FLOOR COVERINGS With an area rug, anything goes

Your budget and your plans for the rug's location will make the most difference.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Roll out the red carpet. Or the blue. Or the green. Or the taupe.
Area rugs are a hot commodity in home decorating.
"Area rugs are more popular than they've ever been," said Andy Baytos of Carpet King Factory Outlet in Warren. "There are more styles to choose from than ever before, and with so many people putting hard surface and laminate flooring down in their homes, the demand for area rugs just continues to grow."
But with styles that range from antique to contemporary to Southwestern to oriental, and prices that range from dirt cheap to middle-of-the-road to downright Donald Trump-ish, selecting the right area rug can be a bit confusing.
"You need to ask yourself how much you want to spend, how much wear the rug is going to get and what style will fit your d & eacute;cor," Baytos said.
With these points in mind, here are some tips to help you pick the perfect area rug.
NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC
The price of an area rug depends largely on whether it's made of natural or synthetic fibers.
Common natural fibers include wool and cotton, and common synthetic fibers include acrylic, polypropylene (also called olefin) and nylon.
Of all the natural fibers, wool is the most popular and desirable.
"Wool looks beautiful, lasts forever and cleans up well," said Phyllis Berardino of Ohio Carpet Distributors in Boardman. "Its only downfall is that it can be more expensive."
Cotton costs less than wool and is softer than wool, but it's less durable and fades faster when exposed to direct sunlight.
Many people choose synthetic fiber rugs because, besides being more durable, they resist stains better than natural fibers.
"Polypropylene [or olefin] is one of the most stain-resistant fibers on the market today," Berardino said. "If you have pets and small children, this is the type of rug for you."
Polypropylene also repels water, resists fading and costs less than other synthetics.
"Nylon is the most expensive synthetic," Berardino said. "But it is versatile, durable and withstands foot traffic."
Speaking of price, many people also prefer synthetic rugs because they cost less than rugs made of natural fibers.
However, unless you choose carefully, what you save in dollars you could compromise in good looks.
"Some people don't like synthetic rugs because they have a shiny appearance," Berardino said, adding, "If you want a synthetic rug that looks like a wool rug, choose one that has been de-lustered. This process takes away the shine, and makes the synthetic rug look just like a wool rug."
HANDMADE OR MACHINE MADE
Whether a rug is handmade or machine made will also affect its price. Handmade rugs generally cost more than machine-made rugs because of the time and labor involved in their production.
"They can cost about 50 percent more than machine-made rugs," Berardino said. "A lot of work goes into them. Each knot is hand-tied, for example."
Other special handmade techniques, such as hand carving, can also increase the price.
"During the hand-carving process, the weaver cuts a design into the top of the rug with a pair of shears," Baytos explained. "The result is a very sculpted, elegant look."
The label on a rug will indicate whether it was handmade or machine made.
"If a rug does not say whether it was handmade or machine made, then it was probably machine made," Baytos said.
Here's a hint: If you look at the back of a rug and see that the fibers are stiff and running straight up and down, then it was probably machine made.
The way a rug is woven will also determine its durability.
Baytos said the "points per yard" tell how many tips of yarn were used in each square yard and offer clues as to how well a rug was made.
"The more tips per square yard, the greater quality the rug," he said. "Very high-quality rugs can have a half a million tips per square yard."
Depending on how it was made and what it is made of, an 8-by-11-foot area rug can range from $150 to $5,000.
If that high-end price scares you, take this to heart.
"Most people can't afford the really expensive area rugs, but for about $300, you can get a good rug that will last you a long time if you take care of it," Berardino said.
Here are some tips for area rug care:
UIf you choose a rug with fringe, make sure it's sewn well and be careful of the fringe when vacuuming.
URotate rugs once a year to equalize wear.
UAvoid direct sunlight.
USteam clean area rugs.
RUG PADS
Once you've found the rug of your dreams, somebody will probably try to talk you into buying an underlying pad. But do you really need one?
"Absolutely," Baytos said. "Rug pads help retain a rug's appearance and help keep it from shifting. And since they range in price from about $20 to $100, they are a small investment for what they provide in return."
And rug pads aren't just for rugs that sit on hard-surface floors.
If you plan to lay an area rug over a floor that's fitted with low-pile, wall-to-wall carpet, a rug pad's a must.
"The rug will move and shift whenever you walk on it, and will wear out faster," Berardino said, adding, "If you want to put an area rug on top of carpeting, look for a woven rubber rug pad. These are inexpensive and start at about $20."
By the way, it's perfectly fine to put an area rug on a carpeted floor.
"It won't harm the carpet. That's just a myth," Baytos said.
Rug pads also make vacuuming easier and help protect hard-surface flooring from being scratched by the back of the rug.
FASHION SENSE
After you've decided whether you want a natural or synthetic rug, or a handmade or machine-made rug, you can focus on fun stuff like size, color and pattern.
The most common size area rug is 8-by-11 feet, but this standard might not compliment a very large or a very small room.
Here are some hints for making sure the rug you choose suits your room's dimensions.
UMost dining rooms require a rug that's at least 8 feet wide. If you plan to place an area rug under a dining room table, choose one that's at least 4 feet longer and wider than the table. The chair legs shouldn't be off the rug when people are seated at the table.
UIn the living room, area rugs are often used to anchor groupings of furniture. To choose a rug of the appropriate size, measure the furniture grouping and then subtract about 3 or 4 feet from the width and length of the measurement. This number will give you a rough idea of what size rug you need. Typically a 4-by-6- or 6-by-9-foot area rug works well under a coffee table in front of a couch.
UFor runners used in hallways, leave about 6 inches of open space on either side.
UAvoid placing area rugs beneath beds. Try a small rug along a bedside instead.
UIn very large rooms, don't be afraid to use two area rugs. Choose designs that are different enough to create spatial separation but are similar in color.
And here are some tips for selecting the right color and pattern.
UAlways remember that light-colored rugs make a room look more spacious. Dark-colored rugs make a room look smaller and cozier.
UUse dark-colored rugs with busy patterns on stairways and in other high-traffic areas.
UPlace medallion and round rugs in the center of a room directly under the chandelier.
UDon't choose an area rug with a busy pattern if other decorating elements of the room also have bold color schemes and patterns.
URemember that smaller patterns look better in smaller rooms because they give the appearance of a larger room.
UDon't limit yourself to square shapes. A circular- or octagonal-shaped rug can evoke flair and elegance.
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