Planning

To help you evaluate the specific works of art that will grace your home for many years, we present 10 tips to aid you in recognizing the essentials of quality. But first, here are some general guidelines you may want to consider.

As your first consideration, make sure that the rug you find is one that you love, as you would a painting or an antique chest. There is no sense in buying a rug that does not possess the color, character or size that works for you. The purchase of a quality rug can be one of life's rare opportunities for self-expression. However, you need to let your discriminating sensibilities guide you.In many cases, a rug is the most important home furnishing purchase that you will make. Your rug will define the space in a room. It establishes the focus of an overall design scheme and can affect the feel of an entire home.For centuries, rugs have been used as practical, functional objects to cover the floor. But they can also be a lot more - works of art that expresses your individual taste.A simple, but rather easily made mistake involves inaccurate measuring and planning for the placement of a carpet within a room. To be certain of the dimensions that will work best for you, measure precisely.

An area rug can fill a room or be used as a highlight within a space, creating a focal point and adding excitement. But it has to fit. Here are suggestions to help you determine just how a specific piece is to be used.

Filling the Room   Central Focus   Accent Pieces	When determining the placement of a rug in a room, there are some basic premises to be considered. Rugs are always placed over more fundamental floor covering, such as wood, tile, stone, or broadloom carpet.When measuring the space in which you need to place a rug, decide how much floor you want to show around the four sides of the rug. The general rule for a rug centered in a rim is to allow an area of about one foot around each side of the rug. For example, in a room measuring 14' wide by 20' long, the recommended rug size would be 12' wide by 18' long. However, adjustments can be made to accommodate prominent decorative features such as a fireplace, furniture, columns, angled walls, etc. Or perhaps the underlying floor covering is a highly decorative surface meant to be highlighted in the room, in which case, the width and length of the rug should be shortened. More than one rug can be used to decorate a room and to help bring together separate living areas or furniture groupings. Each are would normally have its own purpose: entertainment, conversation, dining or quiet relaxation, and in each case, design concepts and color families could be different. Under these circumstances, each rug would be considered individually and chosen to work within the size and decorative requirements of the area.

If the rug will sit under a dining room table, make sure it is big enough to accommodate the length and width of the table. Generally, allow an additional two feet around the table to accommodate the chairs when they are pushed back.

The height of the ceiling and the materials used on the walls will also influence the selection of a rug. Softer colors and more subtle patterns generally complement darker rooms, lower ceilings, and walls focusing on art or other ornamental wall coverings. Darker colors and bolder patterns generally provide the decorative focus in rooms with higher ceilings, more understated walls and rooms with a softer environment.

Since the atmosphere of a particular home environment cannot be duplicated in a dealer showroom, you may first want to see the rug in your home, before you buy it. Most quality dealers will allow potential buyers to try a rug at home.