Tote that Barge, Clean that Rug

Your darling little children or your loving husband has just spilled something on your brand new area rug (or not so brand new area rug) what do you do? You can just roll it up, throw it away and order a new one (which I personally think is a bully plan) or on a more practical note, you can clean up the mess and get on with your life. There are some major do’s and don’t for cleaning any type of fuzzy flooring, whether it be wall-to-wall carpet or an area rug. Here are some cleaning tips to get you through the spill and on your way.

1. Get to it right away. Time is of the essence in cleaning up spots and spills on your flooring and area rugs. The longer you let a spill sit the more likely it is to become permanent.
2. Never ever use soap to clean your carpet or area rug. Soaps need huge amounts of water to get them completely out of the fibers and if you don’t get the soap out it will attract dirt and make your rug look worse. If you don’t have a cleaner specifically for carpet and rugs (see #6) try just clear water or club soda and water.
3. Blot DO NOT rub. Rubbing the spot will cause the fibers to untwist and fuzz. You may get the spot out this way, but the texture of the rug will be damaged causing a permanent change (not to mention being quite noticeable). Use cloth towels to blot if you can, they are less likely to leave bits and pieces when you’re done.
4. Know there is a difference between staining (adding color) and bleaching (removing color) – most carpets and rugs will resist staining, but bleaching is another matter.
5. DO NOT use a supermarket carpet or rug cleaner. These quite often have either bleach (which will remove the stain AND take the color out of the fibers) or they will have a lot of soap in them (see #2 if you’ve forgotten this part).
6. Cleaners that work well on carpets and rugs: Rug Renew (which you can get during check out with Rugs to My Door) Capture from Milliken, or Host dry cleaning rug cleaner. These cleaners will help with your stains and not harm your rugs.
7. Know the type of fiber your carpet or area rug is made out of. Different fibers require slightly different cleaning techniques. Most fibers will respond well to these instructions. If you get yourself into a jam, call us right away.

I hope these tips make it easier to take care of those day to day issues that always seem to pop up and cause us grief.

That Nesting Instinct

Are you starting to feel like a squirrel lining its nest for the winter? Maybe a bear getting ready to hibernate, or it could be just the opposite of the spring… wanting to get cozy and ready for the coming onslaught of cold. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to add some warmth and create a hidey hole for your self.

You can start out by creating a niche in your house that reminds you of the season(s) you love most. Make it cozy, warm and filled with images of items that make you smile. I bet you’ll find you will end up using this space year round as an escape from all the chaos that seems to surround our day to day lives. But why not start now?

Think about adding warm colors, layers of texture and of course lighting. Candles are nice year round, but nothing beats them when it’s cold and blowing outside. They add a warm glow to an entire room and depending on what you like a wonder scent to the house.

Add things to the room for the winter months. Nothing looks colder than a stark or empty room. Now is the time to make your rooms as inviting as possible. Create little table tops displays of cherished items and photographs. Bring your personality out and make a statement.

If you have wooden blinds on your windows; try covering them with a curtain or roman shade. This will not only add an extra layer of warmth, but it will soften your room making it much cozier.

Two things I insist on for the winter are plush, soft pillows that are just crying out for me to cuddle up next to. Plus, a great throw; something warm, nubby, cozy. Keep both the pillows in soft fabrics and in deep colors that will add a sense of decadence to the room.

Finally, bring in the warm spice colors with area rugs. The rug will accomplish a couple of things. The colors will make the room feel cozier. The rug’s texture will add dimension. Area rugs also help ground your room adding an instant splash of color and even pattern. Almost like an instant make over. Also, if you have ceramic or wood floors, the extra layer of an area rug keeps things a bit warmer. Do not be afraid to layer your rugs over top of your current carpet (we have rug grips made specifically for this application) or even better put them right on top of the sisal rugs you had out for summer; creating even more layers and textures.

Your house and its rooms should never be a static space, you should feel free to accent for the season, dress the rooms like you would dress yourself. Add things that make you feel warm and safe for the winter months (like adding layers of sweaters and scarves on yourself) and then slowly take them away as the days lengthen and brighten.

Dealing With the Hand You're Delft With

I grew up in West Michigan amongst one of the largest Dutch communities outside of The Netherlands. I’m quite used to windmills, wooden shoes, tulips and of course Delftware.

The luscious blues and whites of Delftware are named after the city of Delft (also the home to the painter Vermeer). Starting in the early 17th century this combination of vivid blue and bright white has brought life to many a dull and dark room. (Surprisingly, although we think blue and white when we hear Delft, there we many other colors originally.) There have been periods of time where Delft was hot and a few when it was looked upon as old and boring. Well, we are in one of those time periods when Delft is once again a rising trend; and by looking at all the items that are now being shown in the bright Delft blue and white combination I can see why. This combination looks clean and cheery. From pillows to curtains, wallpaper to pottery, furniture to simple drawer pulls, Delft is showing up all over this season.

My suggestion on using Delft in a room is like my suggestion for adding color to any room. Use it as your accent, as you jumping off point. Use it to brighten a dreary room or add sparkle to a room you use early in the morning. Now, if you want to go all out and know you are a person that can handle a big punch of pattern and color, try using these colors in a whole room… go whole hog and enjoy the striking room you end up with.

Finally you know what I am going to say; try using a rug to bring a bit of Delft into a room. Whether it’s a solid blue, a blue and white or an all white area rug, try adding it to your room and seeing what you get. If you use a solid blue rug or a solid white rug make sure you pair it with the opposite in a piece of occasional furniture, draperies or bedding.

Here are a few suggestions on area rugs I think would look great in a blue and shite room. Also, don't be afraid to add some yellow or red (yes I know it won't be pure Delft, but who says you have to be a purest?)

This area rug from Homefires is both the classic Delft combination AND a great nautical inspiration. Nothing wrong with combining these two great themes!

If you want something a bit more subtle and still want to work with blues and whites, try this area rug from 828's Aurora collection. A bit more subdued on the blue side but still with a beautiful pattern and shade.

Finally, let's say you want something more contemporary BUT still like the classic combination of blue and white... try this great rug from Milliken's Pastiche collection. You get the colors but with a decidedly modern twist.

So, if you get the blues, don't worry, with a little Delft in your life you'll be able to brighten any room and any mood.

A Lust for Color

I know this is going to sound very Jacqueline Susann of me, but I’m quite sure that I lust after color. I need it on my, surrounding me, stimulating me, well let’s just say I’m not a bland person. With my lust for color comes almost a phobia for getting stuck with a color or even worse picking the wrong color. I’ve been known to paint walls 2 or 3 times because the color wasn’t just right. I figure that if I have such a passion for color there might be others out there who do also, and that I might be able to share a few of the ways I’ve been able to indulge that passion without seeming like I’m a complete nutcase.

How do you bring color into a room without it looking like you’ve let a 5 year old with a box of crayons loose? To start with, plan. Get paint samples (trust me this is VERY helpful). Look for items that inspire you, that have colors you enjoy, and pick one out that will pull things together. Use color as an accent, this way the main pieces of your room don’t have to be bright or colorful and you can change things out as your whims change. Finally, look at your wardrobe. What colors do you like to wear? If you like to wear certain colors chances are very good you’ll feel quite comfortable in a room that features that color.

This being a blog about area rugs you know that I’m going to suggest that you use rugs to bring color into your home. This has worked well for me because I can change the rugs out as my whims change. Also, it leaves me less tied into a color than if I had purchased a sofa that isn’t a neutral back drop. An area rug is also a great way to try out a new color or color combination. You can see how it looks in your space and then go from there adding other accessories and concepts to a room.

One of our rug lines that have some great colors is the Nina Upson Home line. I’m listing a few of them below so you can see what she has. If you’d like some advice on how to incorporate a rug with color into your home, feel free to email me and I’ll give you some of my advice.

Finally, let me say, do not be afraid of color. While a monochromatic interior can be quite lovely, adding a splash of color or even a whole room of color can lift your mood and show your personality.

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny

I hear it almost daily, “how do I make my small (insert room type here) look bigger? Or, “it’s already a small room I don’t want to make it look any smaller.” I love decorating small room because you can get a lot of bang for your buck here. You can punch things up with a single item. Instead of needing an 8x10 area rug, a small (yet stunning) rug works just perfectly. So, don’t be afraid of your small spaces, there are ways to make them look deceptively bigger.

Below I’ve listed a few tips on how to decorate for and in small rooms. From accessories, to colors, and (of course) area rugs, the things you can do to broaden your small room. Just remember, that rules are made to be broken, and these are just general guidelines.

First tip, edit, edit, edit, clutter only makes a small room look smaller. Make sure everything you put into your small room is either needed or loved. This is one time when less is more. A small room will make single items very noticeable and large groupings seem out of place.

Second tip: Think about keeping floors, walls, and other main pieces a single color or color family. This helps those major items in a room seem to blend in and disappear, making the room look larger. Then, add a pop of color with one of those edited down collections of accessories.

Third tip: I hear this almost daily as I help people make ceramic tile selections in my flooring showroom. “I have a small bathroom, so I need to have small tiles.” The problem with this is that the exact opposite is true. Small tiles make a space look more cut up and busier. A larger tile (12x12 or larger) keeps the space more flowing and less cut up. Not to mention there are a lot few grout joints to keep clean.

Fourth tip: This is not the place to guild the lily. Simplicity is best. This doesn’t mean that it has to be stark or can’t be formal, but don’t go over board, like I mentioned in Tip 1, edit, keep things under control.

Fifth tip: Storage: find pieces that can be used for more than one thing. A small ottoman, that can also serve as a table, an extra seat and if you get one of those nifty ones that is also empty on the inside with a removable top, extra storage. There are hundreds of ideas out there like this, take a look around and be open minded on how to store things in your room, be creative.

Sixth tip: Go up: just because your eye stops at just over 5 feet off the floor doesn’t mean the space does. Bring in a step stool and get ready to use the room above you to store things, to brighten things, to accessorize things.

Finally, the rug, there are hundreds of small rugs that will work in a space that isn’t huge, but a couple of things to keep in mind. Keep the rug a solid color or in colors that blend (don’t jump) out with the other large pieces in the room. Try going almost wall to wall with your rug, this keeps it from creating a space within a space. Stay away from fringe, this creates an artificial barrier. If you have a very special but very colorful rug you want to use, keep in mind that this should be your accent piece, not one of many accents.

Well, I hope this helps, and as always if you have any questions or need help in selecting an area rug, customer care is just a phone call (or email) away.

The Braid

How many of you think that a braided rug is a rug that is used in a country setting, or in an old Vermont stone farm house or just a plain rustic setting? All of these are great setting for a classic braided rug. Their charm and antique flair match quite well in homes like this. But, I’m always trying to push the boundaries of what you can use where, and when I recently saw the interior of a house that wasn’t anything like any of the above, AND it used a braided rug to anchor the room, I had to re-think my stance on these classic Americana icons.

When used with the new traditional look that is gaining such popularity these days, a braided rug fits right in. For those of you wondering what the new traditional look is, think cleaner lines, more solid colors but with a mix of classic pieces and with more updated colorations. What I saw was a beautiful room with a classically traditional chenille brown sofa minus the skirt (a good way to update classic lines) set in a room that was a non-traditional grey. Not a classic color combination, but a combination that was striking none the less. Along with this wonderfully updated sofa were occasional chairs that were antique, and accessories that would have looked perfect in any traditional setting. I loved the room, but what really caught my eye was the braided rug on the floor. WOW!! The color pulled everything together and the texture made the floor look like something more than just another painted surface. Now, this wasn’t the braided rug your grandmother might have had, with a confetti of different vibrant colors, this was a braided rug that took muted neutral tones and put them together in a way that added texture.

So, if you want to explore this new traditional approach to decorating, take a look at a braided rug, we have hundreds to choose from and I’m quite sure you’ll be able to mix things up a bit and make people that stop into your home say “wow” just like I did when I saw the room and the braided rug.

One good place to start is with Capel; they have been creating braided rugs for 91years and their Williamsburg collection is the perfect example of how you can use a braided area rug in a space and not make it look hokey.

A Day at the Beach

I have to keep reminding myself that the entire U.S. is not changing colors right now, some of you lucky folks still are basking in summer and warm weather. Those even luckier are looking out your great room windows onto the waves lapping in from the ocean (just like my parents gosh darn ‘em) Still others want to bring that beach house feel into their homes. Well I have a few suggestions on how to create that beach house style in your home, regardless if you’re on the shore or stuck in the middle like I am.

First of all, think of the colors that inspire that beachy feeling. Watery blues, aquas, sandy beiges, bright yellows all on placed on a sandy white back drop. You can work with the soft pastel palette or use the bright colors of a beach umbrella for your inspiration. Regardless of which way you go, remember a beach house is casual living, don’t get too uptight and don’t be too strict with how you put things together.

Fabrics are another important way to add a beach house feel to your home. Keep the main large pieces sandy and off white and then use novelty fabrics with shells or coral on them to make accent pillows. Try campy 50’s Hawaiian prints or 40’s beach pin-up fabrics punch things up. The point is to keep the ideas subtle, so the eye sees what you are doing, but you’re not hit over the head with it.

Don’t forget the driftwood feel. Again, use accent pieces to bring in the flavor. Painted wood pieces that are distressed (think white washed with the wood showing through) are the perfect way to get that beachy feel in the middle of Kansas. Use a piece of driftwood for a cornice or curtain rod. Bring in a wire basket full of starfish. All of this contributes. If you’re into the shabby chic look, this is the perfect place to use it.

Finally, (and you knew I was going to get to this) use an area rug to anchor (no pun intended) the whole room. Whether it’s a sandy colored sisal rug or a hooked rug with sea shells this is a perfect way to pull the whole room together. Again, make sure that the rug adds to the room and doesn’t over-power it. In fact, using an area rug as your jumping off point is a good way to get inspired and start building your room. I’ve pulled some of the area rugs we offer and included them below so you can get some ideas.

If you've found some great fabrics that you want to take center stage as accent pillows and possibly valances you should probably anchor the room with a sisal rug like this one from Chandra. It gives you a neutral back drop while still looking like you're at the beach.

Now, if you want the rug to bring in the shells, the gulls, the corals, try some of the following and remember to keep your other pieces in the room more solid. Pull colors out of these rugs for window treatments and accent pillows (not to mention paint colors)

Show Us What You've Done

We’ve been giving you ideas for how to use rugs, where to use ‘em and other decorating advice for a while now, and now we’re ready to see what you’ve done.

So, send us 2 or 3 shots of your room, showing your new area rug and give us a brief run down of what your inspiration was and how you achieved it.

We will post the most interesting ones on the blog every week and let others see how to use rugs out there in the real world

Send your photos; and tell us who you are where you live and what rug(s) you used and a brief description of what took place to:

paul.johnson@rugstomydoor.com

I look forward to seeing your creativity at work.

Getting Crafty

I was at my sister’s house this weekend with my entire family, all the kids, my parents, listening to both my sisters and my sister-in-law talk about all their craft projects. From painting with their home-schooled kids to scrapbooking, they are the craftiest three women I know. They are always making something with glue, paint, scissors, fabric, needles… well the list is crazy, I don’t get it, but then I noticed that I’m totally behind all the times – PBS has 100’s of craft shows airing and I never knew. My sisters were right in the middle of a trend I knew nothing about (and I usually like to stay right on the cusp of what is happening)

I got to thinking about this and started talking to the three of them, wondering what they do, where they do it and how it all works. I watched as my nieces and nephews made leaf collages and a mess. Luckily, my sister had put down a big sheet of plastic under the kid’s table. Being the constant interior designer I hated how it looked and the fact that it was cold, slippery and could only be used a couple of time (the idea of reduce, reuse etc wasn’t really on the top of their minds) So of course I suggested that they put an area rug down. “What!?!?! and ruin a perfectly good area rug??” “Of course not”, I replied, “a rug that you can clean up, reuse, and looks good.” They didn’t believe me of course, but hey, I’m a miracle worker and I got out the lap-top and started showing them rugs that could easily fit the bill.

Now, I can hear you asking… what kind of rug is going to stand up to the abuse of a craft room? Here’s where you need to be able to think outside the box, and work with me. An indoor / outdoor rug is made to take the abuse of being outside and made to be hosed down when it gets dirty. If a rug can take all that, it should be able to handle some crafting. Below I’ve chosen some of our more interesting indoor / outdoor area rugs that I think will add some panache and fun to a craft room, but still give you ease of maintenance and something that will stand up to some abuse.

So instead of rolling out a big piece of plastic, try something a bit more decorative and warm, try an easy to clean indoor / outdoor area rug in your craft areas, they are inexpensive, beautiful and easy to clean.

If You Can’t Beat ‘em, Join ‘em

So I realize my last two posts have spoken somewhat disparagingly of the coming change of seasons… going from sunny to grey, from green to white, from warm to cold. But as I sit here tonight typing on my computer I’m looking out my window and remembering that I just love fall; the way the light comes in as the sun sets and sets the changing colors aglow. The way the blue sky is crossed with almost lavender clouds. While winter is monochromatic and summer is full of tones of green and blue and white, autumn is just ablaze with all the saturated colors that remind you that Mother Nature knows what she’s doing.

Now, what does this have to do with area rugs you ask (I mean this is an area rug site, so I should be able to pull the two together shouldn’t I?) Well, if you just love those vivid colors. Or, you remember what we did as kids by making collages of pressed maple, beech and sassafras leaves, or even better you remember jumping in piles of freshly raked leaves… you can recapture this with an area rug. Rugs to My Door as a wide assortment of rugs that use these vivid fall colors; we have rugs that will remind you of those leaf collages, we have everything you need to rekindle those wonderful falls of your past (not to mention keeping it firmly in the present.)

Let’s start with the Chelsea Collection from Safavieh and their Falling Leaves rug; if this rug doesn’t remind you of all those leaf collages you made and doesn’t add some of those vivid colors into your home, I’m not sure what will.
What about the Genesis Collection from United Weavers? Again, think collage, think deep rich colors and think affordable. This rug is one very easy and inexpensive way to add some color for a season. There’s no reason why you can’t have rugs that reflect the season and your changing moods.

Want something that is a little less strictly for fall? Try Foliage Views from Kas. This rug still gives you that botanical feel of a leaf collage, but the colors are a bit less seasonal. It also gives you that Patchwork feel that is so hot this season. Talk about killing two birds with one stone?!?

Finally, take a look at Arbor Glen area rug from Oriental Weavers. Again, the leaf motif is there, and the colors are deep and rich (just what we want for the next few months) but this rug lends itself to those of you looking for a bit more Lodgy look.
So, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em and bring some of the fall into your home with a fun new area rug without having to lift a rake to do it.

Brighten the Corner Where You Are

Okay, it’s been gray, cloudy and rainy for the past few days here in Michigan and I can tell my mood is not its normal bouncy self, so what to do? Well, I’m going to do what designer David Bromstad of HGTV’s “Color Splash” says “If it’s rainy outside and I see someone in a bright yellow raincoat, it just brightens my mood” and I have to agree, if you need to brighten your mood, your living room, your kitchen or for that matter any room in your home, why not try yellow (and specifically why not try a yellow rug?)

When working with yellow this season remember the whole room does not have to be yellow and more specifically the whole area rug does not have to be yellow. I mean it can be, but it most certainly does not HAVE to be. Current trends in yellow are vibrant and saturated, these yellows work well in a dark room or kitchen and pair well with slate blues or soft pinks (this tones them down and makes them manageable)

Yellow in your room can be the main attraction as an energy booster, or it can play a more supporting part of a warm and buttery back drop. Yellow blends well with natural wood tones creating an earthy effect, or with a classic grey to create a more sophisticated look. If you want to add energy and punch to a room, try pairing your yellow with a red or green, if you need to tone it down use more neutral tones.

Take this lovely hand-tufted traditional rug from Safavieh, it takes a deep rich yellow and punches it up with a red, adding life and energy. This rug would look great in a north facing library, giving the room the energy it needs to make it through a gray winter.

Now, how about the Fruit Medley rug from Safavieh to add yellow, energy, vibrancy to a kitchen or breakfast nook? This is the perfect way to brighten these rooms for the winter months (well any month at that) and give you the happy energy in the morning when most of us need it.

Okay, here’s an example of a more subdued buttery yellow that can act as the supporting player in the room while still adding warmth and charm. The Spring Meadow rug from CMI gives you lovely braided look (that can easily translate from traditional to casual) in a soft chenille finish. This rug would make the perfect back drop to pale blues and grays.

As you can see Rugs to My Door gives you many options to include yellow into your pallet this season. And as always if you need help finding just the perfect area rug, our customer care specialists are standing by ready to help.

Area Rugs-Patchwork Theme

I know that you’ve come to depend (well I hope you have come to depend) on this blog for trends in what is going on in the interior design world. We scour the nation and try to keep you up to date with the latest and greatest and I’ve just come across the newest…. Patchwork. It’s showing up in everything from socks, to upholstery, pillows, bedding and of course area rugs. I thought I’d share some tips on how to incorporate this trend into your home and of course some of the rugs that we offer that let you do this.

The history of patchwork is quite simple, it comes from those crazy quilts that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used to make to frugally use up scraps of fabric. Today, it’s back and with their fun and sometimes vibrant combination of colors that add texture, pattern and even whimsy to a room.

Many of us long for a simpler time with things were more stable and these crafty, folk art additions to a room are a perfect way to reminisce and bring back (and this is may sound trite) the “good ole days”

Now, how do you incorporate any of these (including area rugs of course) into your home?

First, remember that’s it is all about scale. Patterns don’t have to match, but the scales of the patterns need to be compatible, you want it to look like it blends and doesn’t clash. Don’t be afraid to mix in a patchwork rug with a floral sofa, just make sure the scale of each pattern is compatible.

Second, the patchwork doesn’t have to match exactly everything in the room, the way to make it flow is to make sure the colors in the room (and rug) are similar and relate.

Third, remember that the crafty style of a patchwork rug is not meant to be formal it is meant to be casual so don’t get too uptight as you decorate with folk like items, mix and match is the key.

Finally, just like any decorating project, HAVE FUN, this isn’t rocket science, the key is to interject your own personality and make your house YOUR home. It has to work for you and nobody else.

I hope this gives you some ideas how to incorporate this new but old eclectic style into your home, and remember that a rug isn’t permanent, it can add a trend into your room and when that trend gets old or you get bored, just roll it up and move on to the next idea you have.

Floral Rugs

If, like me you live in the northern portion of the United States, you’ve started noticing that change of season thing going on. Our gardens are looking less and less vivid, the temperature outside is getting cooler, the colors are changing and we’re being forced to spend more and more time indoors. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to be locked away for the winter, but alas, what choice do any of us have?

Well, even though it won’t be a perfect solution you can bring some of that garden and summer feel into your home for the fall and winter. Brighten those grey days and the white world that is coming with a floral rug. What better way to make yourself think of your gardens, your patio and a warm summer evening that to add a warm floral area rug to that special room. Maybe it’s your reading nook, or that corner of your bedroom where you curl up when the wind starts to blow. Maybe it’s the great room (or for me the kitchen) that just needs a quick brightening before it gets too monochromatic outside.

Many of us think that once you put a rug down, it’s there to stay until it wears out, but I’ve come to look at rugs like I do my summer bedspread and my winter duvet… they can be seasonal and help me change my outlook and room for the better. Right now I’m looking for ways to bring the outdoors in, so I don’t have to spend the entire winter pining away for my perennial borders or enviously watching the Travel Channel for a warm get away.

Rugs to My Door has hundreds of great selections for floral area rugs (in fact we have so many that we have a special tab on the home page to help you find only the rugs that are floral in nature) But don’t stop with just a floral rug to remind you of summer. We have a large selection of beach themed nautical rugs that remind me (and hopefully you too) of all those lazy August days spent building sand castles and soaking up the sun.

So, don’t let the shrinking sun and the cooler temps get you down. Don’t worry summer will be back, but until then why not brighten your home and your mood with a fun summery rug that beckons you back to the picnics, beaches, front porches, rocking chairs, gardens that we all crave and love.