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How to Select a Modern Rug
How to select modern rugs:
It is worth stating that this is a very different process than
selecting an antique rug. When looking for a modern rug you are in
search of an item that perfectly suits your home and usage needs.
The optimal size and style, color and materials, pile and price.
Antique rugs are more like a unique piece of art - you buy it because
you love it and then try to fit it into your life and your home.
When in search of the perfect modern rug for your home, you will need to consider the following criteria:
Where are you planning to put the rug?
When i think about buying a rug for my home i usually start with an
idea about where i want to put it... and then about ten minutes later i
have a list of 4 or 5 places in my home that need rugs.
I suggest that focus on one location at a time.
Lets start by considering the size of the rug.
Stores generally carry the 'most commonly sold standard 5'x8' size area
rug'. This size sells well because it fits anywhere in the home, but
that doesn't mean that 5'x8' is the optimal size. Several smaller rugs
in a living space will look cluttered.
From a design perspective it is generally better to buy one larger rug
to fill a space rather than multiple smaller ones (budget permitting).
If you look at interior design magazines for ideas you may notice that
the rugs shown in these photos of high design modern interiors are
usually of substantially larger dimensions than
you will find in your local stores.
With this in mind start by measuring the area that the rug should fill.
If its a living room rug the edges of it should extend under the sofa or sectional rather than stopping in front of it.
A bedroom rug should extend under the bed and bed side tables.
A dining room rug should be large enough the the dining table and all
of the chairs are 'on the rug' and that when the chairs are pulled back
from the table, the back legs are still on the rug.. other wise when
you pull in the chair the back legs get caught on the edge of the rug
and you have to do an uncomfortable little jump to lift and heft it
forward over the edge.
Another important question is the height and type of the rug pile.
It's a delicious feeling to step out of bed onto a soft, warm, deep
pile rug. Bedrooms are the best places for flokati and pebble rugs. The visual impact is quite impressive and the sensory experience is devine.
Two important considerations when placing a deep pile rug though are: Hygene and logistics.
Consider that its quite difficult to move furniture on a deep pile rug. We would sincerely recommend against using these for dining rooms. Logically it is easier to move dining chairs in and out over low pile rugs.
Another really good reason is because food particles dropped at the
dining table are tricky enough to get out of short pile rugs, consider
how ickey a deep pile rug would get over time. Another place to avoid deep pile rugs is in hallways and door ways. The
taller the pile the more likely it is that someone will inadvertently
trip over the edge of it, and often doors need to be trimmed to open smoothly over the surface of a deep pile rug.
When choosing a modern rug one of your prime considerations is what should the color palette be?
Taking your existing interior design palette as a starting point might
be helpful. If you already have distinct color range you will want to
either stick with that or consider a neutral color that goes with it.
If your existing interior design palette is already neutral, buying a
new modern rug provides you with an great opportunity to introduce some
color. In this case the color is really a matter of personal preference
but i would generally recommend that you should consider something
brighter and bolder. Neutral is fine of course but you will never make
a strong interior design statement with an entirely neutral palette.
Once you have chosen your rug you can carefully introduce elements of
that color elsewhere in the room to tie it all together. Throw pillows
and lamp shades, wall art and floral displays all provide ways to do
this.
A word about white rugs. White rugs look absolutely fabulous when new,
they show off the room beautifully, they don't compete or clutter, they
make the room lighter and brighter.. and they a few months later their
glory fades.
Tiny little marks become glaringly obvious. Stain removal that would
have produced good enough results on any other color, generally leave
their own color or residue, and after a year or so.. you will be ready
to throw it out and swear never to buy another white rug... ok so i'll
admit that I'm still bitter, but its true, white rugs are hazardous to
your stress level.
How to select your rug design ?
The most fun part of selecting your modern rug is picking a pattern.
Your rug design should ideally match the interior design choices you
have made for the rest of the room. If the room is modern then you
should probably choose a contemporary rug design, rather than a
traditional design. That said it have seen some beautiful rooms that
incorporate modern classic furniture with ethnic or antique rugs too.
Another possibility is that your room is not entirely modern or
traditional, but rather is something in between (we call this
transitional). In this case we would suggest that you choose to either
accentuate the modern or that traditional flavor of the space by can by
choosing either a modern rug design or a traditional one.
What should the rug be made of?
There are three considerations that determine rug materials:
1) feel
2) usage
3) budget
Most people choose a rug either because it is the right price or
because it feels good to the hand. The most important criteria is usage
however, and this is rarely considered.
High traffic areas and kid friendly households should err on the side
of caution and function. Its wonderful to have a silk rug.. but the
expense is wasted if the rug is going to be trashed in a year. If
coolaid features in your home at all, consider acrylic. If you want a
balance of style and function then we would suggest that you stick with
good quality New Zealand or Gabbeh wool rugs. Both are high quality,
dense, natural fibers that is durable and still soft to the touch.
Budget:
Each of these considerations has its price. Larger rugs cost more, silk
costs more than wool and wool costs more than acrylic - but remember
that there are plenty of beautiful and very reasonable modern wool rugs in our collection for you to choose from.
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| Tamira Wool Rug | Stella Smith wool rug | Parade wool rug |
Other posts for Monday 21 December, 2009
Other posts for Monday 21 December, 2009
