Whether
you are trying to catch dirt before it crosses your threshold or soften your
steps while standing at the bathroom sink, rugs play some pretty important
roles across the floors in your home.
Ensuring they are functional, attractive, and well-fitted for their
spaces just takes a little knowhow and planning.
Area
rugs in living room seating areas and under dining room tables can be costly
but well worth the investment, since large rugs are not items changed out very
often. Choose a rug that blends well
with the surrounding flooring. It does
not have the match it of course, but should be either another shade of a
neutral at its base or a pop of color that highlights the seating arrangement. Whether you stay neutral or choose a bolder
color, consider the longevity of its staying power should you decide to change
any furniture pieces.
When
sizing large rugs, consider that the edges should be under each piece of
furniture in your seating area. A rug
that simply grounds your coffee table and then is not large enough to extend
under your couch and chairs is too small, and thus will not act as the
appealing unifier it should be that anchors your furniture in a cozy, inviting
fashion. At a dining table, each chair
should be able to be pushed back for dinner guests to get in and out and still
have the back chair legs on the rug.
This creates the most unified look.
Plus, the frequent movement of chair legs could otherwise damage or
scuff floor surfaces beyond the rug area.
For
small rugs in entryways, at the kitchen sink, and in the bathrooms at the sinks
and toilet base, think about the backing.
If your rug backing tends to be dried out, damaged, and crumbly when
washed and dried, you would likely be better off with a more modern small rug
that has no backing. Instead, many rug
options now are rugs on both sides that perhaps just have two different
textures. This way, you can machine wash
them frequently enough for them to be fluffy, fresh, and clean and still in
good condition.
Just
because they let you walk all over them doesn’t mean your home’s rugs don’t
need a little TLC when choosing and maintaining them. After all, quality interior design usually
starts from the ground up.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 22nd.
