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Add Pattern with Rugs January 23, 2012

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Area Rugs, Design and Decorating , add a comment

If you love patterns but are nervous about selecting furniture in anything but solid colors, you have another choice – a patterned rug.

Whether you prefer contemporary or more traditional rugs, a pattern on your floor is less obtrusive than patterned upholstery, but still adds interest.

Whether your primary flooring is wood, tile or carpeting, adding a patterned rug creates a focus area, brings one or more colors to a room, and serves as the foundation for the rest of your décor.

In this room, the light straw color in the rug is echoed but not repeated by the yellow-gold chair and light maple coffee table.

You don’t have to use a rug’s colors exactly. Because the material and texture is different enough, upholstery fabric can connect without a perfect color match. The simple pattern on this rug opens up a selection of options for the rest of the room. The sofa could fall in the mid-to-dark brown range, and accessories could come in as light as cream or even true black for an extra pop.

Notice the maroon throw pillow on this chair. Even with the neutral rug, there’s no reason why you can’t bring in some colors. This maroon works, and you could choose from almost any color family as long as you choose a color that suits the rug’s tones. For example, hot pink would not be a good decision, but a dusky mauve could work. Cobalt blue would be a mistake, but a soft grey-blue would bring in that brown-blue combination that’s still so popular in today’s homes.

If you’re not sure what to do with a room and want to introduce pattern, starting with an area rug can create just the right mood and inspire your decorating.

Caring for your Carpet October 31, 2011

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Care and Maintenance, Carpet , add a comment

You’ve just installed beautiful, thick new carpeting in your home. You’ve sworn the kids will never eat on it, you’ve sworn off red wine because we all know the odds of spilling that and everyone is expected to take their shoes off at the front door. While you can keep up on some of these rules and regulations sooner or later you are going to let your guard down. You’ll open that bottle of Malbec, the kids will get crumbs everywhere and your Aunt Lala will track in mud.

Keeping that “brand new” carpet feeling is not impossible. You just need to know how to maintain your carpet as you live your life.  Naturally, one of the best things you can do for your new carpet is to make sure you have a quality vacuum cleaner on hand.  More importantly, use it as often as possible.

There have been significant improvements to vacuum cleaners in the past few years, making them easier to use, and better at doing their job. They’ve gotten lighter in weight, stronger in suction, and loaded with convenience features. There are even unattended robotic vacuums that can do the work while you’re sleeping!

Thorough vacuuming removes loose dirt and dust from the fibers. Over time these particles dull your carpet’s appearance; frequent vacuuming maintains the beauty of your floor covering and extends its life.

 Remember that high traffic areas will need more vacuuming. You can’t expect your carpeted hallway to stay clean when the kids, Fido and everyone else troops through it several times a day.  Use a machine with a good beater bar and maximum suction. Use the cleaner’s attachments, they’re not just there for decoration. They are designed to make cleaning along walls and up and down the stairs as easy as possible.

If your vacuum uses bags, be sure to change them frequently for maximum cleaning efficiency. Some newer model vacuums have been designed without bags, making the chore of vacuuming even simpler, and more time saving.

Carpeting with Area Rugs August 29, 2011

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Many people are drawn to hard surface flooring, such as the concrete floor shown here. The challenge comes from wanting to use flooring to define spaces or add personality. The best approach to this is strategically chosen and placed area rugs.

Take a look at how this simple rug separates and clearly outlines the dining area despite the open floor plan of this home. Dark concrete floors cover the entire lower level of this home, but the mood warms up immediately when you reach the cream area rug.

Cream, dark brown, white and a touch of light wood combine to create an inviting dining space. The area rug and chair cushions match, and then with a daring step the table top and chandelier come in white rather than staying with the cream. The light tan wooden centerpiece carries white flowers, bringing the cream and white together and connecting them.

A cream area rug doesn’t seem like a good decision for a dining area due to possible food stains, but this rug has a secret. It’s actually a cut piece of carpeting that’s bound into a rug. This enables a homeowner to get just the right color and texture at the same level of stain proofing as today’s carpeting. This also allows your area rug to be custom cut to perfectly fit any space.

Combining hard surface flooring with area rugs chosen to complement the design, color and shape of a space gives homeowners the best of both worlds – reliable beautiful hard-surface floors with rugs providing color and softness as desired.  View our large selection of area rugs and let us help you find the perfect ones for your home!

Flooring Favorites from Shaw Flooring June 8, 2011

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Area Rugs, Carpet, Hardwood / Laminate, Natural Stone, Tile , 1 comment so far

Shaw Flooring collections offer a huge range of materials and colors– makes our job of choosing a favorite very difficult.  With products in carpet, area rugs, tile and stone, hardwood and laminates, Shaw flooring has a product for any room in your home. Durability, style, and environmentally friendly products mean Shaw’s collections are not only great looking but will last for years and have a smaller impact on the environment.

Carpet

There are nine carpet collections, including the Kathy Ireland, Tuftex, Inside/Out, Anso Nylon collections. We love the California inspired, natural colors of the Tuftex collection.

Area Rugs

With over 40 collections, including rugs by Kathy Ireland, Angela Adams, Phillip Crowe, and  Tommy Bahama Home, Shaw’s area rugs offer a huge selection of styles and colors to choose from.  If we had to chose, we’d say Angela Adams’ modern rugs are our favorites.

Tile & Stone

Shaw Tile and Stone collections include ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles and natural stone. Our favorites are the Lunar, Martrix and Brustone collections because they use up to 40% post-industrial recycled content.

Hardwood

The hardwood flooring collection from Shaw has ten types of wood, in both engineered and solid, with a range of stains to choose from. The Epic™ collection uses less harvested wood than other flooring options and comes with EnviroCore™, an inner layer made from recycled wood fibers.

Laminate

Laminate flooring has come a long way.  Shaw’s laminate features OptiCore™, which is an  environmentally friendly laminate coreboard that’s strong and moisture resistant. The

Shaw’s Luminiere™ collection is a realistic alternative to wood floors.

Visit Big Bob’s website to choose your Shaw flooring today.

What Can You do to Help? May 20, 2011

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Hints and Tips , add a comment

Almost everyone has been in the position where a friend or family member has been temporarily limited by illness or injury. If you know someone who is stuck at home most or all of the time, you can help make the time past faster, or at least better.

Your efforts will depend upon who else is there to help. Often other close family members will step in when needed. The first thing you can do is make sure someone has taken responsibility for the situation. This involves care and attention.

One thing you could offer to do is to take care of getting the room or home ready for the patient. This may involve rearranging furniture so that the patient has easy access to a bathroom if they’re a bit shaky or have limited mobility. Be sure to check the flooring to ensure that the paths are smooth and not slippery as well as free of any obstructions that may hamper movement.

Make sure the room is cheerful and light, but with blinds to ensure semi-darkness during the day when the patient needs to sleep. A good reading lamp near the bed will help, as well as a table for meals and entertainment. Is there a television in the room? This can reduce boredom.

Fresh flowers can get expensive, but a few blooms in a small vase, refreshed regularly, make a room feel more inviting. Find a place to display get-well cards and cheerful pictures of family and friends.

Bring food. Lunch from a favorite restaurant or homemade breakfast muffins can provide a nice treat. But your best gift is your time – visits, phone calls, emails and notes will help your friend or family member realize that you’re thinking of him or her, which has real value.

Moving to a Condo? May 5, 2011

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Hints and Tips, Moving , add a comment

Are you ready to move from your family home to a smaller, easy-maintenance condo? If you want the ability to travel at a whim or walk to work downtown, a condo can provide these advantages and more. Planning your condo’s flooring has some similarities to flooring for a house, but a few differences too. Here are some suggestions.

Making this kind of lifestyle change can be exciting. We hope we can help add to that excitement with flooring that matches your new plans and goals.

Steps to Selecting the Right Area Rug May 7, 2010

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Area Rugs , 1 comment so far

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Part One: Before You Start Shopping

If you’ve never shopped for an area rug before, the process can seem more than a little confusing. The good news is that with a little planning, you can start your shopping with a plan to make the whole process easier. Although there are many decisions involved, the following three factors will help you narrow your search right from the beginning.

What will you be demanding from your rug? If it is going to live in a high-traffic area, look at sturdy material choices such as nylon or wool. One of the interesting new options to consider is indoor-outdoor rugs. These tough materials stand up to a lot of use and can be hosed down outside when they need cleaning.

What size rug do you need? Measure your space to determine the best size, and how much larger or smaller you can go. Many stores will have the same rug in a number of sizes, so often size restrictions won’t limit your choices. Be sure to compensate for dining chairs by adding at least two feet of rug over and above the size of the table for each side with a chair. Otherwise, people may find themselves dropping off the edge when they pull a chair out to sit. For other living spaces, think of a rug as a frame connecting the elements in a room. If you have trouble visualizing the final look, you may want to use towels or tape to define the rug’s location and decide the best size for your space.

What look do you want in a rug? Will the rug make a strong statement – adding a design element to the room? Or are you looking for something to brighten a dark area or anchor a space that is a bit too light? What color will best mesh with the other furniture and accessories? Is there a color you want to see more of that the rug can pull into a space? Maybe your goal is a neutral that will pull disparate pieces together.

Once you determine these issues, make sure you go to the store prepared. Have your actual measurements with you – sizes in a showroom can be deceiving. Bring samples of any colors you may want to pull into the space by bringing along a throw pillow or paint chip.  By doing your homework before you shop, your chances of finding that perfect rug are substantially improved.

Design Perspective: Family Room December 8, 2009

Posted by creatingyourspace in : Area Rugs, Design Perspectives , add a comment

Family rooms are all about comfort and how you live. When you can combine style and comfort, then you have a great family room. This image from our area rug gallery is a good example of a comfortable and stylish family room. Let’s examine what makes this room so inviting.

Jack_Nicklaus_lifestyle

Imagine a fire in the fireplace and a warm blanket on that nice big sofa…….all you need is a cup of hot cocoa and you’re all set!

What do you like or dislike about this family room? What would you add or change?

Area Rug Sizes – What’s right for a room? December 2, 2009

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ArGOPIRF-00005762-001ea rugs are a great way to give a room personality or to tie together a design scheme. Area rugs can provide that burst of color that is needed to bring a room to life or start as the focal point of a room. Area rugs can provide warmth under your feet as well as provide warmth to a room. When selecting area rugs, there are some considerations to keep in mind.

Area rug considerations:

Living Rooms

Area rugs can be a nice compliment to a seating area in a living room or they can be used to cover the majority of the floor almost like a wall to wall carpet. When using an area rug in front of a sofa or chairs and under a coffee table, there is a debate about how large that area rug should be. The area rug should at least be large enough for all 4 legs of the coffee table to sit on and should be relatively proportionate to the size of the furnishings in the room. If you are using the area rug to cover the majority of the room, leave equal amount of space around each of the edges. (at least 4-6 inches) Whether the legs of the furniture are all on or off the area rug is personal preference. Just be sure that if the front legs are off the rug and the back legs are on the rug that the piece of furniture is stable and level.

Dining Rooms

When planning for an area rug in an eating area, the most important thing to consider is safety. You want to make sure that the guests sitting in chairs can move freely in their chairs while still remaining on the area rug itself. A good rule of thumb is to measure your eating table and add 4′ to each measurement. That will give you 2 feet of consideration for the chairs and 2 extra feet for movement in the chairs.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms are a great place to use area rugs for additional color and added warmth. It always feels better for bare feet to hit an area rug first thing in the morning rather than a cold hard surface floor! The great thing about using area rugs in bedrooms is that you can use multiple complimentary rugs (i.e. at the foot of the bed and on each side) or one large area rug that only the edges are seen around the bed.

Come see us for more information on area rug sizes for your home. Our knowledgeable staff is ready to assist you with choosing the perfect area rug for you!