Get Rugs that Put the Fun in Functional

Rugs can serve several functional purposes, with the most obvious one being a floor covering. Rugs also provide warmth on a bare floor and help to reduce noise in a room with too many flat surfaces. Rugs can add beauty and charm to a room and they can give your room a cosmopolitan feel or more of a country feel. That's great, but our focus today is on fun!

There are plenty of rugs that put the fun in functional, from fluffy Flokati rugs to retro shags. Flokati rugs, shag rugs, and sheepskin rugs offer 3-dimensional lushness that is simply irresistible. They're at home in the office, den, or even a child's room and come in every color imaginable.

Selecting Rugs to Fit a Theme

In the world of interior decorating, few design elements are as versatile as the rug. Rugs are at home everywhere - from humble, country kitchens to grand, neo-classical entryways. Rugs bring warmth, comfort, and color to bare floors and add new life to lackluster rooms and hallways. Whether you're decorating a brand new home, or remodeling your lived-in bungalow, rugs are an easy, affordable way to add charm, character, and style to any room.

When some people think about decorating, they imagine hordes of furniture, gallons of paint, and an endless array of curtain swatches and wallpaper samples. Furniture and color schemes certainly play an important role in creating a total look, but they're not the only element of interior design.

Some home decorators overlook rugs and don't yet realize that rugs are a highly fashionable and flexible decorative element. Using a rug that complements the other elements of your room can really transform your living space. It's also a lot more fun than lugging around cans of paint when you're looking for a quick way to change the flavor of a room!

Decorate Home with Rugs in Solid Colors or Unique Shapes

Now, more than ever, rugs come in a surprisingly wide range of designs and color combinations, as well as shapes. This can make finding the right rug an exciting quest. So, let's have some fun by looking at rugs in solid colors or distinctive shapes that often get overlooked by decorators and rug shoppers.

Rugs with a solid color or a unique shape are ideal for many situations. If you have a room with busy patterns in either the furniture or the wallpaper, you'll be better off to go with a solid color rug in a complementary shade. Depending on the elements of the room, a rug with a subtle color gradient (shifting from one color tone to another) might also work well.

You might be tempted to use a rug with a country look, such as a rooster or a strawberry vine, in the kitchen. Sure, it has a familiar feel and it's functional, but is that really the best type of rug to use if you have brushed steel appliances? Color is your best friend when it comes to decorating with rugs!

Best Placement for Rugs Under Furniture

Small rugs and accent rugs can usually be placed wherever they look good or fulfill a specific purpose, but larger rugs look best when basic guidelines for placement are followed. Since a larger rug often serves as an anchor for a furniture grouping or the main floor covering in a room, proper placement is essential for several reasons, including a balanced look.

A typical setting for a large rug is under a coffee table and/or in front of a sofa. The coffee table is usually centered between the long ends of the rug. The rug can be along the front edge of the sofa or it can be placed under the sofa's front legs, 2 to 3 inches behind the front legs. The back legs of a sofa usually do not get placed on the rug unless the rug is a very large rug.

When using a large rug that covers most of a room, it's best to use a rug size that allows at least 8 inches of a hardwood or tile floor to be exposed around the rug. Center the rug in the room as much as possible, with an equal distance from the wall to each side and an equal distance from the wall to each end. This equal spacing guideline still applies if there is a feature (such as a closet or fireplace) that sticks out in part of the room.

Review: Home Dynamix Royalty Collection 8083 Red Rug

Description: The beautiful traditionally styled Royalty Collection is the perfect choice for that classic look. Soft and plush 100% heatset polypropylene yarns give these rugs a warm feel. Easy to care for and durable…makes this collection a true value.

Review: Orient Collection Traditional Heritage Ivory Rug

Description: The traditional collection consists of unique hand picked designs sure to bring beauty and awe into your home. From vibrant reds and blues to soft ivories and greens, this collection has something for everyone.

Review: The Rug Market Cotton Jersey Shag Collection Cotton Jersey Rainbow Rug

Description: Our thick and plush Cotton Jersey shags are all the rage these days! The funky look and versatile nature of their unique supple texture has even attracted the professional decorators on ABC?s hit weekly program, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The televis