Immersed in the cold winter months, January is the perfect time to upgrade your home with warm furnishings. From heavy velvet drapes to cozy cashmere throws to plush deep-pile carpets, nothing quite beats the warmth of being surrounded by soft materials. Now is the time to invest in quality area rugs for your interiors to keep the cold drafts at bay. While your cool stone floors might be great in the summer months, cold tile is an unwelcome greeting for your bare feet on winter mornings. Area rugs are the ideal solution for tile and hardwood floors in your home since they can be easily matched to your existing design and updated based on the season. But how do you find a high-quality area rug that will last? We’ll explore four factors that should be taken into consideration when looking to purchase an area rug.
High Line Count
Colorado White/Blue by Nourison
The first thing to look at when searching for an area rug is the knot density, which is the number of knots per square inch. Determining the density is important as this is a big indicator of rug durability. A high line count means a finer weave and better clarity of the rug pattern. A looser weave means a coarser rug that can incur visible damage more quickly. Look for rugs that have high line counts, since they will better hold up to your household’s foot traffic.
Detail
Marash Palu Rust by Karastan
The second thing to look at is the detail in your area rug. Clarity and detail are typically good indicators of time and labor spent making the area rug. A sharp pattern means that more time was spent on your rug. Just look at the difference between a high-end oriental that you might find in a carpet showroom versus a cheap living room shag you'd find at a big-box store. Oriental, Persian, and Morrocan area rugs are all hand-knotted and custom-made with details that take careful craftsmanship.
Premium Wool
Ceneri by Kaleen
Handwoven wool makes for the best area rugs as it's soft and strong. As one of the best natural fibers to create rugs, wool is durable and comfortable to the touch because the threads spring back with a soft quality even after being walked on. Quality wool is naturally stain-repellant and water-resistant, as well, so you can rest assured knowing that your area rug can handle your active lifestyle.
Organic Dye and High-Grade Pigments
Celestial Collection by Nourison
Area rugs dyed from natural dyes have a vibrant quality to their color. While organic dyes and high-grade pigments make for bright and colorful area rugs, inferior dyes are murky and flat. High-grade dyes won’t fade over time due to exposure to water or sunlight. You can easily tell the difference between a synthetically dyed carpet and a natural one by spreading apart the pile and looking at the color over the length of the fiber.
Of course, design and flooring experts, like those available at our International Design Guild showrooms, can walk you through the benefits of each area rug on display, but having this knowledge is indispensable when shopping for your next high-quality area rug.
