Advice on buying a rug

Choosing the perfect rug for you

Hi,

We'll not rabbit on and annoy you, but we are here to help and only a phone call away.  We've written a good guide to buying a rug below, but if there are any questions we've not answered, don't hesitate to call us.  We'll be more than happy to help you and talk you through the process. Whilst we're at it, we can even take your order and payment over the phone to save you the trouble of going back and paying through the site.  If you've any concerns on being available to receive your delivery, call us to discuss what we can do to help, such as asking our drivers to leave it in a shed or porche.

When choosing a new rug, there are so many things to consider, size, shape, colour, pattern and even what type of rug and what it is made of.  Our aim is to help you decide on which rug is the right choice for you.

When choosing a new rug, firstly you need to understand why you want a rug and what function you want it to carry out. For example, is it purely for  looks, is it to give some ‘warmth’ to a room or is the rug to be in a busy area of traffic such as a hallway, in which case a hall runner rug might be what you are looking for.  There are many types of rug, wool is very popular, but there are also synthetic rug options, cow hide and sheep skin rug options as well as acrylic.  At this point, you need to know what the rug is intended for and this will help dictate the type of rug needed.

The next step is to decide on the size and shape of the rug.  Is it going to be a contemporary design statement that blazes with colour? If so, then a large rug would be a good choice. If it is purely to add some warmth to a wooden floor, then a rug proportional to the room once you have considered how much space if left after the furniture is in place is the best choice.

If you have just had a beautiful wooden floor installed or an old floor restored, then a rug that shows of the floor and doesn’t take over the room would be an ideal choice.

It terms of shape, rugs can come as square, round, rectangular and even irregular shapes, it’s really all about complimenting the environment the rug will be in.  If it is for a long hall way, then a long narrow hall runner would be ideal.  One thing to remember with a rug is that it has to sit in place comfortably and not be a trip hazard.

If it is to be a focal point in a room, then a circular rug can be great example of a simple but striking contrast to the walls of a room.

Colour

When it comes to choosing the colour, it really is down to personal choice. Bright vibrant colours can make a big impact where as beige and more neutral colours can blend in and add a simple touch of warmth to a room.  One thing to remember is that colours are a great way to create impact and a focal point within a room.

Rug style

There is a huge selection of rug styles available today, ranging from more traditional designs right through to cutting edge contemporary designs, not forgetting the funky and quirky rug designs now available for children’s bedrooms.

One piece of advice often given is to plan your room layout, see what space you have and then buy your rug, once it is in place this will then really inspire you to finish the room in a colour scheme that works with your rug.  If you have strong patterns in your rug, keeping the rest of the decor simple will work, if you have strong patterns in your room already, then a simple less obvious rug design will work. If the idea is to make the room very comfortable and relaxing, then a good quality shaggy rug can work very well.

Guide of price

When it comes to buying a rug, the simple rule applies, you get what you pay for.  A good quality rug is an investment in a piece of furniture, it shouldn’t be thought of as throw away fashion.  By buying the best you are able to afford, you are buying years of enjoyment in a quality rug that will always be an asset to your home.  If the rug is to be more of a practical thing, such as a hall runner or something to trap the mud from the kids’ shoes, then there is no need to go over the top. There is a huge selection of very well priced rugs available that will be ideal for this purpose and won’t break the bank.

Which material.
There are three main materials for rugs, wool, acrylic and polypropylene and each serve a purpose.

Wool

Wool is the most traditional material and has been used for centuries, however, it is the most expensive of the three because they are mostly hand tufted and of a good quality.  Being hand tufted they usually have a thick pile and make a great luxurious, deep soft finish. Hand tufted wool rugs that are looked after will last for many years. Remember that wool isn’t the best for stain resistance due to the nature of wool as they are a little more delicate than manmade fibres. Wool rugs will ‘shed’ when new and will need regular cleaning but the shedding will die down over time. In short, a wool rug is a great choice for a high quality, comfortable soft but hard wearing rug.

Acrylic

Acrylic is a synthetic fibre which replicates the look and feel of wool. Whilst acrylic rugs have a thick pile and a soft touch generally they are not as thick or soft as a wool rug. They are easier to maintain than a wool rug with virtually no ‘shedding’ and they are significantly less expensive.   More recently, rugs have been produced using a material called ‘fine acrylic’ which is a step up in quality terms from standard acrylic. These have a slightly thinner pile than standard acrylic rugs yet they have a very soft silky texture and a slightly shimmering appearance. They are at similar price points to lower end wool rugs and do shed slightly as a wool rug would.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is another synthetic fibre that is used to make rugs. Polypropylene rugs usually have the thinnest pile compared to wool and acrylic.  Polypropylene rugs are usually at the cheaper end of the scale and there can be a visible difference in quality, feel and density of the rug.  However, polypropylene is the most hardwearing of the materials and easiest to clean making it an ideal choice for areas of very heavy traffic.

We at Value Rugs hope that you have a better understanding of the choices and can now decide which rug really is the best for the purpose intended. We have a huge range of thousands of rugs all a very good discounts to the RRP and we offer free uk standard delivery.

Happy shopping and enjoy years of comfort from your choice of rug.

The Value Rugs Team.