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Your Area Rug's Best Friend

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Most people who purchase area rugs for their homes want them to last a long time. Yes they are a very economical way to decorate a room and certainly are a lot easier to change than wall color or furniture, but it's not unreasonable to expect them to provide many years or comfort and enjoyment. With proper care, this is more than possible.

A vacuum cleaner is by far your rug's best friend. This type of maintenance alone can add years of life to your rug and help maintain its new appearance for a long, long time. But it must be done regularly - and correctly - for best results.

First of all, keep in mind that your area rug is made of fibers. It is not a solid sheet of material, such as linoleum, nor is it an impervious material such as is used in tiles. Dirt and moisture can work themselves into - and under - the fabric of the rug and can even cause it to separate. This is why it is important to vacuum your rug regularly. How often? That completely depends upon where it is used and how much foot traffic it gets. Near a busy entry way or door, you may need to vacuum several times a week. In a spare guest bedroom, probably once a week is more than enough.

The point is, you don't want dirt to be ground into the fibers of the rug. Frequent once-overs with your vacuum cleaner will prevent this from happening.

On a side note, we've all seen photos or scenes in movies where someone hangs their area rug on a clothesline or over a fence and beats the dust and dirt out of it with a broom or tennis racket. There is absolutely nothing worse for your rug than this! (Well, there actually IS one thing worse, but it involves misbehaved animals who don't know the difference between your rug and the great outdoors - but that's a whole other issue.) Do NOT beat your rug to clean it! First of all, it's not very effective or efficient. You're not going to be able to get all of the dirt out this way. But more importantly, it could ruin the rug. It will most certainly shorten its life. You may cause the threads to loosen and damage the backing to the rug. It might be a great physical workout for you, but it is devastating to the structural integrity of your beautiful floor covering.

There is debate in the world of area-rug care as to whether you should use the beater bar on your vacuum or not when cleaning a rug. At Rugs Direct we are of the strong opinion that sometimes you should and sometimes you shouldn't. If the rug is tightly woven and of heavy materials, then the beater bar is probably necessary to get it clean. Set it for as short a pile height as you can so you don't run the risk of tearing any of the fibers loose. Otherwise, use the standard hard-floor attachment and be sure to anchor the rug (or stand on it) so that it doesn't get pulled up into the vacuum.

If your rug has fringe, make sure you don't inadvertently run the vacuum over the edge. Don't be lazy and think this is OK - especially if you simply push the vacuum away from the center out past the fringe. Some of it is going to get caught and torn eventually. You will ruin your rug. You are also going to have to unwind a bunch of fabric that is wrapped around your vacuum's beater bar. Harder to remove than hair. Don't do it!

It's also a good idea to vacuum the underside of the rug. Yes, I know this is a lot of work, but not all of the dirt is going to be removable from the top surface of the rug. Also dirt that gets underneath the rug can actually cause it to wear unevenly from the bottom up. So maybe not every time you vacuum, but at least once a month, turn the rug over and vacuum the bottom too. Again, this will add years to the life of your area rug.

Lastly, always use a good quality pad in between your rug and the floor. There are some serious safety concerns for doing this, but it will also make caring for the rug much easier. It's almost impossible to completely vacuum a rug that slips and slides as you try to clean it. A pad will keep it in place and insure that your vacuuming does the greatest good. If by some chance the pad gets soiled, many of them can be cleaned by simply tossing them into the washing machine - something you'd never want to do with the actual rug. Rugs Direct sells high quality rug pads in sizes that match all popular area rug sizes. If you didn't buy a pad with your rug, consider adding one now.

So make sure your area rugs and your vacuum cleaner are well acquainted. They will learn to love one another for a lifetime! Good luck.

A New Look at Eco-Friendly Bamboo

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With the renewed focus on renewable resources and eco-friendly products, we thought it was time to take another look at one of the most incredible plants on the planet - bamboo.

Bamboo is a generic name for literally thousands of species of plants belonging to the grass family. What differentiates bamboo are the hundreds of uses to which it can be applied, along with the fact that is is the single fastest growing plant on Earth. Some varieties grown up to two feet a day and it seems a new bamboo forest can spring up literally over night. The record for a one-day growth spurt stands at just under 48 inches.

In many areas bamboo is rapidly becoming an excellent replacement for hardwoods such as oak. It can take 40 years for an oak tree to grow to the point where it is suitable for harvesting. An equivalent amount of bamboo can be grown in just a couple of years. Plus, the harvesting of bamboo does not destroy the root system. A new plant can emerge without the need for additional planting. Talk about a renewable resource! And unlike many commercial crops, bamboo requires no fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides.

Bamboo also is good for the planet in other ways. For instance, it absorbs five times the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases - and releases 35% more oxygen back into the atmosphere than an equivalent stand of hardwood trees. Plus, there are almost no waste products associated with the harvesting of bamboo. Literally every portion of the plant has some use or another. Here are just a few examples:

Food
Not only Pandas eat bamboo shoots. Throughout much of the world bamboo is a major ingredient in recipes for soups, condiments and vegetable dishes. The leaves make a great wrapper for rice and beans, and can be fermented to make a sweet wine. Bamboo is nutritious, low-calorie and a good source of potassium.

Construction
When treated, bamboo forms a construction-grade wood that is lightweight and extremely durable. Because bamboo fibers are much stronger than most traditional wood fibers, it is less prone to warping. Some companies have begun converting bamboo into flooring with great success. The only drawback is that bamboo wood must be treated with a wood preservative to prevent insect infestations.

Wood Replacement
Bamboo is a great material for fences, bridges, furniture, decks and many other items normally made with wood from various tree species. A great many musical instruments, toys, cooking utensils, fishing rods and decorative artwork also can be made from bamboo. Although it's not very common in modern times, bamboo has traditionally been a source of high-quality papers as well, especially in China.

Fabrics
A long time ago East Asian artisans developed a way to make yarn from bamboo pulp. There are a huge number of properties of bamboo fiber that make it highly beneficial for textiles:

• Soft
• Antibacterial
• UV Resistant
• Absorbent
• Thermo-Regulating
• Hypoallergenic
• Naturally Organic
• Sustainable
• Eco-friendly
• 100% Biodegradable

Rugs
Coarse bamboo rugs have been used as floor coverings for centuries. However, there is now something unexpected as a result of refinements to the yarn-producing processes. It is called Bamboo Shag. Created by the Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Company, Bamboo Shag is actually softer and silkier than traditional shag rugs made from wool or polypropylene (olefin). The look and feel of this type of rug is due to its yarn blend that consists of 80% bamboo and 20% cotton. 

Because bamboo is naturally hypoallergenic, these rugs have very little effect on allergy sufferers. Plus, Anji Mountain uses a non-toxic, Azo-free dye to produce the rich colors in Bamboo Shag rugs. There is also minimal shedding, which can be an ongoing problem with traditional shag rugs.

Rugs Direct carries a complete line of bamboo rugs from Anji Mountain, including the revolutionary Bamboo Shag. Take a look by clicking here.

Bamboo Shag rugs from Anji Mountain

If you are interested in learning more about the history, features and uses of bamboo - or if you want to explore how to grow and cultivate you own plants - visit the American Bamboo Society.

Rug Attributes Part Seven - Synthetic Pile

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As discussed in our last entry, pile is the word used in the area-rug world to refer to the material or fiber used for weaving a rug. Obviously antique and most hand-made rugs are woven of natural piles such as wool, silk, cotton and other plant fibers. However, with a century of advances in chemistry and manufacturing, there are now a large number of synthetic fibers that can be used to make beautiful and durable floor coverings.

Here then is a survey of the many types of synthetic pile you will encounter when searching for an area rug.

Synthetic Pile

Acrylic - Without getting too technical, acrylic fibers are made from a polymer called polyacrylonitrile. A rug - or any product made from this synthetic fiber - must contain at least 85% of the acrylonitrile monomer to be called "acrylic" in the United States. It was invented in 1941 by the Dupont Corporation, which trademarked it under the name Orlon.

Acrylic is lightweight, soft and feels a lot like wool. It is also extremely warm when used in clothing. It has even found acceptance as an inexpensive alternative to cashmere! Acrylic fibers accept dyes very well and hold their color and shape under most conditions. They resist shrinking and wrinkling. Acrylic rugs are resistant to moths, oils and chemicals. They also don't fade or deteriorate when exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.

The disadvantages of acrylic rugs are that they tend to fuzz or pill rather easily. They also tend to store static electricity and, for people with sensitive skin or eczema, acrylic can be rather irritating. This is more of a problem with clothing made of acrylic than rugs, obviously.

Alkene - If you managed to get through Organic Chemistry you probably learned that an alkene, olefin or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond. No? Well, now you know. Impress your friends!

The alkene that is important in the world of area rugs is olefin, which is also known as polypropylene. (Sometimes this is shortened to polypropene and given the abbreviation PP.) This synthetic fiber is one of the most widely used in the world today. You can find it in packaging, ropes, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive parts, thermal underwear (Under Armor), textiles and, of course, carpets and area rugs. One of the beauties of polypropylene is that it is recyclable.

Polypropylene is basically synthetic wool when it is used in area rugs. It is durable, resists soiling, is easy to clean and does not build up static electricity. Many people consider it to be the perfect pile for area rugs with almost no drawbacks. Homes with pets or small children benefit greatly from this unique synthetic fiber.

Nylon - This is a generic term for a large family of synthetic polymers that were first produced in 1935 by a chemist working for the Dupont Corporation. It is a very silky material and, in fact, one of its first uses was as a silk replacement for parachutes during World War II. In addition to rugs, nylon can be found in paint brushes, women's stockings, rope and the strings for musical instruments. Many screws and gears in machines are now made of nylon too.

The Federal Trade Commission has a complex definition of what nylon technically means, but when it comes to shopping for an area rug, it is easiest to simply think of it as synthetic silk. It resists insects, mold, mildew and many chemicals. It resists abrasion and, despite its light weight, is extremely strong. A big safety feature of nylon is that it melts instead of burning when exposed to a flame.

Polyester - Although this term has been used to describe a lot of different materials, to be absolutely correct it only refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyester products are used throughout the manufacturing world and in liquid form it is an excellent top finish for high-quality wood products such as guitars, furniture, pianos, yacht interiors and fine-quality wood floors. Fabrics made of polyester include clothing and a wide variety of home furnishings such as sheets, bedspreads, curtains and drapes.

Rugs made of polyester tend to be a little stiffer and feel less natural that ones woven from cotton. However, they offer resistance to wrinkles and increased durability. For this reason, it is very common to find rugs that consist of a blend of polyester with a natural fiber. The best of both worlds!

Rayon - In the strictest definition of the term, rayon is not truly a synthetic fiber. That's because it is manufactured from naturally occurring polymers, namely cellulose. It is more accurately called a semi-synthetic fiber. It is a very versatile material and many people find it as comfortable as most natural fibers. Through various processing methods it can be made to mimic the texture and appearance of silk, wool, cotton or linen. Rugs made of rayon pile are soft, smooth and usually have a sheen or luster to them. Rayon does not recover well when it gets wet and is not very elastic, so it requires a bit more careful treatment and placement than many other rug materials.

The word viscose is sometimes used to describe rug piles, but technically this is an organic liquid used in the process of creating rayon. If you come across a rug described this way, it is actually just another way of indicating the rug's pile is rayon.

Vinyl - Although vinyl can be woven into area rugs, many times they resemble floor mats more than true rugs. It is a very rugged material that will withstand weather and water extremely well, making them ideal for use outdoors. Most people agree that their function outperforms their form and vinyl rugs aren't all that attractive. Still, it is an important option to consider when decorating your home because of the huge practical benefits it provides.

Rugs Direct carries a wide selection of area rugs in all synthetic piles. Click on any of the underlined links in this article for more information, or to go directly to the Rugs Direct home page, please click here.

Rug Attributes Part Six - Natural Pile

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Pile is the word used in the area-rug world to refer to the material or fiber used for weaving a rug. Just about anything that can be transformed into a strand of yarn can, and has, been used to create an area rug. Sometimes the effect can be stunning. There are both natural pile fibers, which have been used for centuries to create rugs, and within the last 100 years or so, scientists have developed a tremendous amount of synthetic fibers.

Here then is a brief survey of the many types of natural pile you will encounter when searching for an area rug.

Natural Pile - Plant Origin

Bamboo – There are about 1,000 different species of bamboo plants on the planet and most all of them have been used to create area rugs. Because it is the single fastest growing plant on Earth it is also one of the most eco-friendly in that it is rapidly replaced after harvesting. Bamboo rugs are popular not only because of their unique look, but their durability. About the only drawbacks are that they tend to not be very soft underfoot and are rather difficult to color. Fortunately most people in the market for a bamboo area rug want it to look like what it is!

Coir – (pronounced KOY-er) - A rug made of coir fibers is basically a coconut turned into a floor covering! Coir is found between the husk and the outer shell of this unique seed – that’s right, a coconut is not a nut or a fruit – it’s a seed. Coir consists of a lot of cellulose, which makes it very durable and strong. It is extremely waterproof and one of the few natural fibers that is resistant to damage from salt water. There are actually two types of coir fibers; brown coir is harvested from a fully ripened coconut. It is thick and resists abrasion, but also not very flexible. White coir comes from a coconut before it is ripe. These fibers are finer and easier to fashion into yarn, but also a bit weaker than the brown variety.

Cotton – Although 100% cotton area rugs exist, it is used more frequently as an important fabric for the foundation and decoration of many rugs. It is used to add strength and shape to many other natural fiber rugs, and it can also add a degree of softness to an otherwise coarse rug. Obviously cotton is an easily renewable resource that is extremely easy to clean and maintain.

Hemp – Industrial hemp is used for making ropes and a variety of area rugs. Usually it is blended with other fibers such as flax, cotton or silk. Pure hemp is very strong, but also extremely coarse. Like bamboo, hemp is a rapidly growing plant and can be replenished quickly. It also is a very healthy plant, requiring no pesticides or herbicides, thereby making it one of the most eco-friendly of all area rug piles.

Jute – This is a long, soft, shiny fiber that comes, surprisingly enough, from the jute plant. (Officially it’s the corchorus – but who can pronounce that?) It is very inexpensive to grow and harvest. Jute is naturally heat and fire-resistant and is not susceptible to stretching or shrinking. It is also highly biodegradable. Usually the more shiny the fiber, the better its quality, although there are plenty of uses for low-grade jute yarns. You might be more familiar with what we call pieces of fabric that are made of jute – burlap.

Mountain Grass – This is a very specialized pile that isn’t very common. It is made from a special plant that grows at high altitudes of mountains on the Pacific Rim. It’s closely related to hemp in many of its characteristics. Mountain Grass rugs require a great deal of care because they are highly susceptible to mold and mildew if they get wet. With their unique and beautiful Earth tones, they serve a much more decorative function than practical one and need to be placed where they won’t receive much traffic.

Seagrass – As the name implies, this fiber comes from plants that grow in saline, marine environments. There are some 60 different species worldwide, but only the ones with long, narrow leaves are used to create area rugs. It tends to be woven in a style resembling rattan furniture and is probably better described as a floor mat than a true area rug.

Sisal – (pronounced SEYE sul) – This fiber comes from the agave plant and its main industrial use is for making twine and rope. It’s frequently called hemp, but it is not. Today most sisal is grown in Brazil, although it originally was cultivated in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The main port for worldwide export was Sisal; hence the name. Sisal is strong and resists deterioration from all types of water. It also takes dyes readily, which is rare for natural plant fibers. Sisal rugs are very popular for their appearance, texture and durability.

Natural Pile - Animal Origin

Cowhide – Technically cowhide is not a pile that is sewn into an area rug. Nevertheless, cowhide rugs are popular with people who want to create a rustic or cabin look in a room. Shapes tend to resemble the animal rather than a traditional rectangle. Cowhide can be dyed, but most people prefer the look of the original breed of cow from which it was tanned.

Leather – Unlike cowhide, leather can be cut into strips of yarn and sewn into a rectangular area rug. There are many processes used to tan leather, but they all result in a rugged fabric that is flexible, water-resistant and often nicely aromatic. Leather also has great use as a border or accent pile in many area rugs. The combination of leather with wool can be stunning.

Silk – Although it is expensive, silk is one of the most beautiful and popular piles used in making high-quality area rugs. It comes from the cocoon of mulberry silkworms, which, unfortunately, kills the larvae. Some animal-rights proponents urge people to consider some of the artificial silk alternatives to the real thing. Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers, but loses up to 20% of its strength when it gets wet. It has poor elasticity and when stretched tends to remain that way. In addition, silk can be damaged by prolonged exposure to sunlight and can be attacked by insects. So with all of its many drawback and limitations, why are silk area rugs so incredible popular? There is no other pile that has the beauty, sheen and feel of real silk!

Suede – This is a special type of leather with a napped finish. (The word comes from the French for Sweden…and I have no idea why we call it this!) Suede leather is made from the underside of the skin of lambs, goats, pigs, calves, deer and cows. It is softer but less durable than standard, or full-grain leather. Often you will see suede combined with leather in a woven area rug, which tends to give the rug the best of both worlds.

Wool – By far this is the most commonly used pile in both ancient and modern area rugs. It is soft, durable, easy to weave and relatively inexpensive. It also takes dyes better than most any other fiber on the planet. Because it comes from sheep, it is completely renewable and totally eco-friendly. Coarse wool is more durable than fine wool, so generally it is agreed that the wool from sheep that live and graze at high altitudes is superior. New Zealand wool is among the most popular for area-rug making today. It is also relatively easy to combine wool with other pile materials, giving the rug maker an unlimited number of options for creating fine works of art for the floor.

Rugs Direct carries a wide selection of area rugs in all natural piles. Click on any of the links in this article for more information, or to go directly to the Rugs Direct home page, please click here.

Rug Attributes Part Five - Knots

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Ask any Boy Scout and he'll tell you how many dozens and dozens of different ways there are to tie pieces of rope together or to other things. There are hundreds of books on how to tie knots and organizations dedicated to studying the art, science and beauty of them. There are even university scholars who study the theory of knots and write mathematical formulae to describe their structure.

When it comes to creating beautiful area rugs, there are also a wide variety of knots used. But before we examine a few of these, we need to understand a very important attribute of all area rugs. It is what is referred to as knot density.

  Knot density is a fairly simple concept and calculation. You take one square inch of a finished rug and count the number of horizontal and vertical knots in each dimension. (The technical terms for these are warp and weft and are usually only visible on the underside of the rug.) In the metric system, obviously different units are used and the number calculated will be different. Both centimeters and decimeters are used to specify knot density.

You multiply the two numbers together to get the knot density. However, since the two numbers are usually the same in a handmade rug, you can just square the count of knots in a linear inch.

A high knot density doesn't necessarily mean that one rug is better than another. This is particularly true of antique rugs for which the value is based upon other factors. In addition, knot density isn't a clue as to the durability of a rug. Instead, knot density is directly related to how sophisticated the design on the rug can be. In order to make intricate curves and patterns, a high knot density is required. Interestingly, it's complete analgous to things such as photo resolution and print dpi (dots per inch).

With handmade rugs too, knot density is directly related to how long it takes to actually weave the rug. Since it takes a skilled rug-maker approximately 10 seconds to tie each knot, that translates to only six knots per minute. A 9' x 12' area rug at a rather modest 150 knot density is going to have a staggering 2,332,800 knots. Depending upon how many hours a day the weaver spends working on the rug, this can take over two years to create!

In case you're interested, here's the calculation:

• 9 feet x 12 feet = 108 square feet = 15,552 square inches
• 15,552 square inches x 150 knots/square inch = 2,332,800 knots
• 2,332,800 knots divided by 6 knots/minute = 388,000 minutes = 6480 hours
• 6480 hours divided by 8 hours per work day = 810 days = 2.2 years

Some area rugs have knot densities of up to 1000 knots per square inch. These are very rare, usually made of silk and incredibly expensive - not only because of the amazing craftsmanship, but because it probably took a team of weavers many years to make.

A little important terminology:

As mentioned previously, the terms warp and weft are used to describe the vertical and horizontal strands of fibers in an area rug. Warps are important because the knots are actually tied to them, while the wefts are passed through them. It's critical that the tension on the warp strands be kept consistent or the rug will wrinkle. If a rug has fringes, it is an extension of the warps that creates this.

Wefts are the horizontal strands and unlike warps, are added as the rug is being woven. They separate each row of knots and pass over and below the warp strands. Another term related to wefts is selvedge. This is each side of the rug where the wefts begin and end.

The material used for the warps and wefts is usually the same, but it is not necessarily the same as the yarn used to weave the rug. It's not uncommon to have cotton warps and wefts - collectively referred to as the foundation - in an otherwise all-wool rug. Then again, for consistency, many rug artisans prefer everything to be the same.

There are three types of knots primarily used in the creation of handmade area rugs today.

The Persian knot - sometimes also called the Senneh knot - falls into what is classified as an asymmetrical knot. It is common and popular in Iran, India, China, Turkey and Egypt. It is rather simple and easy to tie. The yarn is wrapped around one warp strand and than passed under the neighboring warp.

The Turkish knot, or Ghiorde knot as it is sometimes called, is a symmetrical knot favored in parts of Turkey, the Caucasus region and by Kurdish craftsmen. To form a Turkish knot, yarn is passed over two neighboring warps. Each end of the yarn is then wrapped behind one of the adjoining warps and brought back to the surface in the middle.

The Tibetan knot is not as common as the Persian or Turkish varieties because it is much more difficult and time-consuming to tie. However, it is very distinctive and gives rugs using it a unique look and texture not otherwise attainable. To tie it, a temporary rod is placed in front of the warp. The thickness of the rod can vary and establishes the length of the pile. A continuous piece of yarn is looped around two warps and then once around the rod. When a complete row of loops is tied, they are cut to complete construction of the knots.

An ancient knot called the Jufti knot was popularized in the Khorasan region of Iran. There are multiple varieties of it and it usually involves looping a singly yarn through four warps at a time. It is rarely used today.

Now it's time for you to show off a bit. Ask an area-rug salesperson what kind of knot was used to create that gorgeous rug you are considering buying. Start that quest by visiting Rugs Direct.

Rug Attributes Part Four – Style

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People often start their search for the right area rug based upon style; not necessarily the style of rug for which they are searching, but the style of the room or home in which it will be placed. This makes perfect sense. Everyone has his or her own personal tastes in decorating and the style of rug you purchase should naturally reflect the style of the décor.

It’s not difficult to classify area rugs according to their style. What is a bit more problematic is to make a comprehensive list of all area rug styles. It’s easier to start with the rug and describe it than it is to make an all-inclusive catalog of styles. So what we will do here is specify the generally accepted main styles of rugs and indicate the many different types that might logically be included as a subset of them.

Traditional Rugs

This is by far the most common, well-known and popular style of area rug on the planet. And it has been for literally thousands of years. Any rug patterned after the ancient masterpieces of the Old World can rightly be described as traditional in style. But if only it was that simple!

First of all, you have antique or original rugs that are hand-made by individual craftsmen. These are usually extremely expensive but retain their value incredibly well. In many ways they are collectible art rather than a practical floor covering. These are balanced by the many modern, manufactured rugs that replicate the ancient designs, colors and patterns. Often traditional rugs are further categorized based upon a particular feature or style element that is endemic to a particular country or region. Some examples:

Traditional Persian Rugs
There are at least 50 different, distinct Persian styles, not all of which are woven in Persia (Iran). The one thing they all have in common is a unique border that serves to set off and emphasize the main pattern of the rug. Persian designs can be traced back some 2500 years and remain to be immensely popular all over the world today.

Traditional Oriental Rugs
This style of rug has a reputation of being extremely durable and lasting many generations. Almost all of them are made of natural fibers, most notably wool, silk and cotton. There is much debate over what the difference between a Persian and Oriental rug is. Often there is none other than the country of origin. An Oriental rug may come from India, western China, Central Asia, southern Russia or Turkey. Technically a Persian rug can only come from Iran.

Traditional Chinese Rugs
Rugs that belong in this category are seldom symmetrical or purely decorative. Instead they contain a message or meaning, often incorporating images from nature. There tend to be more colors in a Chinese rug than one originating in Persia or the Middle East.

Traditional Turkoman Rugs
This style is based upon designs created by nomads in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. They almost always have a red background, include a geometric pattern and what is known as a “gul” in the center. This is an octagonal shape that is based upon a flower. Turkoman rugs may have one gul or many.

There are many more sub-categories of traditional rugs, including Caucasian, which originated in southern Russia; Tibetan, which are among the most bold and bright of traditional rugs; and Indian, which became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and feature many small flowers, plants, rosettes and leaves.

Contemporary Rugs

Bright colors and unusual shapes are what differentiate a contemporary rug from a traditional one. Many people consider them artwork for the floor, and indeed, many of the most popular contemporary rug styles were designed by modern artists. Almost anything goes in a contemporary rug; circles, squares, rectangles or wavy lines are common. Colors from a narrow palette to every shade in the rainbow. Most contemporary rugs are made by machine and can incorporate just about any fabric that can be woven.

The advantage to the homeowner is that a contemporary rug can be found that will enhance just about any décor – traditional or modern. It can be used to coordinate the color scheme of a room, or serve as a central focal point. The possibilities really are endless, as the choices can also seem to be.

Transitional Rugs

Many purists in the world of area rugs feel that there is no such thing as a transitional rug – that is, one that is somewhere in between traditional and contemporary. To them a rug is either patterned after the antique, ancient styles or it is not. However, it is hard to deny that a great many popular rugs today have elements of both incorporated into them. For example, not all contemporary rugs necessarily have lots of bold, bright colors. They may have the common burgundy and earth-tone hues of a traditional rug, but incorporate some unique geometric patterns and designs. Thus they serve the needs of homeowners and designers who are looking to modernize a room’s décor without going to the extremes of placing bright oranges, blues and greens on the floor.

Flokati Rugs

Not to be confused with the more trendy shag rugs of the 1970s, flokati rugs have been a mainstay of Greek culture for centuries. Not only used as floor coverings, these all-wool creations were used as clothing as well. Originally flokati rugs were simply the natural color of the sheep from which the wool was harvested. Today they are dyed to every color imaginable, making them great choices for any contemporary setting. Flokati rugs are easy to clean – they usually can simple be thrown into a standard washing machine – but they also must be combed in order to achieve their desirable “long-hair” look.

Braided Rugs

Braided rugs are an American tradition that came into being for a very practical reason. The homes in early America usually had rough, hard wooden floors. Something easy-to-make and durable was needed to cover them. Hence the braided rug. Usually in the shape of an oval, round or half-oval (hearth rug), braided rugs have today been elevated to the status of an art form. One unique feature of braided rugs is that they are one of the few rug styles that are reversible.

Southwestern Rugs

Sometimes referred to by the alternate name Native American rugs, this style is mainly associated with the type of intricate weaving mastered by the Navajo Indians of the American Southwest. Common among them are stripes and simple geometric patterns; seldom do you see anything but straight lines throughout. They add a unique, rugged lodge-look to any room in which they are used. Many people place them on the wall instead of the floor, which permits their intricate beauty to be appreciated from anywhere in the room.

Novelty Rugs

This is a catchall style of rugs that can include just about anything. Examples would be rugs with animal prints or scenes and shapes that appeal to children. Of course sports themes and team logos are well-liked on novelty rugs. Rugs with a country theme such as roosters or farm animals are also popular and can add a unique flair to an otherwise ordinary kitchen.

When it comes to decorating with area rugs, they sky truly is the limit. If you would like to explore the many styles of rugs available to you in greater detail, please visit the online showroom of Rugs Direct. There you will find well over 60,000 choices to help you personalize and vitalize every room in your home.

Rug Attributes Part Three - Pattern

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One of the most important features of an area rug is sometimes the most difficult to describe. It is the basic pattern woven into the rug. But articulating what you see on the face of that beautiful rug can be challenging. And when searching for that "just right" rug, people frequently don't know the terminology to use to narrow that search when they have a specific pattern in mind.

Pattern is closely related to style and theme but can be defined more broadly. Basically the rug's pattern is determined by the way lines and curves are used to generate shapes. The industry generally recognizes three main categories of patterns: geometric, curvilinear and pictorial.

As with most things related to area rugs, there is a tremendous amount of overlap between these categories. Still it is useful to understand them. One or the other will probably be more dominant in the rug's pattern than another. This then becomes the best way to describe the pattern of that particular rug.

Let's take a look at the three categories of rug patterns and examine a sample that fits into each group.

Geometric

A geometric rug is created with straight lines, often using a variety of shapes - triangles, squares, diagonal lines, etc. In a way it is somewhat more primitive than the other two patterns. Southwestern and Navaho rugs frequently make use of a geometric pattern, but it's not uncommon in older traditional designs as well.

Curvilinear

When a pattern makes use of a variety of smooth curved lines it is referred to as curvilinear. In fact, that's the definition of the word! It's a bit harder to weave rugs in this pattern and frequently the overall knot density of a curvilinear rug is higher than other, simpler patterns. With the advent of machine-made area rugs, it is much easier - and more economical - to weave a curvilinear pattern than when everything was done strictly by hand. Curvilinear rugs are common in just about all styles and themes of rugs from traditional to contemporary.

Pictorial

A rug with an image of people, animals, flowers or nature falls into the pictorial category. The first rugs created of this type depicted historical events, mythological creatures or famous people. They truly were art forms, often made to hang on a wall instead of placing them on a floor. Today you can find an image of just about anyone or anything on an area rug. Still, as in ancient times, they are not as common or popular as the other two patterns of area rugs. A room's decor has to be just right for a pictorial rug to fit in appropriately.

Rugs Direct carries well over 60,000 area rugs representing all of the above patterns. Our proprietary Rugs Directory search engine will help you find exactly what you are looking for in no time. Click here to visit the Rugs Direct online showroom to find the perfect area rug for your home.

Rug Attributes Part Two - Color

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For many people shopping for an area rug, about the only thing that matters is color. And why not? The rug might be the main focal point of the entire room, and if its color isn't right, then nothing else is going to matter. Plus, rightly so, many people consider area rugs not to be just pieces of fabric that you place on the floor, but true works of art. Few artists create their works without detailed considerations of color; the same is true of the great artisans who design and weave area rugs.

In esoteric circles where they discuss such things, there are some area-rug experts who argue that color is even more important than the overall design of the rug. Their position is that even an outstanding, intricate and appealing design can be ruined with the wrong combination of colors. However, a weak design can be made appealing through the application of a unique color scheme. Plus there are many people who find a solid color area rug useful and attractive in certain situations. This is an example of a rug with NO design, but only color. I think those experts might have a valid point.

In simplest terms, area rugs have a background color and a border color. As noted above, sometimes a rug is made of only a background color. But the vast majority have more than one.

Probably a better term for background color would be dominant color. If you were asked to describe the color of a rug and could only use one word, this would be the color name you choose. Although you can find area rugs with just about any background color imaginable, the most popular are red, blue, yellow and tones of brown or beige. Burgundy, which is a hue of these colors, is probably the single most popular background color used in area rugs - especially traditional, Oriental and Persian ones.

Border colors are often not as easy to identify as the background color. The design and pattern of the rug might be so intricate that you really can't isolate the colors used to create it very well. That's OK, because the goal is to create an impression with color rather than display unique shades. Often a tint or hue in the border of a rug serves as inspiration for the other colors used in a room. Painting your walls the same color as part of the rug's border can create an extremely attractive, coordinated look to the room where everything simply "comes together" in the way professional designers work.

So where do the colors in area rugs come from?

Some rugs are made of natural fibers and often that's were the color originates. Typically these aren't the most vibrant colors and the design possibilities are somewhat limited. So to take wool and infuse it with a rainbow of colors, rug-makers use a variety of dyes.

For the first several thousand years of rug-making only natural dyes were available to color the fibers woven into rugs. The sources for these were a wide variety of plants, animals and minerals. Mixing and blending these components to create just the right color was an impressive skill in and of itself. Often the artisans would work hard to create a collection of primary colors, and then combine these in various ways to come up with just about every perceptible color. It worked a lot like the way we mix paint using a neutral base today.

In the middle of the 1800s, as rugs started to become more and more popular, European rug-makers worked on ways to come up with cheaper and easier-to-manufacturer dyes. The result was synthetic dyes made from coal tar. There were some problems. They were easy to use, but they faded rapidly when exposed to light or water and had a rather unpleasant order. Nobody realized it at the time, but the fumes are also highly toxic. Nevertheless, these dyes were imported in great quantities by Persia (Iran), Anatolia (Turkey) and other rug-making centers throughout the Middle East. The difficulties in using them came to a head in 1903 when the King of Persia officially banned their use in his country!

Fortunately a new type of synthetic dye, chrome dyes, were developed in the early years of the 20th century. Chrome dyes hold their colors perfectly in most all situations and have absolutely no limitations when it comes to blending a specific color or shade.

Rugs Direct carries over 60,000 area rugs in every combination of color and hue you can imagine. You may easily shop by color using our proprietary area-rug search tool, the Rugs Directory. Click here to visit on online showroom.

Rug Attributes Part One - Shape

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One of the most important attributes of an area rug is the most basic - its shape. Closely related to this is size, which, when combined with shape, precisely defines the floor area that the rug will cover.

Yes, the vast majority of rugs are rectangular in shape. There are two reasons for this. First of all, traditionally the looms that have been used for thousands of years to create handmade rugs have a fixed width at which they work, but there is no set length. So the person designing the rug could make it as long as he wanted to and most all of the artists weaving rugs realized a square is pretty boring. Think of it. You don't see many square works of fine art hanging in museums either. A rectangle is just a far more aesthetically pleasing shape.

Secondly, most rooms are rectangular in shape too. It only makes sense to place a rectangular area rug on the floor of a room that is also rectangular.

So, most rugs are rectangular. Sometimes you will hear this shape referred to as a "regular" rug. Because of this, the industry has actually established some "standard" sizes for rectangular rugs, although no one is particularly bound to follow them. But it does give people looking to buy a rug a point of comparison. Here are those standard sizes, further categorized into small, medium and large. Dimensions are given in feet, whereas in much of the world area rugs are measured in meters.

Small Area Rugs

• 2' x 3'
• 2' x 4'
• 3' x 5'
• 4' x 6'
• 5' x 8'

Medium Area Rugs

• 6' x 9'
• 7' x 10'
• 8' x 10'
• 9' x 12'
• 10' x 13'

Large Area Rugs

• 10' x 14'
• 12' x 15'
• 12' x 18'
• 13' x 20'
• 14' x 21'

There are several other shapes popular among area rug manufacturers and buyers.

A "runner" - sometimes also referred to as a "carpet runner" - is a long, narrow rug normally placed in a hallway, on stairs or used as a room divider. Technically it is also a rectangle, but since it falls out of the range of the regular rug sizes given above, it is categorized separately. Interestingly, the use of runners on stairways tends to be an American convention as you seldom see them used this way in European countries.

Modern runners are usually between 2.5 and 3 feet wide and can vary from as little as 6 to as much as 20 feet in length. Some companies offer custom runners, which can be cut to almost any length.

Round rugs are, by definition, symmetrical. They have grown in popularity in recent years, but traditionally they were seldom made in the ancient rug capitals of the Middle East. They were much more common in China, and then later in France. Their use is rather specialized because most furniture groupings don't configure very well around or on top of a round floor covering. Still there are many highly decorative situations in which a round rug will add emphasis or interest in a room more than a standard rectangular one might.

Closely related to round rugs are square ones. Mose designers and decorators agree that about the only place to effectively use a square rug is in a square room - and there just aren't that many of these around any more!

Oval rugs are a nice combination of a standard rectangular rug with the softer corners of a round rug. They are measured in much the same way as rectangular rugs with the understanding that there is material missing from the corners - or more accurately, the "non-corners" of the rug. An oval rug can be used in almost any situation in which a rectangular one would fit, although it tends to look less formal. For this reason they tend to find more use in casual dining areas, porches, non-formal entryways and bedrooms. A great many oval rugs are braided and reversible.

Lastly you can find what the industry calls "odd shapes" in many rug styles. These include hexagonal (6-sided) rugs, octagonal rugs (8- sided) and even triangles. Another variant is the "hearth" or "half-oval" rug which, as the name implies, has one straight edge and one rounded side so that it can be placed up against a fireplace.

Rugs Direct carries well over 60,000 area rugs in all shapes and sizes. If you find yourself wanting to expand you decorating horizons by experimenting with non-traditional shapes, please visit our online showroom. You can easily search our inventory by shapes (and sizes) using our proprietary area-rug search tool, the Rugs Directory.

Three Steps to Living Room Makeover

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For many years, the term living room has been a misnomer in American homes. This was not the place where people actually did any living. Instead it was the home's showpiece; the place with the "good" furniture. The room that was to be kept pristine for those rare visitors who needed to be impressed. Far from being a living room - it was just the opposite - the "don't go in there or you'll get yelled at" room!

Fortunately that is now changing and people are once again decorating their living rooms for comfort and practicality instead of creating a not-to-be touched museum just to the left of the front door. So how do you transform your living room into a friendly spot for entertaining, relaxing and yes, living? We offer three easy steps to help you accomplish this task:

1. Furniture and Furniture Placement
Unless you want to veer dramatically away from traditional room design, you are going to have a couch, sofa and/or love seat in your living room. Obviously this allows for the greatest amount of comfortable seating in the smallest amount of space. So use furniture that looks inviting and doesn't intimidate someone wanting to sit on it! Position the couch so that it is easy to get to and doesn't require traversing an obstacle course to reach. People often mistakenly think a couch serves as a good room divider and actually position the back of it to the entrance way. Not good.

Also, position the furniture so that the room has a focal point. If you use the room for multiple purposes, this becomes a bit of a problem. If this is your TV-watching space, then obviously wherever people are sitting they need to be able to see the screen without performing contortions. A chair with its back to the TV is awkward and you certainly don't want someone to have to constantly move the furniture around when trying to enjoy the room.

If conversations or board games are a major activity for the room, the furniture should face into a central focal area. A low coffee table in front of the couch makes sense in this situation so that there is a place for the game or for people to set down a beverage or plate. Hopefully they will know better than to use the table as a foot rest!

In many traditional living rooms, the fireplace is still a key focal point and there's no reason it shouldn't be in your as well. Just don't make the mistake of mounting a large-screen television above the fireplace. Not only does this place the TV at an awkward angle for viewing, but it's very annoying to try and watch a movie or program with firelight flickering in your face.

2. Make the Room Cozy and Complete
There are lots of simple, inexpensive things you can add to your living room that make it a more comfortable and inviting space. Drapes and pillows are two good examples. They give you a tremendous amount of color-coordination options, but also help soften the room and make it more user-friendly, to use inappropriate jargon. But there is probably nothing more important than the choices you make for lighting the room. A bright overhead light might make the most sense from a pure illumination standpoint, but it is harsh and uninviting. Table lamps give you a lot of design options and are probably best for reading, but it is hard to direct the light from a table lamp to spots that may need it. Recessed and floor lamps can overcome some of these obstacles, but have their own built-in limitations.

So what is the answer? Use a combination of lighting elements. Don't add so many that the room becomes cluttered, but positioning lights where good illumination is necessary is critical to making the room usable. While you're at it, please consider using low-wattage, long-lasing compact fluorescent bulbs in your living room's lamps. You'll save money and natural resources for your effort.

3. Add a Rug
Of course! Almost nothing you place in your living room has as great an overall effect on the overall ambiance as the rug that you place on the floor - or rugs, for that matter. Nothing says you have to only use one. Many professional interior designers actually start their work on decorating a living room from the ground up - and their first design consideration is the area rug. Even if the room already has wall-to-wall carpeting and you don't want to remove it, a rug can serve as the starting point from which all other elements in the room flow.

Try this experiment. The next time you walk into someone's home, be conscious of what you experience first. If you're like most people, it's not the wall color or wallpaper; it's not the woodwork; it's not even the furniture - and it's certainly not the ceiling. It's the floor! And if the floor has a beautiful rug covering it, your likelihood of noticing this first increases dramatically. Try it!

Not only can a rug provide color and texture to the room, but it can also define it. One large, central rug says that the room is to be considered one space. Multiple rugs can be used to break this up into smaller units, each with its own boundaries, and perhaps its own functions. Over here is the gaming area. And here is where we have conversations. And finally, over here is the entertainment section of the room. Rugs give you a versatility that is hard to achieve with any other decorating elements.

So go ahead and turn your home's museum into a practical living area that offers something for everyone in the family. If you decide to start with a new rug, we encourage you to visit Rugs Direct. You'll find well over 60,000 choices all categorized for easy browsing and review. Or if you prefer, use our proprietary search tool, the Rugs Directory^TM. Simply type in a few key descriptions of the color, size or style of rug for which you are looking, and we'll provide you with recommendations that match your criteria.

To visit Rugs Direct now, please click here.