For a room with
a fireplace as the focal point at one end, it might be better to use a
rug with an overall design that doesn't distract from the room's
architecture.
When using one large rug in a living or family room, make sure
that there is an even border of flooring around all four sides once
placed, or at least so that borders of flooring opposite each other
are even. Don't get a rug so large that it touches or rides up on the
baseboard around the room.
If your room is formal with a natural center, it might be nice to
use a rug with a center medallion design to accentuate the natural
layout of the room.
Try using two rugs in one room to define different areas/functions
within it. They don't have to match. In fact, it's more interesting to
see coordinating area rugs that display some of the same colors, but
vary the scale of the pattern and alter the design.
As a general rule, put the front legs of furniture pieces on the
rug and the back legs off. More important, however, is to make sure
the rug is placed in a balanced fashion in the room, and the furniture
can fall either on or off of it.
The perfect size of a dining room rug is one that is four feet
larger than the width and length of the table. As long as the rug is
large enough to move the chairs away from the table without them
falling off of the edge, the rug is the right size . Any surrounding
furniture like the china cabinet or serving pieces should be on the
floor, not on the rug.
Area rugs muffle sound and add a restful quality to any room. For
the kitchen , hallways and entry, an oriental rug is the best bet--no
other soft floor surface is as durable to withstand the wear and tear
of daily life. Plus, a wool area rug is easy to care for.
