Living Room Rugs and Carpets

Rugs and carpets are some the easiest ways to accessorize and beautify your living room, den, or family room. Area rugs and carpets add warmth, vitality, elegance, drama, style, and character to any room. Rugs can create a focal point, compliment existing room décor, or tie elements of a room together. Living room carpets and rugs also protect hardwood floors, can be changed with the seasons, and they are yours to keep when it's time to move. Area rugs placed overtop of wall-to-wall carpeting not only protect your carpets but make a striking fashion statement of their own.

Living Room Rug Patterns

If your living room décor includes patterned wallpaper, patterned curtains, or patterned furniture fabrics and coverings, choose solid colors for your carpet or rug. Remember that light colored carpets create an appearance of spaciousness, while dark colored carpets and rugs add warmth and are preferable in high-traffic areas. If your existing living room features solid-color furniture, there are myriads of patterned carpets and area rugs for you to choose from, available in a wide array of colors, shapes, and sizes to suit every style and match every budget.

Living Room Carpet Colors

Color is a key element when choosing a living room rug or carpet. To enhance an existing color scheme, choose carpets that repeat the dominant color/s. To add pizzazz and interest to a neutral, softly styled living room, select rugs with dramatic colors and eye-catching patterns. And if you have yet to choose a color scheme for your den or living room, consider decorating the room around the carpet of your dreams.

Coordinating Rugs with Living Room Furniture

If you want your rug to cover most of the living room floor (but not all of it), make sure that the amount of exposed floor around the rug is equal on all sides or at least on two parallel sides.

If your area rug is to be placed under a coffee table or end table, make sure the entire table stands on the rug and that other living room furniture is set back from the rug at an equal distance.

Focal point rugs often feature a central medallion or other central designs, however if your rug will be hidden by your living room sofa or another piece of large furniture, consider a rug with a overall pattern or decorative border design.

You can also use rugs to define and unify a specific area, such a "conversational grouping" comprised of a few armchairs and end table. This area rug should be large enough to fit under at least the front legs of each piece of furniture in the group.

Types of Rugs

As rugs continue to warm feet and bring fashion to floors all over the world, here are some of the many rug styles flooring the rug market today:

•- Oriental rugs

•- Persian rugs

•- Shag rugs

•- Flokati rugs

•- Braided rugs

•- Surfboard rugs

•- Designer rugs

•- Accent rugs

•- Border rugs

•- Hand-Knotted rugs

•- Hand-Tufted rugs

•- Hooked rugs

•- Floral rugs

When it comes to furnishing your living room, don't drag your feet; decorative carpets and rugs sure to stand out wherever you place them!