Friday, March 13, 2009

What Area Rugs Can Do For Your Home

By Hank Winston

What's a cheap yet effective way to recreate a worn-out looking space? You might be surprised but there's actually no need to ransack your savings account for a big makeover. All you need is a reasonable budget to buy yourself a nice-looking area rug. What's even better is, with the wide selection in the market in terms of design and price, there is a 100% guarantee that you will find an area rug that meets your taste and budget.

Area rugs are the perfect way to warm up a room. If you have hard wood floors, or tile, you can immediately add warmth to your dcor with a centrally placed area rug. Muted earth tones and patterns work best to give your room a comfortable feel. Placing a large area rug under your sofa or coffee table will give a conversation area a relaxed feeling.

Area rugs also work well to liven up your space. For rooms that need an added punch look for area rugs with exciting designs and color patterns. Especially popular now are animal prints and geometric shapes. Both of these will give your room personality.

By placing area rugs smaller in size throughout the room, the space will look more lively in bright colors or more classy in subtle shades.

An area rug can become the focal point of your room. Many rooms have monotone walls or furniture that is not patterned. By placing an intriguing area rug in a "boring" room you can draw attention to your whimsical side. Again, this is the place for patterns and color. If your walls are cream and your furniture is earth toned consider adding an area rug with bold geometrics in bright colors for a bit of excitement.

Area rugs are not all aesthetics. They are also useful for maintaining the quality of your flooring. For instance, an area rug positioned near the room's entrance can keep dirt at bay, whereas a rug placed in the area often used or passed by can protect the flooring from wear and tear as well as keep footstep noise to a minimum.

The kitchen also benefits from an area rug. It doesn't only give beauty to the usually expected plain-looking kitchen, but it can be a source of comfort to a cook's tired feet. Standing on a cushiony rug while washing the dishes or stirring the stew is a relief.

What's a more welcoming accessory than an area rug to greet you and your guests? This is especially true if you have one with pretty colors and design. A rug with animal prints or lots of colors is a nice complement to your living room and foyer. Placing one too by the door keeps dirt away.

If you have a bigger budget for your home decor shopping, it's a good investment to purchase several area rugs in various colors and patterns. You may not be using all in one go, but you can easily revamp your rooms whenever you feel like it by the mere change of area rugs. Adapt to the seasons if you wish. Use lighter tones and materials for a warmer climate and go for deeper colors and thicker texture come the cool, windy days.

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