Selecting the Perfect Area Rug

A well-chosen rug will enhance your decorating and color scheme, in addition to absorbing sound in a room with hardwood floors. You are in luck if you pull up an old green shag carpet and discover a hardwood treasure. But what do you do with those naked floors?

If the floor is in good condition, you may want to leave it uncovered. If you do, it's important to put stick-on felt pads on the feet of your furniture and place small, washable area rugs in high traffic areas (such as by the kitchen sink, the front door, etc.) to protect the beauty and longevity of your floor.

If your newly revealed floor is in less perfect condition, you don't necessarily have to re-carpet or even refinish the hardwood. There are other less expensive options:

• Install tile in the high-traffic areas where there is damage, leaving the rest of the hardwood floor intact.
• Hire a hardwood floor repair expert to spot-replace and re-stain warped, stained, burned or gouged areas.
• Place area rugs over the damaged sections of the floor.

The Rug Selection Process

There are many benefits to using large area rugs on your hardwood flooring:

• The room will feel warmer and decor look more cohesive when anchored by a rug.
• Rugs help absorb the noise and echoes generated in a room with hardwood floors.
• A well-chosen floor rug will enhance your color scheme and the decor of the room.
• Your flooring will be protected from scratches, stains and wear.

The first step in selecting an appropriate rug is to decide where you want to place it and the size you want. Make certain you have your furniture in the best possible arrangement for the room. Lay newspapers on the floor covering the area where you want the rug. Start small and continue adding paper until you find what you like. Determine minimum and maximum desirable sizes and write these down. (Most area rugs come in standard sizes but there are variations, so it helps to know the range of sizes that will work in your room.)

Your chosen rug should enhance your room's decor by reflecting its color scheme and style and should blend with the overall design, not be the focal point. Stand in the room and make note of its one, two or three predominant colors. Then determine the room's style or period (French Country, Colonial, Contemporary, etc). Knowing the room's colors and the style will help you to narrow your choices. 

Decide whether you want a solid or a patterned rug, such as handmade area rugs, Persian rugs, silk rugs, oriental rugs, wool rugs etc. Solid colored rugs are restful, but show soiling and lint more easily. A patterned rug adds visual interest and hides spots well, but finding one to coordinate with your existing furnishings may be a challenge.

Determine your budget next. When I was looking for the perfect area rug for my living room (with an 8 by 10 foot minimum and a 9 by 12 foot maximum), I wanted to pay less than $750 but was prepared to spend up to $1,000. After searching for two -months, I found a nearly perfect rug for $625, delivered. I could have settled for an alternative priced at $350, but felt the additional $375 was a worthwhile investment.

Many Area Rug Sources

Once you know your colors, style and budget, you're ready to hunt for the rug of your dreams. Many retail furniture stores also carry area rugs that you may be able to take home and try out. You can save money by purchasing your rug during a sale. For the ultimate in selection and best prices look for your rug on the Internet.

Inexpensive Rug Alternatives

• Recycle your old wall-to-wall carpet. Lay out the carpet on your driveway, patio or lawn and determine what section of the rug could be re- used. Use masking tape to outline the section you want cut and trimmed. Take the piece to a carpet company willing to finish the edges and you have a "new" area rug for the cost of the stitching!
• Try garage or estate sales. You can also find new, antique or imported rugs at flea markets.
• Furniture consignment stores sometimes carry high-quality used rugs at a substantial savings.
• Purchase a remnant from a carpet outlet.