Is your family room the kind of space where children – and even adults – spend as much time on the floor as on the furniture? If so, how about choosing an area rug that is as much for comfort as style?

Whether you have wood, tile or carpeting, an area rug can warm up a floor and make perching there to watch TV or play a game extra cozy and appealing. Whether your home features a modern or traditional style, you can make your floor a comfy place.

Start with a good rug pad. This is particularly important on tile and wood. Pads are made to go over specific kinds of flooring, so make sure you select the right one. Choose the thickest and best quality pad you can afford. A good pad will make any rug feel softer and better.

When you rug shop, make sure you take the time to touch the rug and run your hand over it. That’s a good basic test of comfort. Watch out for wool rugs if any members of your family have a wool allergy. Even the softest rug can seem scratchy if you’re allergic to it.

Place the rug on the floor and push down. Does it have any thickness and give? The long yarn in this rug helps to make it a great place to stretch out and watch the game, but even rugs with shorter naps can still feel good depending upon the construction.

Once you’ve brought your rug home, add a few large floor pillows for additional comfort. With these few additions, you can create a floor your family can’t resist!

One of the most important decisions you’ll face when decorating your little one’s nursery is what to type of flooring to install. With toxins and airborne pathogens emitted from some materials, you’ll want to take special care in your selection. Appropriate flooring options are available and can be easily located with a little research. However, there are many things to consider and harmful things to steer clear of in the nursery.

Wood and Laminate

• Toxic sealants—use a water-based sealant or natural wax.
• Chemical emitting stains—buy nontoxic pre-stained wood from the factory.
• Toxic emitting glues—install floating interlocking flooring instead of gluing down.
• Use of formaldehyde in manufacturing process—buy organic laminates.
• Slick high-gloss surface—choose a matte or low gloss finish to reduce chance of slips and falls.

Cork and Bamboo

• PVC or vinyl backing—opt for a natural jute backing available on tiles and sheets.
• Use of formaldehyde in manufacturing process—confirm none has been used.

Natural Linoleum

• Odor of linseed oil—can be uncomfortable for baby’s sensitive nose and respiratory system.
• Toxic emissions—choose from other flooring above if fear even low toxic emissions.

Vinyl

• Not recommended for nurseries due to high emissions of toxic chemicals.

Carpet and Area Rugs

• Synthetic materials—choose organically grown materials such as wool, cotton, jute or sisal.
• Toxic synthetic dyes—opt for all natural vegetable dyes.
• Adhesives—pick natural backings from rubber or jute.
• Treatments and stain protectors—choose alternative natural carpeting.
• Synthetic foams, synthetic rubber, latex and plastic—buy felt pads in untreated wool.
• Dust Mites—find products which do not harbor them.
• Glues—nail down carpeting or use water-based adhesives.

Being aware of these dangers gives you a good foundation for choosing the safest flooring for your baby’s health and well being.

Steps to Selecting the Right Area Rug

Part Two: Shopping for the Right Rug

Before you head out to shop for your rug, make sure you have done your homework. This includes calculating the size or size range and collecting samples of every color you may want the rug to contain (for help on this, see Steps to Selecting the Right Area Rug Part One).

Once you arrive, the number of rug choices may seem overwhelming. This is where you can rely on us. We can help assess the items you already have in your home and help determine which style will get you the look you are trying to achieve.  If needed, ask to have the rug swatch placed near a window so you can see the colors in natural light.

We are familiar with our rug suppliers and can help direct you to the best supplier for your needs. We  can help advise you on rugs that will last for generations and generations  or rug that can be purchased inexpensively to get the job done. Whether you want patterned, solid, striped, whimsical, natural fiber, cotton, nylon or wool. We can help you select an area rug to compliment any rug in your room.

Read on for things to know before you start shopping!

The right area rug can define a space within a larger room, bring furniture together to a cohesive whole, add warmth and color and soften a space. Before you begin shopping, ask yourself these questions:

What size?

• For a dining room, a rug should run at least two feet beyond the table edge anywhere you have a chair – providing space for people to push their chairs back and not drop off.

• To keep rooms looking their biggest and best, the dimensions of the rug should be two to three feet less than the size of the room, providing a good balance between the room and the rug.

• For a rug under living-room furniture, the best size is one that captures at least the sofa and coffee table, and preferably any related chairs or side tables. That way, the rug becomes a frame for the furniture.

Most important: Take the time to measure your space. Do not assume that you can “eyeball” the size. Rugs often look different within a large showroom than they will once you get them home.

What style?

Take a good look at the space the rug will fill. Are there a lot of patterns? Keep the rug simple. Is it a bit bland or beige? Let the rug introduce color and pattern. Do you want the rug to stand out in the room? Choose a tone that contrasts with the floor material. A color or tone that is similar to the floor will keep the rug in the background. Think of a rug as the art on a previously blank wall. Select something that you love, but that will also complement what is already there.

What type?

Will there be a lot of traffic on the rug? Select a durable material such as wool or nylon. In a dining room, a darker color or a pattern will reduce the evidence of dining mishaps. In a high traffic area or one with small children, consider an indoor-outdoor rug, even indoors, giving you the option of bringing it outside and hosing it off to clean.

When you shop…

Bring a couple of digital photos of the space to remind you of the look of your room. Also bring whatever you have to remind you of specific colors in the room – a throw pillow, and fabric or paint samples.

Take these simple steps before you shop to help ensure that your rug purchase will be a success!

Looking for a way to take your child’s room to the next level with a little extra style and design? We’ve got just the thing! Disney and Shaw Floors have teamed up together with a collection of Disney inspired carpets and area rugs.

Collections include:

* Winnie the Pooh

* Disney Fairies

* Cars

* Disney Princesses

* Toy Story

* Hannah Montana

The collections include wall to wall patterns and area rugs that show off each theme. If you are concerned about how the wall to wall carpet will flow into other areas of the house, no worries! There are complimentary patterns for the whole house or adjoining hallways or rooms. There are even wonderful shags in each collection that can be used in the same room or other rooms.

Think of the possibilities of creating a design inspired room for your child or children! We can help you decide if a patterned wall to wall carpet is right for you or if your child’s room calls for a Disney area rug. Let’s explore the options together!

Admit it, if the topic is floor coverings, area rugs are not the first area that comes to mind. Carpet, tile and stone rule. So do vinyl, hardwood and laminate. But today, here and now, we ask that you think accessory, think complementary, and check out the admirable advantages of area rugs.

Area rugs are like magic carpets. They can transport and transform, “move” rooms (and their mood) from ordinary to extraordinary, change a room’s personality and character. They can do this through their color, shape, texture, size and the ingenuity of the magic carpet genie – you.

Area rugs are incredible design tools. They can define a space (where children play), act as a finishing touch, establish a color scheme, underlie a key piece of furniture, soften a hard surface, welcome guests to your home.

Area rugs improve your life. They can warm bare feet on cold surfaces, prevent wear in heavy traffic areas, protect children/elderly against injury from falls and absorb sound to reduce noise. Area rugs can also cover flaws in flooring and hide not so perfect carpeting. (Voila! Problem solved.)

Area rugs are the masters of change. They’re the only floor covering you can pick up and move, easily replace – change with the changing seasons.

Area rugs cover the cost spectrum. They can be inexpensive and machine made (cotton and synthetic) to very expensive, handmade ancient weaves.