs usually are sized to be at least a bit smaller than the floor that they're covering. This lets them be put down without spending hours cutting it to fit the walls. Alas, it also means that some attention needs to be put toward the visible part of the floor to complete the improvement in appearance. Try placing furniture next to the walls to hide those edges and make the entire room look like new.

Protection of Good Flooring Floors that are covered in hardwood or Saxony carpeting look wonderful, but they're also prone to accumulating wear from everyday use. One way to ensure that hardwood stays shiny and Saxony retains its loft is to cover the floor with one or more area rugs most of the time. Then, when a special event like a holiday dinner or cocktail party is held, the area rugs are removed to reveal the impressive main flooring for the guests to see.

As Decor Accents There are many beautiful designs for area rugs san diego, and many people buy a rug just to bring a specific design home. In these cases, the rug should be kept free of furniture and other items. This way, the design won't be broken up and it can be the focal point of the room. Ensuring that a rug serves its purpose requires some attention to size, material, and cleanability. Generally, a good protective rug will be durable and easy to clean. Rugs used primarily for their beauty, on the other hand, are sometimes far more delicate. Delicate rugs should be placed out of the way of foot traffic and sources of stains so that they keep their good looks for the years to come.

Allergy Sufferers and Area Rugs Can Get Along

Carpets and area rugs have needlessly suffered a bad reputation among the sixty million Americans who live with allergies. It took the Swedish, among others to debunk the idea. A fifteen year study there found that not only was there no link between allergies, asthma attacks and rugs but furthermore allergy incidents increased thirty percent in a period when rug usage decreased by seventy percent. A study closer to home uncovered similar findings. A 2003 study of New Jersey school children suffering from asthma revealed that those with rugs in their bedrooms needed less asthma medication and missed fewer days of school. Numerous other studies have backed these up.

It appears that rather than contributing to attacks, area rugs serve to prevent them by trapping pet dander, pollen dust, and other particulates that allergy sufferers would otherwise inhale. Rugs and carpets serve as filters to trap allergens until they can be vacuumed, bagged, and removed from the house. Vacuuming is the operative word here. In order to reduce allergens, improve air quality, and of course, retain the value of the area rugs, the Carpet and Rug Institute recommends vacuuming  high traffic or pet-accessed areas daily, medium traffic areas twice weekly, and lightly trafficked areas once a week. Placing a mat at the door for those entering to wipe their feet will keep even more impurities off the rugs, and best of all, requiring visitors to leave their shoes at the door will insure nothing is tracked in.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are rugs that, rather than trapping allergens, repel them. Natural fiber rugs, such as those made from sisal, jute, or sea grass fall into this category. They have no long fibers so allergens do not stick to them, plus their natural plant fibers resist water so they don't allow mold or mildew to grow, both of which play havoc to allergy-sufferers. 

Nylon and polypropylene, although they are synthetic, not natural, are also water resistant, and thus similarly anti-mold and anti-mildew. Wool offers yet another answer to the allergy/area rug question. A natural material, wool acts like a magnet for particles floating in the air. It also has the ability to attract air pollutants like noxious oxides and formaldehyde, and neutralize them on the spot. Rugs made of wool also resist dust mites. 

With so many choices to be made, one last question remains -  area rug or wall to wall carpet? Area rugs San Diego with its temperate weather and low humidity would be the better choice since they can be removed from the house to be cleaned and thoroughly dried before being put back, whereas wall-to-wall carpeting is steam cleaned and the slight dampness that remains can be enough to start mold growth.

Interior Design for a Large Living Space

Homes and lofts with open floor layouts often have at least one large living space that is difficult to use efficiently. While a wide open layout makes a home feel spacious, having large rooms can make it difficult to fill with furniture and decorate appropriately. Homeowners do not want their homes to feel empty or their décor to get lost in the space. Large homes can even feel awkwardly small when the space doesn’t accommodate the dweller’s lifestyle correctly. Creating a Focus Designers and decorators often consider the major focal points in the room. For some families, this might be a TV or a fireplace.

The dining table is often another focal point of the home. Focal points are where people are going to spend their time and where the designer wants the eye to be drawn to when one enters the room. Most of the time, the furnishings, area rugs san diego and color use are what San Diego decorators use to draw the eye to the appropriate place in the large living space. Choosing Furniture Furniture in a large space can be placed to help break up the room. A couch or chair can be used to cut a room into sections without feeling invasive, provided there is still plenty of room to walk past. Furniture for large spaces can help make the space feel larger when light colors are chosen or can add dimension to the room with texture and color.

Using Area Rugs Area rugs are a popular way to break up a large space with a hard flooring. An area rug can be placed under a couch, bed or table to help create the illusion of a separated space, segmenting the room and creating a stronger focal point. The area rug chosen should be of adequate size, note most designers, since rugs that are too small will make the space feel cramped and the furniture seem ill-fitting. Selecting and Hanging Artwork Larger artwork can help a large space feel impressive and not unnecessary. Most designers look for a piece of art that can help tie together the colors and texture of the space.

They also look for artwork that is as large as possible, without looking crowded or diminished in the room.

The ideal size for artwork in a home depends greatly on the ceiling height, additional focal points in the space and the overall size of the room.

Layering Areas Rugs to Create Trendy Home Designs

Area rugs can be used as a decorating tool to enhance the beauty of a home. Many homeowners are discovering the secrets of layering area rugs to create the stylish décor they desire. Layering can be used to help define an area, highlight certain aspects of a room or add contrast by mixing and matching patterns and textures.  By experimenting with various ideas, homeowners can create a unique home décor that reflects their personality and character. The following tips may be helpful in purchasing area rugs San Diego to enhance your home design.

Choose Color Scheme

The look of layered rugs is more appealing when colors complement one another and don’t compete with existing furniture.  Neutral colors work best for larger rugs as they’re easy to mix and match with smaller, colorful rug designs. Natural area rugs made of such materials as jute, seagrass or sisal make excellent bases for layering.

Mix and Match Textures

Layering rugs gives homeowners an opportunity to add character and depth to a room by mixing and matching textures. The rugs should balance one another to achieve the desired results. Before investing in specific rug patterns or designs, homeowners should consider what they want to accomplish by their efforts and how layering will contribute to their décor. Rug proportions are important when layering as proportions affect the overall results. Large neutral rugs work best as bases when put together with a rug that’s slightly smaller in size as it creates a more pleasing design.

Consider Rug Shapes and Patterns

By experimenting with different rug patterns and shapes, homeowners can come up with one-of-a-kind designs. Overlapping small oriental rugs can give the impression of one large rug with unique patterns. Choosing rugs with the same color scheme helps maintain balance and keeps rugs from competing with each other or existing décor.  At the same time, homeowners can choose to mix and match shapes to highlight an area or rug design. A colorful round rug, for example, placed over a neutral base in a living room can be used to highlight a coffee table or act as its own focal point in the room’s design.

Layering area rugs is an art that’s worth learning to enhance the beauty of a home’s décor. In addition to adding aesthetic appeal, area rugs contribute to a home in many practical ways, making them a worthwhile investment.

Area Rugs Protect Hardwood Floors and Add Extra Features

Hardwood floors have boomed in popularity over the last several years, but it has become apparent that they're fairly weak against the demands of foot traffic. One of the easiest ways to lower the need for refinishing is to put area rugs over the parts that get the most use. This protects the floor in a way that beautifies the room at the same time.

There are a few things to think about when choosing area rugs San Diego hardwood protection. The first is the matter of safety. Finished hardwood is very slippery, so the wrong kind of rug will work like a banana peel. To stop this, use a non-slip rug backing. These can be separate sheets or be made as part of the rug. Don't permanently stick the rug to the floor if the hardwood is still in good shape.

The next issue to consider is the condition of the floor. If it looks great, it may be best to take the rugs up during special events so that the wood's beauty can be seen. If this is in the plan, choose rugs that are small enough to easily roll up and store. A worn-out floor, on the other hand, looks better if it remains covered. In that case, use a big rug that covers everything but the nice-looking edges of the floor.

A rug's other purposes are also important. They'll all protect the floor from foot traffic and provide a covering, but some may be used for other reasons on top of those. For example, an area rug in the family room may be sat on by kids playing video games. One in the bedroom may be added to provide a warm surface for bare feet. An ornate rug can be used as a focal point in an upscale dining room. The list goes on.

When choosing a rug for one of these extra purposes, it's important to look for specific characteristics. The one that'll be used by kids should be washable or at least stain resistant. One used for warmth should have deep pile. Ornate, upscale options are almost never easily washable, so care in placement is important.

Keeping all of these factors in mind will make it easy to get a rug that does more than cover up a hardwood floor. In fact, the rug buyer may find that the end result is better than the bare wood in more ways than one.

The Importance of Proper Area Rug Maintainence

A beautiful, well-kept area rug can provide a stunning accent to the home interior, but rugs that are neglected can significantly detract from the asethetic appeal of any room. Taking care of area rugs San Diego isn't necessarily a difficult task, but many people are simply unfamiliar with the basics of how to maintain a rug so that it looks good for years. 

One of the most common mistakes is not providing the rug with protection from damaging UV rays. For instance, most people love the look of sunlight flooding in through the windows but fail to realize that the sun's rays can fade and discolor rugs that are exposed to them over a long period of time. Closing the drapes or shutters during the times of day when the sun is at its strongest, such as between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., is encouraged for those who want to keep their rugs from becoming overly faded.

Shutters and drapes should always be closed when homeowners and other household residents are at work, school, or otherwise gone from the house during the daytime hours.

Window films and treated glass can also help protect rugs and other vulnerable surfaces from becoming discolored or faded due to UV rays. These are excellent solutions for those who would prefer not to shut out the sunlight while they are at home during the day. 

Window films are relatively inexpensive alternatives for those who don't wish to invest in full window replacements, although it should be noted that replacing existing windows with ones that meet certain federal energy efficiency guidelines may result in substantial tax incentives.

  

Choosing the right rug is also an important factor on how well the rug will look in several years. For instance, it's unrealistic for a young family with children and several pets to purchase an overly expensive area rug and place it right in the middle of the location of the majority of family activity. Even if they were to clean the rug often and on a regular basis, it would still show signs of wear and tear. 

Saving this type of rug for parts of the home designated for adult use will prevent this problem. Even family friendly area rugs need proper cleaning and maintenance, however, but a good rug is worth the small investment in time and labor required to keep it looking good.