Designer Rugs

Being a designer myself, when I hear the label "designer" attached to a product I get excited yet suspicious at the same time. When it comes to rugs – what is difference between a designer rug and a contemporary rug or traditional rug? Is a designer rug actually unique and of better quality – or just more expensive because of its label?

Having searched on the net, it seems that designer rugs either have a famous artist or designer’s name attached to them or have some strong bold patterns to justify the word "design". Indeed some of them look like they have been designed, but rather badly – in fact some of them verge on the edge of vulgarity.

Traditional Rugs

Some people call rugs Traditional that are made by hand rather than by machine. These are the Persian and Oriental rugs made mainly in China, India, the Middle East and North Africa. For me a traditional rug refers to its style, as it tends to follow traditional designs and patterns..

Modern Rug

Modern Rugs have come a long way. There was a time when most area rugs were either traditional looking (Persian or oriental) or ethnic (Mexican, Mediterranean etc) – and it was almost impossible to get a contemporary rug for a modern space. Then, the 60′s & 70′s changed everything – we had the shag rug, the oval braided rug and those large prints of flowers, geometrical shapes and animal prints! Rugs went wild!

Discount Area Rug

There are thousands of area rugs to choose from – in fact, there are too many. So which one should you get?

If you’re buying online, you should only go for cheap rugs -  anything that costs several hundred dollars  you really need to see and feel for yourself. I, personally, don’t think it’s worth spending a fortune on rugs – only for a particularly special or formal kind of room.

Area rugs

As I discussed in my previous article, carpet flooring is not the most sensible solution for areas of heavy traffic; where food & drink is consumed; or where children play.

It’s much more sensible to have wooden floors or laminates, and spice these up with an area rug. There are thousand rugs to choose from – some are cheap and cheerful (ideal for kids and teens!), some are durable and affordable ( ideal for living rooms and bedrooms), some are expensive & glamorous ( ideal for formal rooms).  Of course you can also get trendy or timeless rugs, depending on what sort of style you’re after..

How to install a carpet

Installing carpets is a job that generally can be done by a competent DIYer – it doesn’t require specialist carpet layers, only a few good carpet tools..

Underlay or padding is vital for carpets, as it not only provides heat and sound insulation but also protects the carpet from rucking and slipping. If you’re replacing your existing carpets, you could keep the existing padding. Manufacturers want to sell you new padding and will tell you that you should get new ones – don’t believe them, just use your common sense.  If your existing underlay looks worn out then change it – if it looks in pretty good shape, keep it!

Carpet flooring

Buying carpet

When you choose a carpet, practicality must be your main concern. Consider the area in which you want to lay the carpet. Is it used daily? Is it used with your shoes on? Is it used where food & drink is consumed? Is it used by your kids?

Cork flooring

Cork flooring is cool again. Cork flooring is a natural product and it’s environmentally friendly because it’s harvested from the renewable bark of the cork tree without cutting the trees down. Thus, not only is it ecologically sound, but also it’s practical and it’s affordable..

Its practical properties include being durable, anti-static, sound absorbent, slip resistant, shock absorbent, scratch and stain resistant. It is also naturally hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial so it is resistant to moulds and mildews. It also feels warm underfoot and is a good heat insulator.

Vinyl floor

You can buy either vinyl floor tiles or vinyl floor sheets. They come in hundreds of different patterns, styles and colors. As with everything in life, you get what you pay for. Avoid the really cheap and thin vinyl floor covering – these get torn easily and they DO look cheap. Generally speaking, the thicker the vinyl sheet or tile the more durable it is. Also, make sure it has a poly-urethane coating to resist scratch marks, stains and dirt..

Laminate Wood Floors

Laminated floor is the cheapest solution if you want a wooden floor look. Laminates look OK in magazines and brochures – but in reality they look cheap and artificial. They just don’t have the woody feel (or even look!) to them. I generally advise people against using laminates. You should only use them if you want a quick and/or short-term make-over of an unacceptable space or you want to sell your home and need to stage it… otherwise spend a bit more on a proper wooden floor..