Paul Zoellner is no stranger to rugs. He has been selling them for 40 years. As an industry veteran, he has a lot of insight to offer. The next time you need a rug for your space, consider these tips. In fact, you might want to bookmark this post. The information is that good. Here is everything you need to know when choosing a rug for your home or business.
Components of a Good Rug
Before deciding on a rug, it is important to understand what separates a good rug from a cheap one. How can you tell? According to Paul, there are three basic components to rug quality.
Fiber Content: What is your rug made of? Paul says wool has traditionally been the “cadillac” fiber material of the rug industry. The reason? Wool is a natural fiber with a memory of sorts. Its nature is to spring back into place. This resilient quality cuts down on wear over the course of time. Other rug content materials involve synthetic fibers or a blend of natural and synthetic fiber materials. Both have different price points respectively, with synthetic fibers usually being the cheapest.
Fiber Quality: Each specific fiber category has a quality aspect range. Not all wool is created equal. The same can be said for synthetic and synthetic/natural blends. The higher the quality, the more durable your rug will be.
Fiber Density: This has to do with how tightly the fibers are packed. The tighter the weave, the more erect your rug fibers will be. This prevents the fibers from packing, or crushing, over time. Paul uses the example of pencils. Say you put 5 pencils in a container that is 6 inches tall by 10 inches wide. They will fall flat. However, say you pack 200 pencils into that same container. They will all stand straight because of their density. The same holds true for rug fibers.
Choosing the Right Rug
So how do you go about choosing a rug that perfectly fits your home or business? Paul offers valuable insight. “Most of the time people come in with room measurements,” he says. “I don’t need measurements. I assume the furniture already fits the space comfortably. I need to know what type of furniture they are trying to pair the rug with.” It might seem counter intuitive, but it makes sense. A bit of explanation brings focus.
For instance, let’s say the rug is going in a dining room. Paul’s first question would involve table size. A standard dining room table, (seating 4-6 people) will require an 8×10 foot rug. A table with one leaf will require a 9×12 foot rug and one with two tables leaves will require a 10×13 foot rug (each foot in length gains about six inches of width respectively).
This allows the table to fit comfortably on the rug, but also allows the chairs to slide out from underneath the table without sliding off the edge of the rug. “This would make your dining room present to guests as tacky,” says Paul. “The job of a rug is to define a space. All of the furniture in a grouping should fit comfortably on the rug. If not, the space looks fragmented.”
He uses living room ensembles as an example. To work properly, the rug should be large enough for the sofa, loveseat, coffee table and accent chair. If the rug is not large enough, you end up placing furniture around the perimeter lines. Paul says your room will look very fragmented. Having enough space on the rug for all pieces to fit comfortably will make your room look cohesive. That’s optimal, but many consumers choose to have only the front two feet of each piece of large living room furniture on the rug. Paul says that’s fine too. As long as there are no line breaks in front of the pieces the space presents as one cohesive unit.
So to recap, when shopping for a rug, consider:
- Rug fiber content.
- Fiber quality
- Density of rug fibers.
- Furniture grouping (where the rug will be used)
Doing so will ensure you select the perfect rug for your space. One statement from Paul sums everything up perfectly. He says, “Rugs serve as a non-physical room divider. They bring spaces together and set the mood for an entire room when done correctly.” Using the four tips above, in conjunction with Paul’s statement, will allow your rug to transform your space into a true showstopper.
