Area Rug Buyers Guide
Learn. Buy. Be Happy. That's our motto and the best advice we can offer to new rug buyers. Be patient, do your home work, and learn what kind of rug you want to buy before you start shopping. Sure, we want to sell you a beautiful area rug; however, we urge you not be too impulsive. This is especially true for first time buyers. Buying a new area rug is usually a sizable investment and you want to be happy and satisfied with both how you spent your money and with the rug you now own. To that end, we supply in
area rug articles and analysis and we suggest you read them and learn the basics before you buy.
There are some essential questions to answer before you buy a new rug. Many of these questions are interrelated so you may want to make a flow chart to help narrow your progress. Moreover, chances are that it will be necessary to make some difficult choices before you buy the perfect rug that fits all your goals. Therefore, it is very important that you identify what is most important to you and why you wanted one in the first place. Then, stay true to those goals when shopping.
Set A Budget
Tip 
: Set a budget – you will find a rug that meets your design goals and your price range within most budgets.
The starting point for any shopping adventure and the most important to you should be price. Set a budget and try to stick to it. Since area rugs have a dramatic price rang this is a necessary first step. It will keep you focused on what is realistic and save you the time and pain of shopping out of your budget. If you set a realistic budget you will be able to find a high quality area rug that you will transform your room and ward off buyers remorse.
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Choose Color & Design Scheme
Tips: Sometimes looking beyond the perfect color match may reap rewards and pleasant surprises you could not envision. Consider ordering a sample to check the area rug's color in your home.
For most area rug buyers color is the most important issue and usually dictates which rug they order. Granted, area rug color is extremely important, it will set the mood for your room and serve as the catalyst for your design scheme. It is important, however to keep color in perspective. It is short sited and inviting a mistake not to consider how a rug is made and what fiber was used to weave it. Further, trying to precisely match colors is not recommended and will only lead you on an unending quest. Consider using complimentary color schemes instead; you will make your life easier, avoid frustration, and achieve much better results. To learn more,
read our articles on area rug color and decorating.
We recommend ordering samples before purchasing an area rug. The color and brightness settings on your computer’s monitor will affect the rug’s product image. In other words, the colors you see may not be 100% accurate. Likewise, because of lighting and other factors area rug colors look differently in stores than they do in your home. Ordering rugs from our site will almost always save you hundreds of dollars than if you purchased it from a brick and mortar retail store. Ordering a sample area rug gives you the added advantage of seeing the rug’s color in your home and feeling its fiber and pile.
Think About Construction
Tip: If price is not an issue, buy a hand-knotted area rug – it is a work of art. However, hand tufted rugs are more affordable and machine made rugs offer a great value.
Like fiber area rug construction is a price sensitive and important question. Hand-knotted area rugs occupy the top of the rug construction price range and for good reason. Hand-knotted rugs are meticulously woven (hand knotted) in a process that can take months to complete a single rug. No two hand-knotted rugs are alike. Every hand-knotted rug is unique and special and worthy of the price it demands. There are other types of handmade area rugs that are hand-tufted, hand-hooked, and hand-carved. Machine-made rugs are less expensive because they can be mass produced. Rug experts argue that they lack the intrigue and beauty of handmade rugs since produce identical copies of a rug and because they are not knotted. The fact is that most rug buyers don’t care. You have to decide for yourself before you buy.
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Fiber Matters
Tip: If price is not an issue buy a wool rug for its durability, beauty, and long term value. If you are price conscious consider a heat-set polypropylene or nylon and you will get a beautiful rug at a great value.
The next question you need to answer involves fiber. The fact is that fiber is very important to the quality and value of an area rug. Nevertheless, is fiber important to you? It is a good question because fiber usually dictates price. Silk rugs are the most expensive. High quality wool rugs tend to also be at the high end of the price continuum. Other natural fibers like cotton also demand higher prices. Conversely, there are very well made synthetic fiber area rugs that are cost effective alternatives to natural fibers. The synthetic fibers used today produce high quality wool and silk like rugs that look and feel wonderful. Synthetic rugs also stand up to demanding traffic and use. Also, if GREEN is your fiber goal bamboo, jute, and sisal rugs will serve your purpose without breaking the bank.
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Measure to Get Size Correct
Tip: An area rug should be 3 to 4 feet larger in length and width than your dinning table. Usually, 8 x 11 is the smallest size rug for under a dinning room table.
All things being equal size is the most practical and important factor when buying a new area rug. Obviously, you want to measure your room to set the maximum size rug you could buy. Next you should measure the space you would ideally want the rug to occupy. Then note the range of size you are willing to be flexible with. When evaluating size, be sure to consider the type of room you will be laying it and the furniture that will surround it. Also, make sure the size of the rug is in proportion to what surrounds it. Finally, if you will be placing furniture on the rug measure so that the rug will comfortably extend well beyond it. For example, when buying a new area rug for a dinning room be sure the chairs will remain on the rug with room to spare when an adult is sitting in them. This will avoid having the front legs of the chair on the rug and the rear legs off it.
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Define Your Style
Tip: The best style area rug is one that you are comfortable with. Chose a rug that fits your personality and feels right. When you can decorate with confidence you will decorate with success.
Most people have an idea of the style rug they want to buy before they start shopping. If that is the case there is no need to worry about the topic. The problem is that when many people start shopping they encounter terms they are unfamiliar with and want to learn more about or become intrigued with a rug style they never seen or considered before. Generally, area rugs are traditional, contemporary, and casual. If you want to learn more about these and more specific styles or when and where to use a particular style rug our our
style guide should help answer your questions.
Evaluate Your Life Style
To purchase the correct area rug it is important to
evaluate your life style. Doing this will help maximize your expectations and the enjoyment you reap from your area rug. Here it is important be realistic and evaluate how you want to live with your rug. If you have pets, young children, or live in an
active home make sure you are comfortable with your potential purchase. The point is that a rug should beautify you home and add to your enjoyment of living there and never cause stress of worry. Likewise, define why you want an area rug and find a rug that suits that purpose. Nevertheless, all the rugs we sell are high quality, built to last, and
cleanable.
Good Luck! If you have any questions feel free to call us for help, 800.240.9149; we will do our best to find you the perfect new area rug.
© 2009-2010 DVL Imports, LLC. All rights reserved.
© 2009-2010 DVL Imports, LLC. All rights reserved.