Don't be floored!

Decorating Diva says "Don't be floored"...

An element often overlooked in your interior is your floors. When you buy your home often you slave over decisions such as the color of the tile, carpet, or wood that is going to greet your feet everyday. It is one of the most difficult decisions to make because of the cost of replacement if you get it wrong. Never fear. Rugs are here.

It may seem blasphemy to place a rug on a brand new hand scraped hard wood floor or even on the finest of Berber carpet. Do not be perplexed, it is a perfectly sane thing to do. Carpet on carpet??? Absolutely!

Won't a rug hide the natural beauty of my new hardwoods? Absolutely not! Given the right color, weave, style and pattern a rug is sure to enhance any interior. Not only by adding interest and color, but by defining your space as well. Without a rug to anchor your furniture it simply "floats" in the room.

When selecting the perfect rug make sure to do your homework. Know that an heirloom quality rug that will last for 100+ years may cost you in the tens of thousands of dollars. But then I guess that is the point. I often tell my clients when designing their homes to allow $3000.00 to $7,000.00 for an 8x10 or 9x12. There have been times when a rug will cost more than a clients' entire dining suite. This was of course a hand made rug of silk. So a rug is just as much an investment as a piece of furniture and many times as regarded as a loved piece of art.

Beware of retail rugs from the larger stores. Often a designer can take you directly to the import source for a rug for a severe discount. By the time a rug reaches a large furniture store is has been marked up many times, after all every hand that touches it requires a profit. Scour the internet for price comparisons before you attempt to buy retail, and if you must, ask them for discounts. Never be afraid to haggle for rugs or furniture in the larger stores. The price can always come down, after all getting that rug or furniture out the door is the goal and you may get 0 interest financing, 10% off or if they can't come off the price ask for some accessories or bedding to make up for the discount. You will never know unless you ask, and most of the time the sales person will ask a superior to help them make the deal happen.

Lauren writes...

Decorating Diva - Could you talk about how floor color can affect the look of a room? Specifically, if you choose the popular darker wood floors and you don’t have the tall ceilings, how do you keep it from making the room feel small?


Lauren,

Thanks for your question. My advice to you is to add more lighting to your room and guess what else? A rug. Having dark wood floors lends itself to a more cozy feeling in a room. You may also choose to add draperies in a fabric that has more sheen like diupioni silk or a taffeta to reflect light more and "lighten" the feeling of the room. Take your drapes from floor to ceiling and add upholstered cornice to add more weight to the top of the room. You may even think about a medallion on your ceiling if you feel that the room remains bottom heavy.
Happy shopping and keep your questions coming!