What do you look for in an area rug? Is it perhaps something stylish with the sole purpose of enhancing the decor of the room? Or is it simply there, because, well, otherwise there would just be some empty floor space? Below we’ll look at a couple of uses for area rugs which could help you make your choices a little bit more informed – thereby making a good buy a great buy.

Deciding on an area rug to use is about the room or space. You sure won’t be wearing it, so it’s a definite fact that it will be for a place in your house. However, simply picking out a rug doesn’t not only concern the room but also includes the personal choice of the person who is deciding. Let’s start with the focal point usefulness of a rug.

For one, area rugs can be the masters of the room. For inanimate things of course. An area rug can be the centerpiece or what is called the focal point. Placing a rug for this use is to draw attention to the rug at first glance. It’s like a temptress, catching your attention. Therefore, an ideal rug is something colorful, big and well designed.

The second use is on the contrary. This is the shy rug, only used as an accessory or an accent to help in making the room look better. It is the supporting performer in home decorating, where enhancing the focal point of the room is its role. Instead of the bright colors or outstanding designs, accent rugs are more subdued, usually in neutral colors.

Last in the list of area rug uses we encounter one that is perhaps more adequately suited to those with a functional approach to life: the practical rug. These rugs are placed somewhere to achieve a certain aim: to supply a room with a bit of warmth or, to make an otherwise dark room seem brighter. As you can imagine, rugs with a darker color will serve the purposes of the former, while lighter hues will achieve the latter.

Knowing the role of your rugs at home is just the start. You have to figure out the right size.

Consider the intended purpose of the rug – for each of the above a different size will be appropriate, sometimes regardless of the size of the room it is placed in. For places like corporate or even residential foyers, a small yet brightly colored rug could be just the thing to achieve that focal point effect. Alternatively, to use the rug as an accessory to support a different focal point, the rug can be bigger, though in more neutral tones as stated above. And when it comes to the practical application of the rug, it entirely depends on the size of the room it will be placed in.

What if you’re thinking about having two rugs in the same room? Go right on ahead, honey. Having multiple rugs is not a problem, as long as you consider the sizes. A reminder: use area rugs with different sizes, because same-sized ones can make the room look divided, like you have territorial issues or something. While different sizes can actually create some balance. The yin and the yang.

Discover where rug decorating experts do their shopping for rugs, and discover their favorite transitional modern area rugs.