| Redecorating a room? Start from the floor and work | | | | point of your room or a subtle background accent. |
| your way up, say design specialists. The comfort, | | | | Patterned rugs with bold colors will call attention to |
| warmth and wide variety of styles and design choices | | | | themselves, while rugs with subtle blends of color can |
| make it easy to find rugs that fit any style of decor | | | | tie an entire room together with color - without being |
| and accent any room. According to carpet designer | | | | obvious about it. |
| Christine Van Der Hurd, quoted in House Beautiful | | | | 6. If you're looking for rugs that will coordinate with |
| magazine's September 2005 issue, rugs let you | | | | fabrics and wall colors already in place, consider |
| introduce color and texture into a room from the | | | | custom design. It's not much more expensive than a |
| ground up. Van Der Hurd offers the following ten tips | | | | good quality off the rack rug, and you'll be assured of |
| for choosing color and pattern to suit your design and | | | | a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art on your floor. |
| lifestyle needs. | | | | 7. Choosing rugs for kids' rooms can be one of the |
| 1. Think of the floor as the background canvas for | | | | more fun and challenging parts of a redecorating |
| your room. If possible, choose your rug before | | | | project. Let your imagination run wild. Don't be afraid of |
| choosing upholstery, paint and wallpaper patterns. The | | | | color - children love it. Remember that kids spend |
| colors in your carpet can be a source of inspiration for | | | | nearly as much time on the floor as they do on the |
| the rest of your room. | | | | furniture. Choose rugs that are soft and comfortable - |
| 2. Keep the function of the room in mind. If the room | | | | and pick a pattern that inspires the imagination. |
| you're decorating will see a lot of use, choosing a rug | | | | 8. Like texture but don't care for pattern? Rugs that |
| with a pattern will help camouflage daily wear and tear. | | | | leave the yarn loops uncut add a wonderful texture to |
| The same holds true if you have small children or pets. | | | | the basic solid color. Other choices include rugs made |
| 3. Decorating an office? You're not stuck with industrial | | | | in natural yarn that takes fabric dyes unevenly to |
| wall-to-wall. Instead, choose rugs that you like to look | | | | create a unique 'un-patterned' pattern. |
| at to help make the workplace more pleasant and | | | | 9. If your room has lots of color and pattern, don't over |
| inviting. | | | | do it with the rugs. Stick with a solid color - but don't be |
| 4. Give a bland hallway a makeover with a rug runner. | | | | afraid to be bold. Choose a color from the upholstery |
| Rugs that are designed as stair runners and hallway | | | | or wall-covering. |
| runners can accent and extend your design choices | | | | 10. Forget everything you've heard and go with your |
| from the rest of the house into what is usually a | | | | gut. Whatever rugs you choose, you'll have to live with, |
| forgotten, utilitarian room. | | | | so pick a rug that you like and are comfortable with. |
| 5. Decide whether you want your rug to be a focal | | | | |