The Early Show

Stylish Choices Underfoot

January 12, 2007 / 8:58 AM EST / CBS

Wall-to-wall carpet is one way to cover a wood floor, but if you want something with a little more style, you need rugs.

They're not only functional, they can add style to any room.

On The Early Show Friday, design expert Susanna Salk had tips on buying the right one for your home or apartment.

She offered the advice in a Manhattan Pottery Barn.

STYLE FROM THE GROUND UP

The color, size and texture of the rug you choose can tie a room together or define a space. Coordinate with furniture and window coverings to create a room that makes you feel at home every time you walk in the door.

Casual or elegant, large or small, area rugs are a perfect — and portable — design solution. Group armchairs and a sofa on an area rug for intimate conversations, or place your furniture partly off the rug as a graceful transition from one part of the room to another. You can also change rugs to suit the season.

Natural, light-colored fibers, such as sisal and seagrass, complement warm weather and casual settings; for colder months, or more formal rooms, richly-colored wool and chenille add sumptuous warmth.

Before you choose a rug, take the time to consider your options.

Salk provided plenty of useful information to help you select flooring that fits your style and your home.

COLOR AND USES

A rug anchors a room, and depending on its color and texture, it can make a bold statement or blend quietly. As the foundation on which your decor is based, the color and style of your rug should echo the mood and furnishings of your room.

Consider these factors when choosing a rug:

COLORS

Dark, rich colors create a cozy feeling and help define a more intimate space.

Lighter colors open up small spaces and, when coordinated with the wall colors, make a room appear larger.

Rugs with yellow, orange or red add warmth to rooms with indirect light, while cool blues and greens help create a calm atmosphere in sunny rooms.

USES

High-traffic areas, such as family rooms and hallways, call for easy-care, durable or reversible rugs.

Homes with small children require easy-care rugs with a softer surface.

Households with a cat that scratches or a dog that likes to chew should avoid rugs with a looped pile.

MATERIALS

Not all rugs are created equal. You should consider the material, not just for texture or stylistic reasons, but also depending on how/where you use the rug. Some rugs just wear better, even in high-traffic areas, and some don't.

CHENILLE: Soft underfoot with a lustrous sheen, chenille is recommended for low-traffic areas such as the bedroom.

COTTON: With its smooth surface and a soft finish, cotton is common in rag rugs and durries. Durable, easy-to-clean, and affordable, it's a good choice for children's play areas and bedrooms.

WOOL: Soft and durable, wool is warm in winter and cool in summer. Its yarns can be tufted, looped, sheared, or woven into a flat weave. Wool cleans well, making it ideal for most rooms, including dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms.

SISAL: A natural fiber derived from the agave cactus plant, sisal has a slightly coarse texture. Best-suited for high-traffic areas such as an entry way or hallway.

JUTE: A natural fiber from the fast-growing plant of the same name, jute is softer than sisal and has a smooth, flat texture. Works well in the family room, bedroom, or den.

SEAGRASS: A natural grass that arrived with a slight green cast and wears to a warm brown with age, seagrass is surprisingly smooth underfoot. It's a good option for the bedroom, family room, or den.

CONSTRUCTION

The way a rug is made is just as important as the type of material it's made from. There are many types available, but here are some of our favorites:

FLATWEAVE: Created on a loom, a flat-weave rug has no pile, making it thin enough to fit under swinging doors.

The most common flatweave rugs are kilims and durries:

Kilims are handmade, reversible rugs woven on an intricate loom that allows for "slit weaving," a technique in which a break in the weave accommodates color changes.

Durries are rugs with many of the same characteristics as kilims, but are woven with thicker yarns and without slit breaks.

LOOPED: A thick, cushiony pile created by heavy yarn or strips of fabric passed through the backing from back to front, then front to back, resulting in a loop.

TUFTED: An exceptionally soft floor covering made of yarns that are drawn through a heavy backing. Tufted rugs are made with the same technique as looped rugs, except they are sheared at the top to create individual strands for a dense pile.

CHOOSING A RUG

The pattern of your rug is a key consideration. Remember these guidelines when making a selection:

Patterned rugs work well with simpler furnishings; solid-colored rugs complement more elaborate furnishings.

Geometric patterns can bring a modern flair to a traditional room; floral patterns can soften lines and lend grace to simple furnishings.

The scale of the pattern on your rug should balance with other patterns used throughout the room.

Rugs can also be used to define spaces. For example, placing a rug beneath a table and chairs is ideal for creating a smaller space within a larger area. Rugs can also unify the décor within a spacious room, providing transition to a surrounding area.

Once you have something in mind, you're ready to measure.

MEASURING

Follow a few simple steps when adding a rug to your living area:

First, measure your space with a steel measuring tape. Don't rely on visual sizing; a 5-by-8-foot rug may seem large when hanging on display in a store, but it is too small to accommodate most sofas.

Make sure to consider the locations of vents and doors, since they may affect the placement of the rug.

Brian Dakss

Brian Dakss is a longtime New York-based editor and writer for CBS News, at the Radio network and with CBSNews.com. He has written and edited for NBC News, Dow Jones and numerous radio stations and been a radio anchor and reporter.

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