Selecting the Best Rug for Your Home!

Before buying your rug, decide on the shape and size of rug. A great way to visualize the rug in the room is to use masking tape to define the area of the rug, or also laying sheets. Be sure to keep note of all your measurements before you go to the store.

Get the feel first

Another way around is to get a feel first. Before you set off to buy a carpet, you must prepare. One good method is to get a book about carpets. Flick through the pages and see what immediately appeals to you. If you are not in a great hurry, try leaving the book open for a couple of days at a certain page to see if the picture of a particular style fits the room1. In any case, look at the pictures with great care. Examine the varying systems of pattern: you will immediately see that a carpet made in Baluchistan is very different from one crafted in Istanbul.

Rug Shapes & Sizes

The shape of your rug will firstly be determined by your particular taste and secondly by the room and area you are looking to place your rug. The size of your rug will be determined by the amount of space you have to work within your chosen room or area. In a particular situation, if you want to have only one rug for a room, it should be cover at least one third area of the floor. Read through our tips on which rug shapes suit which areas:

• Rectangular ‐ Rectangular rugs are the most common rugs in the world and are rectangular in shape varying in size. Rectangular rugs are suited to large areas, such as living areas and dining rooms.
• Runner ‐ A runner rug is very long and narrow and rectangular in shape. Runners are most commonly used in hallways, stairways, and entrances.
• Round ‐ Round rugs are equal in length and width. Round rugs can be used in living areas under round coffee tables to add emphasis to the middle of the area.
• Oval ‐ Oval rugs are quite uncommon and have no set standard sizing available.
• Square ‐ Square rugs are equal in length and width. Square area rugs are ideal for square rooms.
• Odd Shapes ‐ Often some odd shaped rugs are available, such as octagonal and hexagonal.

Handy Rug Laying Hints

For a rug that is defining an area, there should be no more than two feet of empty rug extending out from behind the furniture. A rug used for defining is unifying the items placed around it if the rug is large enough to accommodate at least the front legs of each piece of furniture. A rug for a dining room should extend eighteen inches to twenty‐four inches beyond the table, with generally an eight‐ by ten‐foot rug working in most living rooms and dining rooms. For small areas, such as coffee tables a six‐ by four‐foot or a six‐ by nine‐foot rug is sufficient.