 | Linda Warrington
has been in sales and interior design for 25 years, and employed by Horton's Furniture for l8 years. Linda has designed furnishings and murals for the Eaton Place in Wichita's Old Town business district as well as Chaucer Estates, Park Plaza West and Via Christi Executive Suites. Linda also owns her own mural painting business called 'Just You'. She can be reached by phone at (3l6) 722-5090, by fax at (3l6) 722-596l, or by mail at l09l5 W. Kellogg, Wichita, Ks., 67209. |
Interior Decorating
2002-01-01 14:20:00
Working with area rugs
Answer: I can understand your confusion. There are as many area rugs as fabric patterns. Just keep in mind that you want to keep repeating the same colors in your area rugs that you have in your rooms. For instance, if your sofa is a red, yellow and green floral, a green area rug with leaf patterned border will add interest and balance your floor without looking too busy. Sizes vary and are mostly a matter of personal preference. Anything from a 4x6 in front of the sofa and under the cocktail table, to a 9 x l0 which touches all of the furniture in a grouping, creating a conversation area, works well and adds warmth.If your sofa and chairs are patterned, you may wish to use a solid colored rug, however, if they are plain, a patterned rug will add interest and even drama. The first step is to decide what kind of a feeling you want the room to have. Contemporary, traditional, country, country french? Country and country-french usually means several patterns in one room, so even a patterned rug works, just remember to keep using the same colors. Adding and subtracting one pattern at a time may simplify your life but don't be too timid, have fun with decorating. Stripes, checks, florals, mix all of these, but remember the color thing, we don't want it to end up looking like you hit it big at a garage sale. If your taste runs to the contemporary, your sofa and chairs are more likely a fairly plain fabric or leather, so a rug with an abstract pattern or blocks of color can be a fun addition, keep repeating the same colors. Black, brown, beige can look so sophisticated in a contemporary setting, but Picasso made great use of red, yellow and blue in contemporary art. Think of your room as art. You are creating a painting and telling a story. A story about how you feel, what you love, what makes you happy, warm, and secure.Now lets suppose you're starting with a fresh room and no furniture. Start your room with a great area rug you love. You know one that makes your heart sing and build the room around that rug. In a room filled with busy patterned fabrics, a plain rug with a contrast border is the easy way to decorate.Even a room filled with neutrals can benefit from an area rug. A neutral rug adds texture and warmth to a hard surface floor. A patterned rug adds texture, warmth and drama, a wonderful balancing agent. Decorate with colors you love and make each room a reflection of your personality.
