6 Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Area Rugs
Decorating one’s home is a labor of love, and the accessories used are always key elements in bringing together the entire look envisioned; from upholstery, wall art, accent items to area rugs.
Adding fine rugs will elevate the entire décor to a higher level, but care must be taken to avoid the following costly mistakes when buying area rugs.
1. Keeping the rug selection for last
One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to choose all your furnishings and décor first before deciding on a rug. If you already have all the furnishings, then you have no choice but to make the rug fit the existing décor, but if you are starting from scratch, you will be immensely better off choosing the rug first and allowing it to dictate the palette for the rest of the décor.
The reasons for this are that a good handmade rug is usually more valuable than most of the furnishings, so why let a cheaper item dictate the more expensive one. You may fall in love with a rug only to realize it does not go with the pillows on your sofa! It would be an irony if insignificant things like the pillows dictate the choice of a work of art such as a fine rug.
It is also incredibly more difficult to find a rug that will fit everything else; but if you choose the rug first then there are thousands of paint colors, fabrics, and accessories to choose from to make everything come together in harmony.
2. Choosing the wrong rug for your room needs
The beauty of a fine rug should not eclipse its functionality for your unique needs. While a specific rug might catch your eye, you need to make sure it is ideal for the use in a specific room. You can easily achieve this if you are aware of the basics when it comes to pairing select rug types and materials in certain areas of the home.
For high traffic areas like the entry or a main hallway, or high usage areas that are prone to spills like the kitchen and the family room, your best bet is a wool rug because they are the easiest to clean. Similarly, if you have pets, you might want to opt for colors that could easily camouflage animal hair in between cleaning or vacuuming sessions, so a jet black background rug with a white dog that sheds a lot will not be the best choice. If you like silk, silk blends, or wool and silk rugs, then you are better off using them in living rooms, a study / office, and bedrooms where they will get less traffic and spills.
3. One or more themes for the house
You don’t have to limit yourself to one theme across the whole house, in fact, it can get boring to do so, but for the main areas that are visible together like a living room, family room, dining room, and entry, that may all be visible from different angles together, it is better to stay with a complimenting theme. However, when it comes to other rooms of the house that are more isolated, like the bedrooms, study / office, it is nice to be playful and try a different theme than the main areas. For instance, if you chose transitional theme for rugs in the main areas of the house, you can do a very traditional Persian tribal heriz in the office or library, and choose more modern rugs for the bedrooms.
4. Falling for rug store gimmick
One of the worst things you can do when buying a rug is making an impulsive purchase based on a rug stores promotion. Remember, the fine rug is a work of art worth its quality and so is an investment in itself. Gimmicky stores or sale promotions can also lead to an experience you may regret later. A lot of times the quality is not what you expected or thought when you saw the rug initially. There is also the matter of ‘hidden costs’ when it comes to promotional offers on rugs.
5. Getting the wrong size rug
The rug size is an important aspect of rug selection and getting the wrong size rug for a room is a common mistake you want to avoid. It might seem like the only factor necessary for choosing the rug is the size of the setting where you are placing the rug, but the overall size of the room, the height of the ceilings, size and placement of the furniture, all play a role. If the rug is too small or large for the area, it will take away from the entire look you hope to achieve. This will often make it seem a poor design job, like you already had something that you forcefully tried to fit in the area, rather than having purchased it especially for the purpose.
6. Misjudging quality
Rugs are a very complicated product and it’s usually very hard for a consumer to ascertain the quality and value. A lot of rugs made with low grade or dead wool are chemically washed to make them look nicer when they are new, but the first attempt to cleanup a spill means the chemical wash gives in and you have a rug that looks different in the cleaned area. Even worse, you may not find out about this problem until you get a rug cleaned professionally, and the rug loses its luster after being cleaned. This is why finding a reputable rug store is the single most important decision you will make in acquiring fine rugs and you should spend the most time on researching the prospective stores in your area. Some of the most important factors to consider will be how long they have been in business, how much inventory they have, is the store well maintained and well managed, and do they have good reviews online.
Alyshaan Fine Rugs in Scottsdale Arizona has over 5000 fine hand-knotted rugs in stock, expert staff, impeccable, award winning quality and service, and more 5 star reviews online than any rug store in the region. Please visit us at alyshaan.com
Alyshaan Fine Rugs | Phone: 480-500-7458 | [email protected] | alyshaan.com
