Rug Buying Tips
If you're like many, you've been looking for the perfect area rug. You've flipped through the selection at the home centers and maybe a few flooring stores, but you've been largely unimpressed with the selection and you just haven't found the perfect rug. When you find the perfect rug, you know it. Why? Because of the way it looks. It might be a pattern, it might be a color, it might be a particular weave. The point is, it's the rug's visual appeal that first strikes us, then we give it a feel and start dissecting its construction.
The reason you typically won't see a large selection of area rugs is because... they can be expensive. Having a large inventory of rugs that don't sell can be crippling to any business, so typically a major investment isn't made. Also, area rugs are very personal and subjective, much like art. It's hard for buyers to know what is going to appeal to someone, especially considering most consumers are looking to make a unique, personal statement. As such, unless you go to a specialty rug retailer (which are few, far between and very expensive), you're just not going to see all there is to see. That's why pruchasing an area rug online, even though you can't physically touch it, makes more sense than buying in any store.
If you see a rug you like but are unsure of how it might feel underfoot, take a look at the different types of materials used to make rugs and the different techniques used. Consider the application of the rug. For example, will the rug be going into a high traffic area? Is this for laying on the floor or a piece of art for a roped-off formal living room? Only you know the activity the rug will see, and you can apply that knowledge to what you learn here.
Area rugs can cost anywhere from $10.00 to $100,000.00. Some are made to throw in front of the kitchen sink, while others are made by skilled artisans, some rugs taking years to make. The one constant you'll see is that handmade rugs are always more expensive than machine made rugs.
How can I tell how a rug will feel?
Area rugs can cost anywhere from $10.00 to $100,000.00. Some are made to throw in front of the kitchen sink, while others are made by skilled artisans, some rugs taking years to make. The one constant you'll see is that handmade rugs are always more expensive than machine made rugs.
The two greatest factors that go into determining rug cost (like anything) are "cost of materials" and "time to manufacture". A rug might cost $10,000.00, but it might have taken months to create and is truly one-of-a-kind. It could more be compared to art than flooring. And like art, a handmade rug can actually increase in value, further differentiating it from the mass produced machine made rugs.
