Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Design Tip Tuesday - Dining Room Area Rugs


Dining areas are making a comeback. For a while there, many of us had converted that area of the house to an office or a space that was more utilized by the family. Nowadays there is a trend to convert back as we are dining in and entertaining more than ever.
When creating these spaces, it's important to incorporate an area rug. They are an investment, and add so much to the overall effect and feel of the room. A few things to keep in mind when selecting one for a dining space.
The most important thing is to ensure that the table and chairs (when pulled out) remain on the area rug. If the chairs fall off the area rug when pulled out, it will cause difficulty for guests to tuck their chair in and the edges will tatter quickly.
Leave a border of at least 8 - 12" all around to showcase your hardwood floors. This creates a nice visual detail to the room and allows the rug to anchor the room.
Purchase an area rug to fit your dining area for everyday use. If you have leaves and they are used twice a year for family gatherings only, don't purchase a rug to accommodate this size as it will look odd the other 363 days of the year.
When purchasing an area rug, double check the sizing ... what is often referred to as an 8 x 10" rug is quite often a 7' 9" x 9' 9" rug - those few inches can make a huge difference!
Also keep pattern in mind. Large bold patterns create a more modern look, white smaller, busier patterns create a more traditional look. A lot of pattern can also cause a room to feel smaller.
With these few tips, you're ready to start shopping for that dining room rug!
Happy decorating!
Lenore

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