After making the decision to replace that old wall to wall carpeting, you have just had a beautiful hardwood floor installed in your home. The new floor looks great, adding a warmth and richness to your living space that is unmatched by that old wall to wall carpeting. The decor is nearly complete and the furniture and window treatments are perfect. While you stand in your newly decorated living space, you look around the room and realize that something is missing. You need something that will tie the whole room together. A great decorating choice is the addition of area rugs.

Decorating with area rugs is quite versatile and allows you to change the look of a room with style. Area rugs can be functional as well as beautiful. A rug placed in a high traffic area of the home can reduce wear and tear on your wood floor. Many modern area rugs styles feature non-slip backings that hold the rug in place and can reduce the chance of the rug slipping under foot. From the pricey to the inexpensive, area rugs can be used to accent almost any color scheme and giving a new look to any existing home decor.

Coming in an almost limitless assortment of styles, sizes and price, area rugs can add a different dimension to any room decor. You can find a rug that will enhance any decor, from the classic style of Persian and oriental rugs to rugs made of hemp, bamboo and other types of grass. Long wearing area rugs can be from a combination of polyester, and other types of synthetic materials, and natural fibers.

The term oriental can be used to denote rugs with styles, patterns and knotting techniques ranging anywhere from Asia to the Middle East to Turkey. When most of us think of rugs, we think of a fabric material woven into an interesting and ornate pattern. A very popular choice Oriental and oriental-style rugs are a very popular choice. High quality oriental rugs are hand knotted and the measure of quality is the type of material and the number of knots used in the construction. The general rule when it comes to a hand knotted rug is the more knots the better.

Genuine hand-knotted oriental rugs can be quite an expensive investment but if you are on a decorating budget, the same look can be achieved with less expensive oriental style woven rugs. Always use care when purchasing a rug that the seller claims is a genuine oriental rug. The market is full of fakes and cheap knockoffs so do your homework before investing in a genuine oriental rug.

The Navajo rug is another very popular style and can be used to compliment any southwestern or western decor. Navajo rug weaving is said to date from around 1900 with the demand being driven by people who wanted to decorate their home with these beautiful and unique creations. As with any rug of this type, fakes can be found in the market and the buyer must take care when being sold a genuine Navajo rug. Made primarily from wool, genuine Navajo and Native American rug can be pricey. A great choice for those folks on a budget but still like the style, there are Navajo-style area rugs that can add a great look to many interior decorating schemes.

There are many types of materials being used for area rugs and some are unique, with a look and style that is enhanced by durability. Grass materials such as bamboo, hemp and sisal are becoming popular again after having been used for centuries in other parts of the world. Mountain grass, sea grass, sisal, and material made from hemp can be crafted into long lasting, beautiful and versatile area rugs.

The use of natural and renewable types of materials in the creation of area rugs has become very popular with folks who are concerned about the environmental impact of their homing decorating choices. A popular choice for the manufacture of hard wood flooring, bamboo has many advantages. Many species of bamboo grow very rapidly and that makes bamboo an excellent renewable material that can be very versatile and durable.

Synthetic materials like polyester are used to make very durable area rugs. Synthetic materials, while inexpensive, have been somewhat controversial in recent years. Polyester is a plastic based material and the production cycle for plastic begins with oil. The good news is that a market for recycled synthetics has been steadily growing. Millions of square yards of used carpet materials are now recycled every year. Polyester is now made with far fewer virgin materials and a much higher amount of recycled plastic. This is a tremendous advance in the production of synthetic fibers and fabrics. Not only does the use of recycled plastics help reduce the need for oil but the practice also keeps many millions of pounds of discarded plastic material out of the local landfill.

When shopping for decorative area rugs, make sure that the fabric is compatible with your lifestyle. Keeping any type of rug or carpet can be a chore. The type of fabric or fiber used to make the rug can make this task much easier or much harder. Wool is an extremely durable fabric but requires special attention when it comes to keeping a wool area rug clean. Many types of small area rugs can simply be tossed into the washer. Cleaning larger area rugs may require the use of carpet cleaning equipment and chemicals. Cleaning an expensive area rug needs to be done by a qualified professional. Always refer to any care labeling provided by the manufacturer.

Smaller area rugs can be prone to slipping. This can be more than just a nuisance and can be pose a significant risk of injury. Many smaller area rugs have a slip resistant backing to help keep the rug in place. Some rug and carpet retailers sell after market materials that can be applied to the backing of your rug.

The good news is that there is an area rug for every taste and decorating style. Many fine web stores offer quality area rugs at prices to fit any budget.