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Educational Rugs for Kids

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Teachers have long know that children learn best by repetition of an idea or concept, combined with a visual presentation of it. That's why you see so many posters and charts in classrooms. But there's no need to neglect the floor as a potential canvas to reinforce learning. With the wide variety of educational rugs available today, the options are almost limitless. But why stop at only using educational rugs at school? There's no reason learning can't be reinforced at home as well. In fact, some people think it might even be more impactful and long-lasting.

Rugs Direct has close to 100 different styles of rugs that are ideal for a child's bedroom, playroom of the family den. They not only provide a great deal of color and style to the room, but also will help your child master important educational concepts.

For example:

This rug, from the Funtime Collection by Kids Play, is call "Multiplication." It's a colorful chart that can be used to help your child master his or her multiplication tables, and also to understand how division works. It comes in two sizes: 5'3" x 7' 6" and 8' x 11', so it is certainly large enough for the child to lie down on top of it and interact with the various numbers and squares. It's 100% nylon for durability.

Here's another great example:

This rug is called Phonics Fun and comes from the Educational Collection of Joy Carpets. It's a great way to introduce a child to the alphabet, the sounds of letters and words beginning with those letters, and numbers from 0 to 9. It comes in three sizes: 3' 10" x 5' 4", 5'4" x 7'8" and 7'8" x 10'9". It is treated with Stainmaster and FX Carpet Shield, which means most all food and beverage stains don't have a chance of ruining it.

How about a rug to teach world geography?

Again from the Kids Play Funtime Collection, this rug, called The World Around Us, shows a representation of the world with all the continents and oceans highlight in different colors. It shows the equator and lines of latitude and longitude as well. Two sizes, both in 100% nylon, are available and it comes with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer.

There are also rugs that show the states of the United States, dinosaurs, clocks and musical scales. Just about any early-learning concept can be enhanced with an educational rug from Rugs Direct. Take a look for yourself and see to which concepts you would like to expose your child. Who knows, you might just learn something - and have a big of fun - yourself!

Click here to visit Rugs Direct, the nation's leading source for area rugs.

Rug Buyers Love Videos

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Buying a highly "visual" product like an area rug can be difficult over the Internet. The many colors and color variations in a rug can be hard to represent in a photograph, especially at the image resolutions normally used on websites. On top of that, much of the appeal of a rug has to do with the touch and feel of the fibers - something that is simply impossible to convey on a computer screen - yet!

So to better give customers a sense of the variety availabe in many area-rug collections, and to help them visualize the rug in an actual living space, Rugs Direct recently introduced high-definition video presentations of selected rugs on its website. These have proven to be a tremendously popular success!

The first video presentation was for one of the most popular collections of all time from Sphinx. Called "Generations" this collection features some 26 different styles in a wide range of patterns and colors. Prices start at around $49 for a small throw rug and go up to $849 for a large room-size rug. Homeowners love this collection, but its range of options can be overwhelming. Now, in one 90-second video, shoppers can view and visually compare most of the different styles Generations has to offer. They can not only see the individual rugs, but also get a better idea of the rug's applications by viewing a number of room scenes. It is proving to help people imagine the rug in their own living or dining room, thereby bridging the gap between an online image and the real thing.

Following the success of the Sphinx video, Rugs Direct quickly produced similar presentations for a number of other popular collections. Now available are videos for:

• Surya Aros
• Surya Caesar
• Surya Cosmopolitan
• Kaleen Home & Porch
• Jaipur Blue
• Jaipur J2
• Jaipur Poeme
• Momeni New Wave

The videos are hosted on YouTube and are a part of the new Rugs Direct Channel that can be found there. Plans are to greatly expanded the library of videos over the next few months, so that customers can better envision the huge range of decorating options available to them when using area rugs.

On the main Rugs Direct website there is now a page that features all of the rugs for which videos are presently available. It can be reached by clicking here.

Beginner's Guide to Decorating with Area Rugs

 

Back to Basics: A Beginner's Guide to Decorating with Area Rugs

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There is no easier way to re-decorate any room in your home than by placing (or replacing) the area rug on the floor. It's a quick, simple and relatively inexpensive way to make a desired change. Certainly much easier than painting, wallpapering or hanging new window treatments - and incredibly less expensive than buying new furniture, light fixtures or artwork.

If you're lucky enough to have wood floors in the room you want to energize, all the better. Area rugs and wood floors were made for each other. But even if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, a new area rug can overcome a lot of deficiencies in the way the carpet affects the ambiance of the room.

Don't limit yourself to placing one large area rug in the center of the room. While this is a great way to warm up a large area, it can also make the room seem somewhat ordinary. Instead, consider creating focal points - places within the room that draw attention. A rug with some boldly contrasting colors to the room's main scheme can work wonders. Smaller rugs placed strategically near or underneath furniture can break the room's space into more inviting units. And remember - as easy as it is to pull up and replace area rugs - consider seasonal changes to the room to make it unique and inviting all year round.

OK. You've decided you want to decorate with area rugs. Of course your best source for ideas is going to be a website like Rugs Direct. But what should you consider as you start shopping?

First, determine the main purpose of the rug. Are you going to take our recommendation and use it to define a focal point in the room? Does the room need to be brightened? Softened? Warmed up? Or is the main goal to protect your valuable hardwood floors?

Is one rug going to do what you want to do, or should you consider several smaller ones? If there a place for a long runner? How would a round or octagonal rug look in this room?

Is this room particularly noisy? Are you hoping the rug will cut down on the sound of footsteps or other annoying echos in the room?

How much sunlight does the room get? You need to consider the material - or fibers - used to create the rug. Although wool is by far the most popular fabric for area rugs, a synthetic such as polypropylene (olifin) or acrylic can be more durable, more resistant to stains and easier to clean.

How much traffic does the room get? Again, wool is popular because it is durable and soft. But it is not a good idea to get it wet. There are many other more suitable fabrics for that situation, so you need to consider whether muddy, wet feet are going to come into contact with your rug.

Lastly, don't cheap-out and think you can get away with not putting a rug pad underneath your rug. This is critical on hardwood floors, but important for rug-on-carpet applications as well. Apart from the safety issue of not wanting your rug to slide underfoot, a pad will make the rug lie flat, extend its life tremendously and make it much easier to regularly vacuum.

Most importantly, with all the thousands and thousands of rug styles, colors, shapes and materials available, don't get overwhelmed! Decorating with an area rug can - and should - be fun. Look at photos in magazines and imagine what would translate well to your space. Then visit an online store with enhanced search capabilities to help you quickly narrow down the possibilities to the ones that appeal to you. Again, we recommend the Rugs Directory at Rugs Direct.

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 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 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.

All About Sisal Rugs

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First of all, how do you pronounce "sisal?"

The preferred pronunciation is with a long "i" - sayh - sul (or seye - sul). However, the pronunciation with a short "i" is often heard and is generally accepted - sih - sul. Either way you say it, it has become one of the most popular natural fabrics for a variety of area rugs and other applications. Here, then, is (almost) everything you need to know about sisal and sisal rugs.

Sisal fibers are made from a plant called Agave sisalana that is native to Central and South America. It got its name from the port of Sisal in Yucatan. This was the primary shipping site from which the world received its sisal in the 19th century, but ironically, no sisal was actually grown in the Yucatan area.

Today sisal is grown from Florida to Brazil and certain African countries, most notably Tanzania and Kenya, have thriving sisal plantation. The only agriculturally grown fiber that is produced in a greater quantity is cotton.

It's hard to find a product category today that doesn't make use of sisal's coarse fibers, which are both flexible and strong. Most people are familiar with twine and rope make of sisal, but you can also find sisal in furniture, wall tiles, specialty papers, spa products, slippers, and even automotive parts. There's a good chance your cat is digging her claws into a sisal scratching post.

One of the reasons sisal is considered so eco-friendly is that one plant has a 7-10 year life span and produces up to 250 usable leaves. Each leaf contains an average of 1000 fibers. It is certainly one of the most prolific and highly renewable sources of raw materials on the planet. As an added benefit, no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in sisal production and what little weeding that is necessary is typically done by hand - thus, no herbicides either.

When it comes to rugs, sisal is an ideal fabric because it can be used both indoors and out, has a wonderful "natural beauty" and, as mentioned previously, is completely eco-friendly.  However, a sisal rug does require care and a bit of preventative maintenance. Although sisal can be considered moisture resistant, it is certainly not waterproof. Don't place it in an area in which it will get drenched or worse, actually soak in standing water. You'll find yourself battling mold and mildew in no time. High humidity can also affect a sisal rug, since it has a tendency to expand under this condition. When the humidity returns to a lower state, the rug's fibers might actually become loose. This is not good. So even though most people consider sisal to be an indoor/outdoor fabric, make sure you're not placing you rug in harm's way by letting it repeatedly get soaked.

The good news is that sisal does not build up static electricity nor does it trap dirt. Therefore, about the only care a sisal rug needs is to be vacuumed regularly. This actually strengthens the rug and keeps the fibers in like-new condition. However, don't use the vacuum's beater brush on your sisal rug. Simply attach the bare-floor tool and run is lightly over the rug, being sure to go both directions - top to bottom and left to right. With proper care, a sisal rug will give you many, many years of use.

Cleaning of liquid spills or excessive dirt can be a bit tricky with a sisal rug. They key is to react quickly before the liquid can soak into the fibers. Blot with a dry cloth. Do not rub, which will only press the liquid deeper into the rug. If the spill is something that has the potential to stain - for example juice or ketchup - you can use a mild soap-and-water solution or a half-vinegar half-water solution to try and minimize the discoloration. Again, blot, don't rub. And be sure to blot the rug dry after you have finished. Don't forget to turn the rug over and check the bottom to make sure the spill didn't soak through. If it did, clean the bottom in the same manner that you did the top surface.

Dryer materials like mud can usually be scraped off the rug with a blunt edge. Use wood rather than metal so you don't run the risk of cutting into the rug. Vacuum the flakes off the rug and, only if necessary, apply any sort of cleaning solution. Alternately, you might try one of the special dry cleaning powders that are made specifically to clean area rugs. Products such as Capture Rug Cleaner are excellent for use on any type of rug that you want to keep dry, such as sisal.

If your sisal rug becomes soiled to the point when spot-cleaning and/or vacuuming no longer do the trick, take it to a professional dry cleaner. Horror stories abound of people who have tried doing this themselves - or have rented a commercial system thinking they will save some money - only to completely destroy their beautiful sisal rug. Please don't become one of them!

Rugs Direct has more than 80 sisal area rugs for sale at its online showroom. Click here if you would like to explore the natural beauty one of these durable rugs can add to your home.

Eco-Friendly Area Rugs

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What is an Eco-Friendly area rug?

Area rugs are made from a variety of fibers that are considered to be naturally eco-friendly, which is short for "ecologically friendly." There are three primary criteria to consider when evaluating how environmentally neutral a textile product is:

1. First and most important is the renewability of the product. A renewable resource can be replenished in a relatively short period of time as opposed to centuries or millennia, such as oil or natural gas.
2. Second is the overall ecological footprint of the resource. It's important to consider the amount of land and water necessary to develop the renewable resource - most likely a plant or animal - to full growth.
3. Third is the amount of chemicals or other potentially damaging products necessary to grow or process the material in making it ready for sale.

Another important consideration in determining the extent to which an area rug is eco-friendly is how easy it is to recycle the discarded product and whether or not its fiber content is biodegradable.

Wool is not only one of the best materials from which to make beautiful, durable area rugs but it is one of the most eco-friendly fabrics on the planet. Sheep grow wool continuously. It's important to shear them at least once a year; sometimes twice. Not doing so results in the sheep being extremely uncomfortable during the summer months. When done properly, it causes no pain to the sheep and within six weeks enough new coat has grown in to provide the animal with protection from the elements. Most of the less eco-friendly processes for bleaching and dyeing wool are rapidly being replaced with ones that cause no adverse or long-term effects to the environment.

Bamboo is another excellent source of fibers for eco-friendly area rugs. It is a rapidly-growing, highly renewable grass that has natural antibacterial properties. Bamboo has an incredibly small ecological footprint and its fibers are completely biodegradable.

Other plant-based fabrics from which area rugs are made include jute, sisal, seagrass, coir, cotton and mountain grass. They require very little in the way of pesticides or fertilizers to achieve full, healthy growth. In addition, these plant resources can be replenished quickly and are almost completely biodegradeable.

Two major manufacturers of carpet and area rugs have introduced initiatives aimed at turning a variety of products not normally thought of as "green" into eco-friendly choices for customers. Shaw has launched their Green Edge program that focuses on recycling nylon. The Evergreen Nylon Recycling plant in Augusta, Georgia employs patented technology that takes post-consumer rugs and carpet and breaks them down to their original material – the actual building block for nylon 6. Shaw can then use this “new” material to make carpet and fibers – again and again without any performance degradation or color limitations.

Another area-rug manufacturer, Mowawk, has taken a slightly different approach in creating eco-friendly products. Through their Greenworks program, Mohawk operates the world’s largest integrated plastic bottle recycling facility located in Summerville, Georgia. The U.S. recycles 30 percent of its plastic bottles, and Mohawk purchases 25 percent of these, totaling 215 million pounds each year. And just what do they do with all these plastic bottles?

Mohawk recycles them to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) carpet and rug fiber. A state-of-the-art process sorts the plastic bottles, chops up the plastic into little chips, vigorously cleans the chips and then melts them into polyester resin. The fiber is cut and shipped to Mohawk manufacturing facilities to make products consisting of 100 percent post-consumer content. But it doesn’t end there. Each part of the plastic bottle is reused. The caps and labels are transformed into other useful products such as plastic carpet cores.

Rugs Direct currently offers more than 4500 area rugs that we have classified as eco-friendly. If you are interested in shopping for one of these renewable or recyclable rugs, please click here.