World's Largest Rug Assortment

America's Mart Atlanta is the home to the world's largest single selection of area rugs. So when the buyers at Rugs To My Door begin looking for the assortment they will offer in 2009, they go to the America's Mart Atlanta.

The show begins January 7 and goes through January 12 2009. Both Wes Jenkins and Paul Johnson of Rugs To My Door will visit with existing suppliers as well as potential new suppliers to bring the best possible range of products to the http://www.rugstomydoor.com site. Amazingly, America's Mart has been expanded on this year, with one of our most respected suppliers- Momeni Rugs, having opened the largest area rug showroom in the history of Atlanta's market-trumping that of the storied Oriental Weavers Rug Company.

So what does the Rugs To My Door team do while they attend the area rug market? They look for style trends and cues that they can share on the site. They cross shop suppliers to find the lowest possible prices on similar goods. They consider ways to be bring a better overall value to those who shop the site.

The folks at Rugs To My Door know that finances are a bit of a challenge. While the rest of the country has recently bumped into some economic difficulties, Rugs To My Door is headquartered in Detroit, and while sales for us continue to be very strong, we have seen our neighbors and friends struggle. What does this mean for you? Simply that we have been in the cost saving mode for a year already, and are able to literally pass along such savings to you.

Along the way, we will share our experience during America's Mart Atlanta show. We look forward to sharing all the exciting new products from the show with you as soon as we learn of them ourselves.

Until next time, good day.

Being a Doormat

Yes it is okay to be a doormat from time to time, especially at this time of year with weather that keeps trying to track itself into our homes. Whether you are dealing with snow, rain, or mud, we all want something at the door to keep it out of the rest of our house. I got to thinking about this problem this week as Michigan went from snow to rain and then back again creating all sorts of messes that did not need to be in my house!

My solution of course was a rug (did you think I would actually suggest something else?? LOL) and not just any rug, but one that usually gets suggested for warmer weather and sunnier days. An indoor / outdoor rug, while perfect on the patio during the summer can serve double duty in the winter as an easy to clean and rugged doormat.

Rugs to My Door offers many options that will work perfect in keeping the elements where they belong right now (and into the spring) I am listing a few of my favorites below to give you some ideas, if you come up with others please don’t hesitate to let me know. I am always available at paul.johnson@rugstomydoor.com and LOVE to see how you have used our rugs in your own home.

The Lanai Collection from Oriental Weavers is a very simple and straight forward faux sisal look that is easy to clean and rugged enough to stand up to whatever you can throw at it. It also comes with Oriental Weaver’s 10 year No Stain, No Soil Warranty – so this is a great choice for an entrance rug that will take the abuse.

Want something with a bit more flair and color, look no further than the Veranda collection from Kas rugs. These are hand hooked rugs that are made from a poly-acrylic blend that make them perfect for both indoor AND outdoor use. I personally think these make a stylish and practical addition to your entries.

Last but most certainly not least is the Ravella collection from TransOcean. This collection gives you some classic border rugs long with some rugs that have stripes and a more tropical feel. The colors are great and I think you will find that they fit easily into your decorating scheme.

There are three examples of the indoor / outdoor area rugs that we carry, but as always there are hundreds more where these came from, so make sure you check out all the rugs in this category for the perfect dirt and snow and rain and mud and and and catcher for your entry ways this season.

Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly

It has been cold, cold cold cold and although I want a white Christmas, I still want warm weather and spring to return. What makes me think spring more than Lilacs and Lavender? Well maybe tulips, but I love the color and the scent of the lilacs and lavender more. So I thought what better way to bring a bit of spring into a blustery winter day than to incorporate some lavender into your rooms.

This color combines easily with grays, whites and browns – making it a wonderful accent color to a room. If you are afraid to paint a whole room lavender or use it on a huge piece of furniture like a sofa why not try it on accent pillows or candles or even (and of course) an area rug. A couple things to remember about this beautiful color:

1. It is no shrinking violet (pun intended) Lavender can be an intense color so a simple rule of thumb is to choose the lavender you want to use from the top (the lightest version) of the paint card, especially if you are going to paint your walls with it. If you are going to use it as an accent you can be a bit bolder.

2. This color, unlike many others, absorbs light as opposed to reflecting it. So, make sure you look at the paint color, the pillows, the rugs – whatever you intend to use in the room – at different times of the day to get a true sense of how the color is going to behave in the space.

Now for the fun part, here are some great area rugs that you can use to incorporate lavender into your rooms. Whether it’s contemporary or traditional Rugs to My Door has some beautiful examples and lots to choose from when it comes to lavender rugs.

From Fashion Source comes this rug from the Visions Collection that brings a contemporary feel to lavender. It adds some golds and grays into the mix to make sure this rug doesn’t over power a room. It is made from 100% acrylic so it feels soft like wool, but is easier to clean.

How about something a bit more casual like this braided rug from CMI? This beautiful ultra soft chenille area rug is reversible and has a soft palette that will introduce lavender into your room with out over powering things. Plus this more casual look will be a winner in creating a room that you will just want to live in.

Last but not least is this unique rug from Majestic. Hand tufted from 100% New Zealand wool is this beautiful and unique Magnolia rug. You know when you choose a rug made from New Zealand wool you are getting an area rug that will last a life time and that is totally eco-friendly.

I hope this has given you some ideas on how to incorporate this vibrant and spring like color into your home and how a rug can do that in an easy manner. If you want more ideas just page through our thousands of area rugs at Rugs to My Door.

Cradle to Cradle

While most of us think of environmentally friendly area rugs as being made of wool, sisal or bamboo did you know that one of our largest manufacturers is turning nylon into an environmentally responsible fiber? Sure, nylon rugs start out with the fiber coming from oil, but what if you could make a rug that allows you to keep using that fiber over and over again and not ending up in a landfill?

Most of us are familiar with the Cradle to Grave manufacturing process. Raw materials are taken from the earth, made into a product that we use, and when we are done using it these products end up in a landfill. This process has given us over flowing landfills and a wasteful use of our natural resources. But many of the rugs made by Shaw (not to mention many of their broadloom carpet products) have a different concept, the concept of Cradle to Cradle; making these synthetic products and rugs as environmentally friendly as their natural cousins. Shaw starts out with a kind of nylon called Type 6 nylon, fabricates carpet and area rugs, sell them to us, we sell them to you, you use them, and here is where the difference starts; instead of you throwing your area rug into the trash when you are done, you can bring it to one of hundreds of collection centers across the country and your old area rug will be recycled back into raw materials and made into another area rug (or carpet) - Shaw’s post-consumer recycling system has kept over 300 million pounds of old carpet and rugs out of landfills AND given them the building blocks to create brand new rugs and carpets. Amazing I say!

So, how do you find one of these amazing rugs? Just check out Rugs to My Door’s collection of Shaw rugs. Any rug made of nylon from Shaw is made from Anso Evergreen Nylon and is made to be recycled and kept out of a landfill. Even better some of their most popular area rug collections are made from this wonderful fiber. Check out the Kathy Ireland rug collections for great style, great colors and a great environment.

Just remember the only rug manufacturer with recyclable nylon is Shaw, so if you want a rug that can work in this program make sure it is a Shaw rug. Hopefully, area rug manufacturers will begin to follow and when they do you know you can count on us to bring these rugs to you.

If you would like to know more about recycling your area rug drop me a line and I will find you the nearest drop off point and you can keep the Cradle to Cradle program going and do your part to create a better world for you and your family.

Happy Christmahanukwanzica

I know it isn’t PC to say Merry Christmas any more, but it’s what my family and I celebrate. So I wish you Merry Christmas. I also wish you a Happy Holiday no matter what you celebrate this time of year. We are all one race and that is Human. So no matter what you believe or don’t believe; I wish you all the best today and every day.

It is that time of year when we gather with our families both natural and created to celebrate each other’s company. And this year more than any other in recent memory the season is more about being with the ones you love and cherish than the things we buy and the gifts we gather.

The economy has reminded many of us what is important and that is each other. Our shared innate goodness – the joy of a smile – the happiness of breaking bread together – the amazing fact that we each bring something unique and wonderful to the table of life. So, seek out another person today and remind them how much they mean to you and how much they enrich your life. Remember the goodness that we all have and that we each need to bring more into this world.

From all of us at Rugs to My Door and myself especially, have a wonderful day.

Style on a Budget

I have been decorating my new-ish pad here in Detroit over the past few weeks on a very strict budget. I’m sure you don’t have to worry about such things, but if you do here are some tips I have gleaned over the past few weeks that might make it more easy for you.

1. Reuse and re-imagine. You don’t have to go our and buy all sorts of brand new furniture, area rugs, art or lighting to redecorate. Just changing the lay-out of your room and moving furniture from one room to the other can create a brand new look in your home. For instance, take the rug out of the living room and swap it with the area rug in your dining room. Presto a brand new look.

2. Change the direction of your area rugs. If they are parallel to the walls, try running them at a 45 degree angle and pulling the furniture off the walls and floating it in the room. A new furniture arrangement can easily and more importantly cheaply jazz up a room.

3. Try re-sale and junk shops for new pieces. Don’t just look for perfect pieces but look for interesting shapes and styles that with a little work will fit perfectly into a room. I found two amazing end tables this past weekend at a junk shop. The shapes and styles were perfect, but they needed a little TLC. So with a fresh coat of paint and a new glass top for under $50 I will have two great end tables where before I had none.

4. Look to sheets, bed-spreads and other pieces of fabric you have in your home to create slip covers for old or tired furniture. You can breathe new life into these pieces very inexpensively by covering them with these fabrics that you already have. I had a beautiful Indian (from India) bedspread that a friend had given me years ago that was just sitting in the back of a closet. It now covers an old sofa and I’ll tell you what, it looks amazing.

5. Paint, Paint, Paint – one of the most inexpensive ways to change a room is to change its color. A gallon of paint can go a long way in accomplishing this. Whether it’s a complete re-do or just changing an accent wall, you’ll find that your rooms will take on a fresh perspective with a fresh coat of paint.

6. Take a look through our Sale Rugs section on Rugs to My Door. You will find rugs with great style and great prices that can easily jazz up a room and make it a completely different space.

I hope my experience in decorating on the cheap has given you some ideas on how to spruce up your own home. I know we all can use a little help stretching our dollars these days and at Rugs to My Door we give you hundreds of rug options that can do just that.

Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)

Living and working in Motown, you’ve got to love you some Marvin Gaye, and that is one of my favorites of his. It also got me thinking again (that and the cost of gas which is finally going down, the cost of heating my home, etc etc) about our planet and how we care for this great big round home we call Earth. We have heard of Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth. We have talked about making our country energy independent. We recycle; we reuse; we reduce –so what does an area rug site like Rugs to My Door have to offer to help the environment.

Well to start off with, we use energy efficient light bulbs (compact fluorescent) in all our offices. We recycle all our office paper. We are keeping the temperature in our offices a bit cooler in the winter and a bit warmer in the summer. We turn off lights in rooms we aren’t using. All simple and easy every day things we can do to help reduce reuse and recycle to help do our small part.

The last thing we do is offer you Eco-Friendly area rugs. We have a whole section of area rugs that are Eco-Friendly. They are rugs that are either made from renewable resources or are made from earth friendly products. Less dependency on foreign oil to make our rugs.

First, we offer are area rugs that are made from wool. Wool is probably the most eco-friendly fiber available. It’s 100% renewable, completely biodegradable, and lasts for years. What does that mean to you? Well we won’t run out of it, it won’t clog our landfills, and you can count on your rug lasting for years and not needing to buy a new one too quickly.

We have 1000’s of wool area rugs available for you to look at. You may spend a bit more up-front buying a wool area rug, but you will get years more enjoyment and know that you’re doing your part to help the environment buy making the investment.

If you really want the best wool rugs, look for rugs made from New Zealand Wool. Wool from New Zealand is considered some of the finest wool in the world. It is naturally strong and amazingly white which means to you that your rug will last longer and the colors will be sharper and cleaner. Not only is the wool amazing, but to be certified as 100% New Zealand wool, the sheep have to be raised in an environmentally responsible manner.

Next, look to sisal and other natural fibers to help our environment. These fibers are naturally occurring, can be farmed, harvested and are 100% renewable. Sisal makes wonderful long lasting area rugs and when you’re done with the rug it is 100% biodegradable. We are continually looking for and adding sisal and other grass fiber rugs to our collection to help you find and buy eco-friendly area rugs.

My next post about eco-friendly area rugs will be about cradle-to-cradle recycling of synthetic fibers – making nylon as environmentally friendly as wool and sisal.

Dressing Down

We have talked about dressing up your rooms for an event or for a season, but what if you want to dress your rooms down? What if what you are trying to do is make a room feel lived in? Make your home feel inviting and that you can kick off your shoes, plop down and just live? Here are some ideas including of course some rugs from Rugs to My Door.

Here are a few things you can do along with changing or adding an area rug to make a room feel more livable:

· Bring in family items, heirlooms, personal effects. This helps create a space that feels like you and not like a picture from a model home or magazine. While both are great places to get ideas, making a room more personal will help it feel more livable.

· Use fabrics that are easily cleanable. This will help you feel less uptight if something get’s spilled; you know that you’ll easily be able to clean things up and not worry so much about living in a room. A great tip here is to use washable slip-covers!

· Remember the sense of smell. Have you ever walked into a room and it smelled just like grandma’s old house and how comfortable you felt there? Well, that’s the sense of smell making you feel at home. Use incense, candles, potpourri, flowers, whatever makes a room smell like home to you.

· Texture, texture and more texture. A sisal or sea grass rug, or wicker, or a woven basket all bring a sense of ease and relaxation to a room.

· Don’t go overboard with any one thing – a comfortable room should surround you with the things you love not hit you over the head with them.

· Don’t forget the area rugs – I have some great suggestions below.

Start out looking through our Casual Area Rugs section. These rugs are not formal, they’re not contemporary, they are just easy to live with and work with. We have over 54 pages of casual rugs so I’m sure you will be able to find something that will work in dressing down your rooms.

Check out our selection of braided area rugs. These great rugs a piece of Americana and can help any room feel more livable. While Oriental rugs came from the Middle East, braided rugs came from the homes of every day working Americans as a way to use up scrap pieces of fabric. Today these rugs make a great addition to a room.

Finally look at our sisal and sea-grass rugs. I talked earlier about adding texture to your room, these are the area rugs to do just that. Whether you choose natural sisal or a man-made easy to clean faux sisal, these rugs will help a room look more casual and livable.

There, you have some ideas on how to dress your rooms down. The last thing I have to say is remember that all rules are meant to be broken when creating a room that feels like you. If you feel the most comfortable in a formal setting, then do that. If you feel the most comfortable surrounded by family heirlooms do that. Just remember to do what makes your room feel the most livable to you.

Black and White and Read All-Over

No, it’s not a newspaper, it’s the hottest trend in rugs right now, black and white and Rugs to My Door has a lot of options for you to look at. Not only is this trend hot in clothing, bedding, upholstery… well you name it, black and white is hot hot hot. We have been seeing more and more manufacturers offer beautiful area rugs with this hot combination over the past few seasons and from what I can see 2009 will have even more options for your floor.

This is a designer look that you will find easy to execute yourself, and with it being the most neutral of the neutrals you will find that the new black and white area rugs are easy to incorporate into your current palette and design.

One great thing about black and white rugs is their broad appeal and ease of use. You know you can use them in a modern setting, but how about using them in a more traditional room to perk things up or add a twist to your design?

If you want a really cool contemporary area rug, the Andy Warhol Pure collection is a great place to start. With Andy’s decidedly pop art and the way that Oriental Weavers Sphinx has interpreted it, you will find no other rug like it. Plus these rugs are Family Friendly being made out of polypropylene and carry Sphinx’s 10 year no stain / no soil warranty. Style and ease of use; who could ask for more?

Another great way to get your black and white rug fix is with skins – this way you get two great trends in one rug. Skins are here to stay and black and white skins are even better. Take a look at this rug from the Nina Upson Home Couture collection. Hand tufted of 100% eco-friendly wool, this rug is just an heirloom in the making. Its fresh take on the skins look is just amazing, but we don’t expect anything less from Nina Upson.

Finally, who doesn’t like good shag…? I mean RUG! This is a great example of both shag and a black and white area rug from Balta. This machine woven area rug from Balta is made from 100% polypropylene and will add zip and fun to any room. Plus, the price won’t damage your pocket book; great design and great trends for a great price.

So, there are some great black and white area rug ideas. Hope this gives you some food for thought and that you are able to incorporate this great trend into your home.

Walk it off

Choosing a new area rug has a whole lot to do with style and design. That actually tends to be the first thing that is considered when looking for new rugs. But beyond that, how do you know that the rug you are considering is right for your space.

That is to say, will the rug look as good in 2 years as it does when you first unroll it? How will it wear given the area you are looking to use it in?

To take at least some of the guesswork out of this equation, I have outlined what fiber would be ideal for use in an entryway. If you have any questions along the way of course, you are welcome to call customer care specialists at 888.541.3830

Mud Room & Entryways These sort of areas tend to take the greatest assault in a home. They take much of the dirt and grime in from the outdoors, and sometimes act as walk off mats. What's more, it is not too common for a mud room floor to be felt with bare feet or hands, so the softness and silkiness of the fiber is likely not as important as the stain resistance. With all this in mind, the ideal rug for this setting is made of Polypropylene. Why Polypropylene?

Polypropylene is extremely color fast and does not pill or fuzz. So you can use it all seasons and steam clean it to pull stains out of it. The really cool thing about Polypropylene is you can even use a solution of water and bleach on extra tough stains. While the texture of the rug may change due to the use of bleach, the stain will come out very quickly and without too much effort.

To test this theory we had a WHITE rug in our WAREHOUSE for over a year. We all walked over it and trucked rug pad boxes over it and all the other things that are done with shipping product. Intermittently I would personally clean the rug with a Bissell in home cleaner. The incredible thing was that the darkest parts of the rug would even come back to life--actually to their original white color. I now swear by Polypropylene for rooms such as Mud Rooms and Entryways.

Good luck on the hunt for rugs, and along the way--keep in mind that area rugs made of polypropylene are a great bet for rooms that have a big issue with staining.

Puttin' on the Ritz

I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. I like to dress comfortably, a hoodie instead of an overcoat, chucks instead of wing tips, but every now and then it fun to pull out the tux, polish the patent leather loafers and guild the lily. I live the way I dress, I like comfort. I like my rooms to feel like a friend can walk in and just plop down, feel at home and not worry about spilling something or sitting up too straight. Again, however, from time to time it is nice to be able to dress things up, and this is the time of year to do it. Whether you’re adding a Christmas tree or other fun decorations it is fun to pull out all the stops from time to time and make your house a sparkling show place.

At Rugs to My Door we give you some great options on dressing the house up, whether it’s for the holidays or for any other big event. An area rug is a perfect way to reset the stage and add some glamour to your casual and real home. I don’t know about you, but as much as I try, I don’t live in a magazine shoot every day, but with the right accessories, the right touches and of course the right area rug, it’s fun to be queen for a day.

You might try starting with the beautiful red and gold traditional area rug from our Allure collection from Oriental Weavers. It’s made from 100% nylon so it is easy to care for and has a look that says sumptuous and glamorous. You may find you like it so much that this rug becomes more than just an occasional treat for yourself, but a full time member of the family.

This next rug is luxury all over. Not only is it made from 100% New Zealand wool, it is white. Nothing says luxury like putting white on your floor. This rug is out of this world when it comes to putting on the nines and showing the world that not only can you dress down, but you sure as heck know how to dress up. Take a look at all the Super Indo Naturals from Couristan and I am sure you will find some absolutely beautiful additions to your home.

Finally, for a different take on black tie (or the little black dress) try the Black Koi rug from Momeni. It is stunning with its east meets west motif plus it is hand tufted from 100% wool. And if this fabulous rug doesn’t add a sense of drama to your home you better go right back to the jeans and t-shirts.

Hope I have given you some ideas on how to use area rugs to dress up your house from time to time. We all need a bit of luxury and over the top from time to time – enjoy!

A Hazy Shade of Winter

I’ve been in my new-ish loft apartment for about six weeks now. It’s all open space and the ceilings – well they go on forever – but bringing the scale down has been a challenge. I like to feel like a space envelopes me that it fits me that it doesn’t overwhelm. I’ve been thinking what to paint the stark white walls for over a month now and this weekend I started – they’re a deep saturated gray. It turns out I’m on the edge here, gray is this season’s neutral – and it doesn’t have to be drab or dreary – it all depends on the accents that you put with it.

So I have my new deep gray walls and I love them, in fact everybody that stopped by this weekend were amazed, most were afraid it would be too dark, others thought dreary, but they turned out great. Now, I have to get onto the Rugs to My Door site and find some rugs that pop and work with my new gray world.

One nice thing about Gray is that so many colors work with it, so many styles work with it, and it creates a great back drop. I’ve chosen to work with chocolates, oranges, and greens with my gray walls. I have a wonderful Nina Upson rug in my living area that pulls vibrant oranges, tangerines, raspberries and brighten up the whole area up. This rug is a lovely contrast to the walls and my furniture. I think the rug works well.

I have put a chocolate rug at the back entry (form and function here kids!) this is the area where the dogs come in from the yard, I come in from the yard, and the yard isn’t all clean and smooth, so I needed a rug here that would handle the abuse and not look dirty all the time. I chose this rug from Oriental Weavers Generations collection. Not only does the rug come with a 10 year stain and soil warranty, it mixes in all of the colors I’m working with in a way that is modern but is going to hide the dirt.

Finally, I needed an area rug for under the dining room table. I went back to the bright oranges and hot pinks for this area. I want my dining room to have energy and excitement and I think this rug from Nina Upson is going to do the trick. The Imbrie Mandarin area rug is most certainly exciting and it looks amazing in the dining room.

So, for the newest trend in color look to the tones of gray. You don’t have to do like I’ve done and paint your walls gray, maybe you can just add an area rug that pulls gray into your current color scheme. But don’t be afraid of this color (or any color for that matter) and look to Rugs to My Door to help you create your oasis and space.

Inexpensive Style

I think every one of us likes to have style and warmth in our home, especially at this time of year. Whether we add family heirlooms or a special throw, we are always looking for ways to make our houses our homes. Having spent five years with Rugs to My Door; trust me when I say that now when I move into a new space one of the first things I do is look for an area rug that makes that space seem more like me. In fact, you don’t have to be moving to look for inexpensive ways to add style to your home; you can do that any day of the week and any hour of the day with an area rug.

I know that Rugs to My Door offers some very beautiful heirloom quality area rugs; gorgeous traditional orientals to stylish modern contemporaries – these are area rugs that will last a lifetime or more. But, what about all of us on a tight budget that want to add some flair and style to our rooms? We have you covered, with pops of color and pattern and prices that don’t break the bank, there are hundreds of area rug options that will let you be creative and frugal.
Check out our Fashion Source Poplar Ridge collection. A myriad of styles and colors make this a good jumping off point to add style to rooms that may have seen better days. Or to change style with the seasons, light and airy in the spring and summer, warm and comforting for the fall and winter. With over thirty five different patterns and color ways, you are sure to find a perfect match here.

Another spot to begin your search for style, color, pattern and frugality is our Sale Rugs section. These are rugs that we are either getting special pricing on or we find to be such exceptional values that you need to look at them. These selections change as we find different values or our manufacturers give us new deals, so check back often. With hundreds of area rugs in this high value section you will surely find just the right choice here.

Last but not least, take a look at all the collections from Fashion Source. These rugs are grouped specifically to have impeccable quality and incredible value. With every style and category covered we know you will be impressed with the selection of rugs from Fashion Source. And I know you will be even more impressed with the savings you will find.In closing, don’t let your home suffer because you don’t think you can afford to add style and warmth to it.

Area rugs are a perfect and inexpensive way for you to create the home of your dreams, regardless if you live in a tiny apartment or a large suburban dream house, there is bound to be just the right accent piece at Rugs to My Door.

Making an Entrance

The formal entry into our homes is usually used for special occasions and visitors. We all know how to decorate those spaces, something formal, something snazzy, something impressive. But, what do we do for the “family” entrance. You know the entrance the whole family uses, the one that gets all the abuse, the muddy boots, the book bags, the groceries, the kids, the pets… yes, that entrance.

Rugs to My Door has some suggestions what to put on the floor to make this area as snazzy and impressive as the formal entry. You don’t need ideas for storage (you already have that) and you’ve turned the area into what is called the “mudroom” but why should this major entrance into the home not have a bit of “bling”?

While ceramic tile floors are very utilitarian in these types of rooms, an area rug is still an important addition. Something to help catch what is coming in and keeps it from tracking all over the place. A strategically placed area rug will not only enliven the space but also help you maintain the area.

Here are some examples of area rugs that I think would be a smart choice for the main entrance into your home. I’m sticking with either indoor/outdoor rugs or rugs that are easy to clean. Take a look and see if you get some ideas.

Take a look at the Veranda Collection from Momeni. There are plenty of options from traditional area rugs to contemporary area rugs and everything in between. Plus this collection is suitable for either indoors (i.e. your mudroom) our outdoors – which means these rugs are rugged and easy to care for.

How about our collection of Family Friendly area rugs from Oriental Weaver’s Sphinx division? Again, hundreds of options in pattern, color, and style all in produced in rugs that can withstand a family. They come with a ten year stain and soil warranty. This warranty and the durability of these area rugs make them a perfect choice for the main entry into your home.

Finally, there is Milliken’s collection of area rugs. They make all their rugs from 100% Stainmaster nylon. Carpet and rugs made from Stainmaster Nylon last up to 50% longer than other carpet and rugs and stay up to 30% cleaner. With numbers like this, can you afford not to check out these amazing area rugs?

Hopefully, today’s tips for your “mudroom” and rugs that can work in these high traffic, high abuse areas of your home. And as always if you need assistance finding the perfect area rug for any portion of your home, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line, I’ll put my years of experience at your disposal. My email is paul.johnson@rugstomydoor.com

Holiday Gift Ideas – Eco Friendly Area Rugs

Green is the new black they say and more and more of use are trying to conserve more; renew, reuse and reduce – whether it’s to help the environment or even more important these days to help our pocketbooks. Rugs to My Door offers some great Eco-Friendly area rugs that would make great gifts for this time of year. Currently our eco-friendly collection is made up of wide variety of wool area rugs. Why wool you may ask? Wool is stain resistant, soil resistant, long lasting, easy to clean and a renewable fiber. So enough about all these great features, let’s look at some rugs and see how you can bring some eco-friendly beauty into somebody’s home this season.

If your gift giving list includes a person that has a traditional bent, take a look at our collection of Patina rugs. These beautiful area rugs are made from 100% New Zealand wool (some say the best wool available) and bring traditional elegance and modern colors to any setting. With over 27 beautiful patterns to choose from, there is sure to be just the right gift here.

If trendy and modern are the words you need to fill, browse through our Sierra rug collection. These beautiful area rugs are hand tufted from 100% wool and have the trend setting patterns and colors that many contemporary homes are looking for right now.

Do you have an Andy Warhol fan on your list this season? Well we have a huge selection of rugs inspired by Mr. Warhol and in keeping with today’s theme; we have eco-friendly versions of some of these rugs too. Four great designs inspired by the ground breaking work of Andy Warhol, hand tufted in 100% wool to make sure they fall into the eco-friendly category.

Finally, let me introduce you to the Capri collection of rugs. These rugs are a bit more on the casual side; they can fit into a contemporary décor or more traditional home. They are designed to feel right at home in the homes we actually live in, not the pages of a design magazine, but how the rest of us live day to day. With beautiful color ways and easy on the eyes designs this collection of area rugs is perfect for any home. Plus, they are eco-friendly rugs.

Well there are a few examples of the eco-friendly area rugs that Rugs to My Door offers. I’ve specifically chosen rugs that come from Oriental Weavers because these area rugs usually ship within 96 hours so you still have time to place an order and get it wrapped and given to that special somebody this year. No matter if it is Hanukah, Kwanza, Christmas, the Solstice (there are so many great traditions this time of year) we here at Rugs to My Door wish you a happy and blessed holiday season.

Area rugs for an oddly shaped room

Some homes have rooms that are shaped uniquely. Whether it is because of renovations or simply because the home was originally designed to be different, finding area rugs that fit the room can prove a bit challenging. This is where the search function at RugsToMyDoor comes in handy.

With the easy to use function, the shape of a rug can be found easily without having to wander through a bunch of sizes and shapes you are not interested in looking at. Plus, selecting a rug that is round or octagon in shape can really add to the visual interest of a room. Area rugs of a rectangular shape by far and away outsell the other sizes offered at RugsToMyDoor, however we often receive pictures from customers of what their rooms look like with specially shaped rugs and we are always most interested in those pictures, because usually a room is full of a bunch of right angles, and a specially shaped rug offsets that very well.

So the next time you are considering area rugs for your home, consider a specially shaped rug-because it may make the difference between an ordinary looking room and an extraordinary room-for essentially the same price.

Until next time, good shopping and be sure to check out those specially shaped area rugs.

rugs for every season

Recently I sat down with the team at Oriental Weavers rugs. I asked them point blank-what is the best sort of rug for all seasons? See, we at www.RugsToMyDoor.com are in the midwest and sometimes the seasonal changes can wreak havoc on my home upholsteries, etc with the salt and grime that is brought in through the winter, and then the really dry humid air that comes in through the summer.

The great news is that the team at Oriental Weavers rugs answered my question in a snap, without taking a breath- polypropylene rugs, the said. See, polypropylene may sound sort of goofy and an unlikely name for an area rug fiber, but it is actually versatile and able to resist soiling and heavy traffic. The amazing thing is that Oriental Weavers Family Friendly rugs even allow you to clean a really stubborn stain with bleach without the worry that the color will come out of the rug--that is right! Polypropylene rugs from Oriental Weavers may be cleaned with a solution of bleach and water. So sit back, relax and take a look at the amazing assortment of area rugs that are Family Friendly from Oriental Weavers by Sphinx. Happy shopping.

Holiday Gift Ideas – The College Sports Fan

Here is another great holiday gift idea from Rugs to My Door

If you have a college sports fan on your list this year (both my nephew and my best friend’s husband are gaga about college football) or maybe you have just a excited alumni, a college rug from Milliken Carpet might be just the ticket.

Milliken has been in the textile business since 1865 and making rugs for many of those years. Milliken now only uses the best nylon available – that would be 100% Stainmaster nylon. They also make sure they only use the best dyes on the market, dyes that will provide years of long lasting beauty. Finally, every Milliken rug is made right here in the USA, Georgia to be exact, so you know you’re getting a superior product and helping workers here at home.

My nephew Corydon has decided that he likes his uncle’s adopted school, Michigan State University, as a matter of fact as I’m writing this entry I’m attired in my MSU hoodie (it’s cold outside you know) wishing I was back with my friends and fraternity brothers in East Lansing. So, for this Christmas I think I’m going to be getting him this MSU area rug from Milliken. This rug comes in three easy to use sizes and will be a sure fire hit with the eight year old it is intended for.

Now to make matters more interesting, my best friend’s husband LOVES the University of Michigan and guess what, Milliken makes a U of M area rug too. Another gift idea solved.
We have a large variety of college and university rugs available and if you order in the next week they should be to you by Christmas. If you don’t see the rug for your team, just give our Customer Care department a call and we will see what we can do for you.

Stay tuned I will be posting more great gift ideas over the coming days to help you this holiday season.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Educational

You may have not noticed this, but it appears that this is the time of year that is made for gift giving. I know it comes as a surprise, but here at Rugs to My Door we have some suggestions to help you with that concept. An area rug is a wonderful gift to give this time of year (well any time of the year for that matter) and I would like to offer up a few suggestions for your Holiday gift giving pleasure.

I have two nieces and 3 nephews and one of the things I look for each year when I’m shopping for Christmas gifts for them (along with toys and video games) is something that they might be able to learn something from. Seeing as three of the kids are home schooled and the other two have a teacher for a mom, this seemed like a good route to take. I try to think outside the box not just blatantly educational toys. I think of music or art. Cookbooks and craft projects – there’s more to learning than just science and history. I want to broaden their horizons, let them see all the great big world they live in has to offer.

This year I have found that some of the area rugs we offer in our Children’s rugs collection are quite educational. They offer a unique way to play and learn. All of these rugs come from Joy Carpets who have been making great broadloom and area rugs since 1973. Their rugs are made right here in the United States and they strive to produce creative, colorful and versatile flooring options for the home, business (and in this case the school room)

Let’s start with Joy’s ABC Feelings rug. Not only is it colorful and fun, this award winning educational area rug helps teach children about feelings, work on self-awareness and how to express themselves in a healthy manner. It comes in three different sizes that make it a perfect fit for any home school classroom (or any classroom for that manner.)

How about teaching your child a second language? The vast majority of European and Asian children begin learning a second language as early as 5 or 6 years old – so why not do the same for our children? Joy’s Lengualink area rug is a great way to start that process. It takes pictures of familiar objects and lists them in both the English and Spanish language. This is any easy way to help your child begin down the path towards being multi-lingual.

Finally take a look at the Tree of Life area rug. This rug shows the significance of bio-diversity, the eco-system, and can make a good jumping off point to discussing biology and ecology. Made of 100% nylon this rug would make an excellent addition to a class room.

Joy makes hundreds of other interesting children’s rugs; whether they are educations, play-time, or faith based area rugs, this company is a good place to start when it comes time to look for a gift for either the child in your life or like me the sister who homes schools and the sister-in-law that is a teacher.

Heirlooms

This is the time of the year that tradition becomes a mainstay. From what we eat at our Thanksgiving meal to the decorations we use for the various holidays we celebrate from now until the first of the year. Inevitably, there a family heirlooms that make their way out of closet and attics to get admired and used by yet another generation. I know that my family has a box of Christmas music boxes that we collected over the years… every Christmas morning on the kitchen counter next to a half eaten plate of cookies we would find a new music box. Now my sisters, brother and I have divided these up and are letting the next generation start to see the wonder in these soon to be family heirlooms.

As you can see a family heirloom needs to start someplace. Great-great grandma’s butter churn was new at one point. So, how do you begin to build the heirlooms that your children, grand children and even generation beyond will cherish? You start with well loved pieces of furniture, nick-knacks, area rugs, recipes – well you get the picture, items that are associated with the good times you and your family enjoy.

We here at Rugs to My Door would like to introduce you to some of the area rugs we feel would make wonderful future heirlooms. Antique rugs have been cherished and loved for years. They didn’t start out antique, they started out quite new, but over years of love and care because cherished parts of people’s stories. Unlike many of today’s possessions an area rug can last for decades or longer. They can become items to pass down from generation to generation. They might appear to be more expensive to begin with, but when you realize the number of years of use you get out of them, you begin to realize how frugal of an investment a truly good area rug can be.

To start out with, the best patterns to get are the classic oriental patterns. While contemporary and modern looks may come and go, these are classics that will stay in style and look good from generation to generation.

Next, make sure you pick a rug that is made from 100% wool and if you can find one that is made from 100% New Zealand wool; these rugs will have what it takes to stand up to years of use and still look beautiful. These are not disposable items but items to be loved, cherished and passed along.

Finally, don’t be afraid to pay a bit more for the rug. Generally speaking you pay for what you get when it comes to area rugs. If you are only looking for a rug that will last a few years, by all means don’t spend lots of money on it. If you want a rug that’s trendy, again watch what you pay. Think of an area rug like a good coat or suit, pay good money for the basics and classics, then go out and find trendy things that will only last a season for less.

If you want help or suggestions on finding an traditional area rug that will make a good family heirloom for your loved ones please drop us a line and myself and my business partner will help you find just the right thing.

Holiday Decorating

We have made it past Thanksgiving, the turkey, the football, the pies and now it’s time to deal with Black Fridays, Santa’s lap, the toy aisle, carols, and of course decorating the home. I know some people that keep their decorations up year round, not me, they come out after turkey day and stay up until January 2ND or so (depending on how much partying I did on the New Year’s Eve) The biggest question we get here at Rugs to My Door this time of year is how do I decorate? How do I make things look like they belong and that my house was not just attacked by a giant Christmas Elf? Well, I have put together a list of some of my usual tips, plus some that are a bit more unusual (I mean this year I have a hot pink tinsel tree) to help you out.

We’ll start with Christmas but don’t worry I have some ideas for Hanukkah and too.

There seem to be two main camps for those decorating for the Christmas Holiday, those that change their entire house into a Christmas Wonderland and those who decorate around the style they already have. Both are great and both can work with rugs you find on our site. Whether it is a Holiday area rug or a traditional area rug, decorating for Christmas can bring a bit of the cheer into your home.

For those of you that want to put a rug down that works for the Holidays but one that does not define your entire room as a Christmas area rug, try going for more traditional designs and colors. These days you find ribbon, tinsel and ornaments in all sorts of colors not just the traditional red and green. Try one of these lovely traditional rugs from the Kathy Ireland collection from Shaw. The warm browns, the deep reds, the ribbons, beautiful any time of the year, but now especially. Can you imagine an old fashioned Christmas tree perched on the edge of such a lovely area rug? A wreath over the fire place with ribbons of gold that pull the lovely accent colors from the rug on the floor, can you think of anything more lovely? Candles on the mantle that are brown and gold are another great way to say Merry Christmas but keep it with the theme you have established with this area rug.

How about a more modern approach? Say you want to use the spa blues and warm browns that are hot right now, do it. Pick a rug like this one from Oriental Weavers and then add a huge wreath with ribbons of matching blues and browns. Want to add some sparkle, use silver as an accent. For your Christmas tree, look for ornaments that pull the colors from the area rug. Use small white lights and metallic ribbon to keep the look modern and clean.

Finally, one of my favorite, non-traditional ideas for decorating for the holidays, a monochromatic theme; people everywhere have been embracing this concept going all white, all beige, well you get the idea. So how about an all white Christmas, white walls, white furniture, white shaggy area rug and a white Christmas tree. Then for a punch, try adding red lights to the tree, and red candles through out the room. Talk about stunning!

For those that want to go into the Christmas wonderland concept Rugs to My Door offers some fun Christmas themed area rugs. You can take any of these fun Holiday Rugs from Milliken and scatter them about the house adding cheer to every room. Whether you put on at your front door or at the base of the tree, these are easy to work with. You can work with anything from Santa to Frosty, from ribbons to wreaths and create the winter wonderland of your dreams. The coloring of these rugs is such that they will easily fit within the traditional reds and greens, silver and golds that we find in ornaments, tinsel and the like.

If you celebrate Hanukkah, Milliken has a Festival of Lights rug that works well. If you want something a bit more low key, how about a blue shag rug used in a room with silver accents? How about the monochromatic idea again…. All white room, but instead of using red for the accent, bring out the traditional blues and silvers? How about sliding this lovely Nina Upson rug under the dining room table for the eight night celebration and add some extra cheer to dinner each evening? Finally, look at this amazing area rug from Momeni – if this does not just look like it belongs as a center piece to a Hanukkah celebration I don’t know what does. There are all sorts of ideas within our site for area rugs that would work well with this Festival, take a few minutes and just browse, I’m sure you can come up with other great ideas.

So, for the holidays this year, why not add a rug to the mix? You can make it fit with a theme, or just become the anchor for the room as you decorate. If you want more ideas or have some of your own you would like to share, please let us know; we are always looking for better ways for Rugs to My Door to become your source for everything area rugs.

Rugs for a lifetime

When choosing new area rugs from Rugs To My Door, you can choose them to last a few years as a style piece or you can choose them with the thought of passing them on from generation to generation-much like an heirloom.

There are a few things that go into choosing a rug that is meant to be passed on as an heirloom piece.

1) The rug should be made of wool or New Zealand Wool
2) The rug should be knotted by hand
3) The rug should be created by a reputable company

So what sort of rugs fit these parameters? Delos Rug Company makes exquisite and unique hand knotted area rugs. They look stunning and fresh when you unwrap them, but the even better thing about Delos area rugs is they look fresh and crisp for decades into the future. The Rugs To My Door lobby is graced with a delightful Delos area rug, and it looks as new today as it did when it was first unwrapped years ago.

Whether you are considering rugs for your home or workplace, a hand knotted rug can last a lifetime when it is made of long lasting wool. Until next time, thank you for reading...during this busy time of year, I wish you a peace a tranquility that transcends the buzz of everyday life.

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

It’s the season for sugar plums dancing in your head and in your rooms too. Plum, burgundy, warm reds – whatever you want to call it are a beautiful color to add depth and romance to a room. Add a mulled wine color, warm pomegranate, or a deep burgundy to a room and watch it ground the room and a great way to add depth. While many think this color is hard to work with, re-think it. Plum is quite simply a mixture (mainly) of blues and reds, so what ever goes with those will go with plum.

If you are thinking of using brown or purple in a room, try a plum color instead. It works lovely with ivory, camel, and other soft neutrals to bring a bit of zip. Like any fun color the plum family works well as either the main color in a room, or in this case the accent. With a neutral sofa add an eggplant colored throw or warm raspberry pillow. Add nick-knacks and candles with this fabulous color and you’re on the right track. And of course, look for area rugs that bring this color into your room. Below I’ve gathered some nice examples of area rugs that can make your room dance with sugar plums.



How about a modern twist with this lovely wool area rug from our Nina Upson Home collection? It uses the trendy large traditional motif with a great color combination. This rug is also a good example of how easy it is to work with plum because it is made up of reds and blues. Look at the wonder blue accent in the middle of this rug.


This area rug is a more traditional way to add plum (in this case a dusty grape) to a room. The rug is also a good way to see how well ivory goes with plum. Kas makes this beautiful rug from New Zealand wool, and you can see that that it will easily add some punch to a more formal setting.


So let’s say you don’t have a modern or traditional house, but maybe something more rustic. You might not think that the plum family is the place for more rustic. BUT, this area rug from Milliken will prove you wrong. The rug is made from 100% Stainmaster nylon, uses plum colors through-out and has a very rustic motif. Don’t be afraid to use a more vibrant color in a more rustic setting. This rug proves you shouldn’t be afraid.


Finally, the most oriental of the oriental area rugs, this rug from Momeni. What’s so great about traditional oriental rugs is the versatility they have. You can use them in a modern setting to juxtapose styles, you can use them in a country setting because they are more old fashioned, you can use these rugs in a more casual style. Think of an oriental area rug as a pair of classic black pumps, they go with anything. Plus, this particular one shows you another side to the plum we’ve been working with.

Well, that’s today’s lesson on color, I hope I’ve given you some ideas to add a punch to your rooms and some rugs that give you examples of how to do that.

Go with the Flow

It seems that 40 years ago homes all had small rooms and each room had its own distinct personality, its own color, and its own design concept. Well then the big open concept home came into being. Lofts got hot and now we have to make sure the rooms flow. When you can see one room from the next it becomes very important that colors blend and patterns work together. It all sounds complicated, but it really isn’t and area rugs can make it rather easy.
Let’s start with a hypothetical great room that is attached to the kitchen. These rooms are separate but obviously they run together. There are walnut floors through out and we haven’t picked a paint color yet. We will start with this large motif (the room size can handle it) Lakes District rug from Milliken. There are plenty of great colors in it to work with and it will help ground the room.

Based on the colors in the rug, we’ll paint all the walls (common theme) of both rooms a warm camel color. This will make the rooms work together, but we will now have to add something to the kitchen to bring it into the fold.

We’ll use another Lakes District rug from Milliken, the motif is similar and the color pulls from the blue that was in the Great Room. You can start to see how this works. You start with a main palette and work off of it, pulling colors and motifs into each room. Making sure your rugs, paint and accessories blend and flow.

Let’s try one more. A master suite. You have the bedroom area and the master bath. The definitely need to look like the go with each other, that they are distinct but complementary. We have browns and blues in the main area of the house, how do we make this area feel like its own, but without making it feel like a completely different house?

We’ll take the walnut color of the floors and rugs and move it to the walls creating a dark warm retreat and pull the blue we’ve been using else where with this luscious wool rug from Momeni – it still has the over sized motif we’ve been using, but it looks quite different from the other rugs – the colors flow, but again are different. Into the bath room now – we can paint the walls here a pale blue (pulling from the color in the bedroom’s rug) and keep things flowing. A fluffy shag rug in the bathroom would complete the look.

See, it becomes very simple to make your home flow from room to room and still keep a distinct feel to each room, between area rugs, paint colors and accents it will be easy to create a home and a flow to your home.