Rugs have always been both decorative and functional, providing insulation and comfort. Though tiled floors are trending right now, carpets still add a necessary layer of coziness. Using a rug over cold, hard materials reduces heating costs.
The quality of a rug comes down to construction and materials. The best rug construction is hand-knotted, followed by hand-tufted, and then hand-loomed. Machine-made rugs are the least expensive.
Rugs can be made of genuine silk, wool, sisal, hide, viscose, bamboo silk, or polyester. Silk rugs are valuable and delicate, and best for low-traffic areas. Wool rugs are valuable and very hardy. Sisal or jute, a tough natural grass, is almost indestructible. Hide rugs are durable but can stain easily. Viscose and bamboo silk both feel cheap and stain easily. Polyester is the best option of synthetic materials.
Furniture can feel adrift when placed in large, open-plan rooms. A carpet can both unify and divide an area. For example, it can designate one section of the room as the living room, and divide that area from the dining room. This looks best when all pieces of furniture in the section have all legs on the rug. If that isn’t possible, try to keep the front legs of the furniture on the rug.
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