Is An Area Rug Right For Your Home’s Interior Design?

There are many reasons why homeowners choose to include an area rug in their home decor. Rugs create visual interest beyond solid flooring, adding designs and patterns that can really brighten up a space. They can also be especially helpful in homes where there is no carpeting. After all, stepping out of bed in the morning and onto a soft rug is preferable to a cold floor. For families with young children, area rugs can offer a comforting place for little ones to learn to crawl and walk. Plus, you can even use an area rug to help divide a room into sections. 

An area rug can provide the framework for your home’s design. Because area rugs are so decorative and varied, your rug can serve as a key element in your interior design scheme. After you select your area rug, you can then move on to choosing complementary paint colors, throw pillows, art pieces, and other decorations. 

Including Rugs in the Dining Room and Bathroom

While area rugs can completely transform a room, there is one glaring downside: spills and stains. If you often have guests in your home for dinner, or if you have small children, you might find yourself quickly growing frustrated with the need to constantly clean or touch-up the rug. In rooms with a high likelihood of mess, like the dining room, you could opt to skip the rug altogether in favor of decorative tile or interesting flooring. The downside is that you would miss out on the sense of comfort and warmth that an area rug below the dining room table provides. 

You might feel similarly about the bathroom. If you have non-carpeted flooring, then including a rug or mat in the space can offer warmth and luxury. Of course, you probably wouldn’t select a delicate area rug for the bathroom space. Instead, try out bath mats and rugs that are especially made for restrooms. Bamboo rugs, in particular, make great choices for bathrooms. They provide the same visual interest as other rugs while usually still being slip-resistant and less resistant to water damage. If you’re a renter who has carpet in your bathroom, you might also find that investing in a bamboo rug makes your bathroom feel more put-together and less vulnerable to water mishaps. 

Area Rugs for Living and Bedroom Spaces

When choosing rugs for your living room and bedrooms, you should first consider the size of your rooms and the size of your furniture. It’s always better to get a slightly larger rug than a too-small rug. You want the rug to fit comfortably underneath your furniture pieces, with the rug extending at least a little beyond the furniture. For hallway runners, make sure that the rug properly fits the walkway. 

If you’re layering a rug over carpet, consider your carpet type. Choose soft, luxurious rugs for carpeting with short, tight fibers (low-pile carpets) and flat, less fluffy rugs for plush carpets (high-pile carpets). 

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Area Rugs

Rugs are typically easier to clean and maintain than basic carpet, but they aren’t easier to clean than non-carpeted flooring. It’s important to keep in mind how you will clean and care for your rugs while making your selections. You’ll likely want to use nicer, more expensive rugs in areas of your home that see less spills, dirt, wear, and tear. 

Certain rug materials are easier to maintain than others. High-pile rugs are more easily dirty and worn than low-pile rugs. Both of these rug types have their pros and cons. Your choice will depend on your room and your maintenance goals. 

There are some rug materials that simply can’t be properly cleaned, and will have to be replaced once they become too damaged. Natural fiber rugs can be particularly difficult to maintain, but they are also extremely versatile and tend to be less expensive.

Are You Looking to Upgrade Your Home This Summer?

The summer season is the most popular time of year for buying and selling homes. If you’ve recently bought a home in the DMV area, include plantation shutters in your design plans. 

Plantation shutters, like area rugs, bring warmth to every room. These shutters are stylish and timeless, combining aesthetics with functionality. With plantation shutters, you use the tilt rod to move the louvers (horizontal slats) of the shutter to easily and efficiently control the sunlight that enters your home. Plantation shutters provide the perfect natural lighting for entertaining, relaxing, and night. You don’t have to worry about plantation shutters blocking too much light or not blocking enough light. These shutters truly give you the best of both worlds. 

Are you planning on selling your house, instead? Plantation shutters are one of the few window treatments that actually increase the resale value of your home. Since these shutters are a permanent fixture of the home, they immediately boost your home’s curb appeal and interest for potential buyers. 

Schedule an Appointment for Plantation Shutters with Shenandoah Shutters

Shenandoah Shutters is located in nearby Richmond, Virginia. We’ve been handcrafting authentic, hardwood plantation shutters since 1990. All of our shutters are made from fine American woods and manufactured right in Richmond. You can pair your plantation shutters with your design scheme by selecting from our cream colors, stains, and custom colors. You can also choose from contemporary and traditional options. However, unlike other window treatments, plantation shutters are versatile enough to fit in with future decorating changes. 

Since there are no cords or dangling materials, plantation shutters are safer than blinds for families with young children. They are also easy to clean. Simple tools like a duster, natural furniture polish, and vacuum attachment are all that you need to keep your plantation shutters looking as fresh as the day they were installed. 

Shenandoah Shutters is still open for business during the coronavirus pandemic. We are safely providing all of our usual services. Contact us today to learn more about our plantation shutters and to schedule your free consultation.