Tips on Buying Contemporary Rugs

Finding Your Style
Contemporary rugs should reflect your tastes. Are you sassy, daring, and out to make a statement? Go bold and colorful. If your taste is to understate, select rich, muted colors and subtle designs. Create focal points with contemporary rugs that are splashed with vibrant colors in designs that appear to have landed in place by chance. Remember to coordinate your contemporary rug selection with furniture, drapes, and paint colors.

Size and Craftsmanship Room-size contemporary rugs should be 24-36 inches smaller than the room. There should be 3 to 4 feet of rug beyond each side of a dining table. If the rug is at the center of a furniture grouping, it is appropriate for chairs and the sofa to partially set on the rug, but coffee tables must set with the entire base centered on the rug. Contemporary rug density is determined by the tightness of the tufts; a tighter yarn twist increases durability, and a denser rug wears better. Contemporary rug edges should be securely bound, and dyes should be colorfast.

A Material Thing
Think natural. Wool is extremely durable, soft, and easily maintained, with vivacious, fade-resistant colors. Because of the longevity of the material, wool contemporary rugs hold their value, which offsets initially higher prices. The natural fibers of silk hold the most delicious colors, but delicacy demands that this rug be pampered. Wool-silk blends of contemporary rugs offer durability along with luscious colors. Cotton rugs are soft, washable, and attractively priced, but lack the durability of wool. Blends of cotton and wool are more durable.

Synthetic fibers forfeit some softness and durability for a luring price tag. Nylon is tricky: it resembles wool, accepts dyes well, and is low-maintenance. Nylon blends well with wool or other synthetic fabrics for a resilient, beautiful, modestly priced contemporary rug. Natural fibers are not sun-resistant, but synthetics like polypropylene and acrylic are. These fibers also resist moisture damage.