Coming in 2009

We have just returned from the Rug Market in Atlanta having seen some really cool new rugs, I thought I had packed my camera so I could show them to you but in the rush to get to the airport in the middle of an ice storm in Detroit it got left behind. So, I’ll just tell you what we saw and what rugs we will be bringing you in the coming months. (I’ll make sure I pack the camera when we go the Las Vegas Rug Market in February)

One of the big things to look for in 2009 will be “Anywhere” rugs. Area rug that can go indoors or outdoors; these rugs are rugged enough to keep outside but pretty enough to use anywhere inside. I was truly amazed by all the new patterns and textures available now for indoor/outdoor rugs. As soon as we have images of these new offerings I’ll post them here. Because of the lag time between the introduction of new rugs and the availability of stock you’ll get to see them a few months before they will be available to purchase.

Another thing we were really impressed with was that many manufacturers lowered their prices on entry level area rugs. We will be passing those savings along to you as these rugs become available. Don’t worry, these lower prices don’t mean less interesting designs or old colors, the area rugs will be great examples of how to stretch you dollars.

The next thing that is exciting is the growth in high quality heirloom area rugs. If you are ready to invest in an area rug that will last more than a life time we will begin offering our customers Premium Area Rugs. These rugs are made of the highest quality fibers, hand-knotted, and reflect the traditions of rug making peoples from across the globe. We will not only offer these amazing Premium Area Rugs, but we will make sure that you end up getting more for every dollar you spend.

If you haven’t already realized, the environment and the green movement has really taken off. As we all try to be more eco-friendly and leave less of an impact on our planet. Area rug manufactures are coming along too (this is quite exciting to me as I’ve been in this industry for over 25 years) from nylon rugs that are completely recyclable, to renewable fibers such as jute, sisal, hemp and wool, you will begin seeing more and more eco-friendly area rugs and Rugs to My Door will make sure you know when these come on line.

All in all there are going to be hundreds of new and exciting rugs, fashionable new colors, great designs and wonderful values that will help you decorate your house into a home.

Choosing the right rug for a mudroom or foyer

This is the first in a series of presentations about rugs and how to choose the right rug for your home. The first thing that comes to mind about area rugs is color and style. But after that-it is important to consider what the rug is made of so you can be sure that your purchase not only looks good on day one but on day 1001.

Wes Jenkins takes a moment to discuss the correct sort of area rug for a mudroom or foyer in this YouTube presentation. Naturally, if you have any questions or comments please let us know.

Triple Bonus Days

Just thought you would want to know that it is Triple Bonus Days at Rugs to My Door. Make an area rug purchase of $399 or greater and get a FREE rug pad, FREE shipping and a FREE 30-day in home trial. We have 1000’s of area rugs for you to choose from and if you do it during Triple Bonus Days you can hit a home run with your area rug purchase.

For exact details of this promotion click on the Triple Bonus Days banner on our site and you will see how easy Rugs to My Door makes buying an area rug and saving money while doing it.

A great place to start your search for an area rug (and get even more value) is in our Sale Rugs section. Hundreds of rugs in all sorts of styles from Traditional area rugs to more contemporary looks and made from fibers such as family friendly polypropylene to eco-friendly wool. This is a great section to take advantage of both the Triple Bonus Days promotion AND find a great value on an area rug.

Hope this tip helps you find the rug your home is desiring (not to mention your cold toes)

Girly Girl

My six year old niece is what you would call a girly girl. The best color to put with pink is purple. Why wear pants when your fanciest dress is available? Being a princess is a definite career path. And of course seeing as her uncle runs an area rug company, the floor in her bedroom must reflect all these fact. If you have a girly girl in your family let me introduce you to some of the most fabulous rugs from Rugs to My Door. Barbie would be envious of these rugs.

One of my favorites is the Hearts A-Poppin rug from the Nina Upson Studio collection. This heart shaped pink rug with all of its flowers is perfect for a little princess who dreams that she will find her own Troy to sweep her Gabriella away. (If you don’t get that High School Musical reference you do not have a girly girl in your life) This rug also comes in blue, red and tangerine making it easy to fit into any décor.

Another favorite of mine is the shag rug. Colors abound and they make for the perfect place for a tea party or for Barbie to have a rendezvous with Ken. I should know, I gave my niece a hot pink shag rug for her birthday (unconventional I know) but she LOVES it and has even used it as a place for her afternoon nap. We have a grand selection of shag rugs and I’m sure you can find one that matches the colors your princess needs.

If you want something a bit more subdued but none the less girly, take a look at the beautiful braided rugs that we have from CMI. They use all the girly girl colors, come in soft pastels and work perfect with any American Girl accessories you might find in your house. These rugs are reversible, easy to clean, and come in a myriad of sizes that will fit any little girl’s room.

One other great collection to browse through is the Mary Kate and Ashley collection from Shaw. Together with Shaw these two young ladies have come up with a fun and hip line of rugs that any parent would be glad to see in their daughter’s bed room. These rugs are a perfect way to carry your daughter from tween to teenage without having to completely redo the room.

So, if you have a girly girl in your family like I do, browse through our collection of kids rugs and see if you can’t find just the perfect rug to help her express her personality and live her dreams.

Texturize It

One of the things I notice most this time of the year (especially seeing as I live in the frozen north) is how texture comes to play in my garden. Most gardeners plan to have interest throughout the year, not just when thing are green and blooming. We want interest in the winter as well. This happens by making sure we have plants and trees in our gardens that create a visual and textural interest. As I’m looking out into my garden enjoying all this texture I realize that this philosophy works just as well inside as it does out.

Of course you can add texture inside your home through furniture choices, accent pieces, pillows, candles but I think the best and easiest way is to add texture through an area rug. By bringing in texture to your floor, you ground your room and begin to set a palette that can work its way up into the entire space.

The obvious place to look for texture in an area rug is with sisal and other grass type rugs. These are great because they are so flat they can serve as a base for other rugs and layers in a room. One other great thing about natural fibers found in sisal area rugs is that they are renewable and green, making them the perfect choice for those of us trying to be more environmentally friendly.

Another great way to add texture to a floor is with a shag rug. These rugs come in all sorts of fibers and colors and make a great textural statement. Today’s shags aren’t like those of the 70’s they come in more modern colors and can be found in a myriad of fibers making it easy to fit a shag area rug into any budget.

Finally, the reason we notice texture is because we usually play two different textures off one another. So, if you have a heavily textured floor already (like maybe a natural hickory wood floor) why not go the opposite way with your texture and add something smooth or solid in way of an area rug. But playing one off the other you will begin to notice the beauty of each part more clearly.

I hope that my observations of my garden and my translation into the interior of your home via area rugs helps give you some jumping off points on how to begin to use texture inside.

Get Organized

Between putting up the Christmas decorations, re-arranging all the furniture we moved for the holidays, and clearing out files at the office (not to mention the ones at home) organization seems to be a big thing this time of year. Well if you are going to organize why not use a rug to help. A rug you say?? Of course! Area rugs are the perfect way to help organize any space. They help define an area, they make furniture placement easier, and they even can get you in the mood to get things done because you have to clear a space to put them down.

If you are looking to organize a home office I would suggest looking at area rugs that make your office feel inviting and usable. Try going for colors that are energetic and upbeat. Nobody wants to be in a room that brings them down, let alone a room that is set aside for work. This is also a good room to express more of your wild or crazy side – it doesn’t have to work with the rest of the house, it just needs to feel like a space you enjoy coming to.

What about the mudroom and pantry – these are traditionally very narrow spaces that serve a multitude of functions from storage, to collection point, to dirty shoe deposit, to the family’s main entry into the home. Try putting one our family friendly rugs in a runner in this room. It will serve a dual purpose of pulling the space together and creating a place that shoes can be wiped. Plus, being from our Family Friendly collection it comes with a 10 year no stain / no soil warranty.

How about one of the hardest chores on earth, organizing the kid’s rooms? Why not get them involved (yes I know if they were like me they already were involved) but give them some say on how their room will look and feel. Let them express themselves with a rug on the floor. A rug is something that isn’t expensive and isn’t permanent. Let the kids pick out a rug with the idea that the floor will have to be clean to put it down. Now if their own rug arriving at your door doesn’t motivate them to pick up the clutter I don’t know what will.

There you go, a few ideas on how to put area rugs to use in organizing your home, if you want more ideas just drop me a line and I’ll pick my brain and see what I can come up with for your particular situation. I can always be reached through email at paul.johnson@rugstomydoor.com

Country Style

I spent part of the weekend at my parent’s house and thumbing through magazines my mother has saved this past year. One of her favorites is Country Living and I noticed as I paged through all sorts of really interesting and fun design ideas. Of course whenever I see something interesting in terms of interior design I try to figure out how and which area rug to use with it. So, I thought, if mom loves the country style there must be plenty of our Rugs to My Door customers that do also and I might want to give you some ideas on how to use our rugs to achieve that style.

The most obvious way (and one I saw more than one example of while thumbing through the stack of magazines) was a braided area rug. These rugs have come a long way since being made to use up scraps of fabric. They are now made from all sorts of fibers (including eco-friendly wool) and make a good jumping off point in creating a country feel to your home. Two of the biggest braided rug manufactures are Capel and CMI, we offer both of their products and you should take a minute to browse through all their wonderful braided rugs. You may notice when browsing Capel that they have expanded beyond braids, so don’t be surprised if you find something else you like.

Another way to bring some country style into your home is with a floral rug. And because so many of our customers have asked us specifically for floral area rugs we have a whole category just for that. You will notice everything from contemporary to more traditional floral designs. I would suggest that if you are going for a country look that you stick with the more traditional patterns here. Although some of the clean contemporary florals would make an interesting juxtaposition in a country room.

Next, look for area rugs that have a patchwork feel to them, these area rugs are a great addition to a country room. They add style, color, and quite often set off the furniture to its best advantage.

Finally, a traditional area rug is always appropriate. These are like a little black dress for your room. Always in style, they work with almost any décor and they never seem to look dated. Besides, country style is a nostalgic style and what kinds of rugs were used back in the day? Traditional of course.

So if you are one of the millions of people out there (like my mother) that like a country feel to your home, take a look at all the options that Rugs to My Door gives you to create that feel in your home.

Fresh for 2009

This is the time of year when those of us in the home fashions industry start looking ahead (well who doesn’t look ahead during the first weeks of January??) to what will be the trends for the year. The buyers (including me) for Rugs to My Door are getting ready to head to our markets to pick out the best and freshest new items for you but I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at what I will be looking for.

With the economy making most of us a bit tense we don’t need our homes to do the same. I will be looking for colors and patterns that do one of two things. First I want to find area rugs that bring you a sense of nostalgia. Rugs that create a sense of well being comfort and remind you of the good ole days without looking like you just took your grandmother’s area rug out of her sitting room and tried to use it in your den. I will be looking for rugs that have that sense of nostalgia but do it in a modern and updated manner. Next I’ll be looking for area rugs that make me feel happy, that are whimsical, and that are cheery and bright. When you create a refuge at home you want it to feel upbeat and cheerful.

With happy and cheerful as my jumping off point let me give you an idea of what colors (and color combinations) I see being big in 2009 - Lime green and sky blue are going to be big this year. This fresh combination when used with white is a good way to add an upbeat feel to a room. I’ll be looking for more rugs that offer this combination and use it with both traditional and more modern applications. These are crisp and clean and sure to make you smile when you see them.

Another big color I see for 2009 is yellow. This sunny uplifting color will work well in kitchens, porches, bathroom, and any room you want to be cheery and upbeat. I would suggest shying away from yellow in a bedroom however; it’s a bit too energetic for a room you want to be restful. So, look for area rugs that can bring a bit of sunshine into your rooms.

Finally, my last color prediction for 2009 – you may think I’m taking the easy way out, but I go back to what I said earlier about creating spaces that feel comfortable to you and create a haven away from all the busy uncertain world that surrounds us. My final color pick is the color you feel most comfortable with. When adding color to your rooms no matter if you are using paint, pillows or area rugs, pick a color that you love, a color that makes you happy and ignore what all us experts say. Because, in the end, you are the one that needs to live in your house, not a decorator, not an area rug buyer, not your next door neighbor, but you. Make your home yours and the colors reflect who you are.

Resolutions

This is the time of year for resolutions, whether they are to lose weight, be healthier, get organized or finally do something with that spare room. And if you decide that it is the spare room that is going to get tackled why not look for an area rug from Rugs to My Door to be your starting point. With thousands of options from traditional area rugs to contemporary rugs and everything in between I’m sure you will find just the right inspiration to turn that spare room it to the perfect home office or guest room or kid’s play room or… well you get the idea. We know your needs are limitless so we offer rugs that work in any situation.

With all of us trying to be more frugal in our purchases why not start out getting rug ideas from our Sale Rug Collections? With over 300 smartly priced and easy to look at area rugs in this collection I know that you will find something that get you going on that New Year’s resolution.

If part of your resolution this year was to be more earth friendly why not check out our selection of Eco-Friendly area rugs. These rugs are made from 100% wool and are a smart (and green way) to add color, style and interest to your home. While we have over 100 choices in our Eco-Friendly section, any wool area rug will give you the same benefits and be “green”

Need to give the kids a place to play? Want all those toys they just got out of your from under your feet and out of your living room, why not turn that spare room into a play room . We have options for this too. Whether you want a rug that has a “Kid” feel to it or you want something more adult that is Family Friendly we have options and choices for you. You can create up a storm with all the ideas we give you in these two categories.

Is this the year for you to turn the spare room into a guest room; Rugs to My Door has beautiful options for you there. Why not start by looking in our Floral Rugs category? There are all sorts of lovely ideas just waiting for you to find and they go from more traditional floral rugs to contemporary floral area rugs. And don’t worry guys, they aren’t all girly rugs.

Finally, is you need a work space, turn that spare room into a home office (or scrap-booking haven) One of the best types of area rugs for this kind of application is an indoor / outdoor rug. These rugs are sturdy, easy to clean and come in a variety of colors and patterns that won’t make you think just patio.

There you go, a few ideas on how to work with that New Year’s resolution to turn that spare room into something useful, and starting with a rug from Rugs to My Door who can go wrong?

Rugs for your winter wonderland

While Christmas may be over, the winter wonderland in many parts of the United States remains in full swing. So how do you know what sort of rug is ideal for an entry way such as a foyer or mud room?

Looking at thousands upon thousands of rugs at a time can seem daunting, and if the focus can be narrowed a bit by selecting the fiber type first, the user may find that not only is the right sort of rug being considered but also that the choice itself becomes much easier since they do not have to sort through a countless number of area rugs that are really not made the right way for their application.

For a very busy mud room or foyer, the staff at Rugs To My Door strongly suggests selecting a rug made of Polypropylene. Polypropylene is a synthetic fiber that is very similar in it's composition to soda and laundry detergent bottles. The main difference is that instead of the material being shaped into a bottle, it is shaped into a very long slender string--or yarn. That yarn is what is used to make Polypropylene area rugs.

Polypropylene rugs are so stain resistant-that you can even use household bleach on them to remove the most stubborn stains. The one thing to keep in mind about this method of cleaning is that it oftentimes voids the manufacturer's warranty for texture retention, since bleach may (while removing stains from a rug) also causes the yarn structure to degrade.

To test the viability of Polypropylene rugs the team at Rugs To My Door installed a white Polypropylene rug in their warehouse. The boldly colored Andy Warhol Matchsticks pattern was put smack dab in the middle of high traffic. Hand carts and foot traffic came back and forth over the rug for over two years.

At the end of the experiment, we cleaned the area rug with a Bissell home cleaning machine by following the instructions included with the machine. Amazingly, the area rug spots and stains were almost entirely gone after the cleaning.

So when you are considering a new area rug for your winter wonderland, look no further than the advanced stain resistance of Polypropylene. While the name sounds scary-the thought of stains surely will not.

Until next time, thank you for reading and have a great weekend.

Relaxed living with rugs

Rugs come in a wide range of styles and colors. Oftentimes when someone thinks of an area rug, the first thing that comes to mind is a very traditional pattern-one that has a balanced symmetrical border and possibly a medallion in the center of it.

In recent years however, a new assortment of area rugs has come to market-these include ultra contemporary rugs and casual patterns.

Casual area rugs are often considered to reside somewhere between the sharply traditional and the deeply contemporary looks. A company by the name of Oriental Weavers helped to bring the casual area rug styling to life in the late 1990s with the introduction of it's Icon Collection. Today, Oriental Weavers is better known for it's Generation's Collection which looks much more high end than it's $299 5x8 retail would suggest.

In today's homes a relaxed casual atmosphere is usually the going style-and what better way to achieve this than with a fashionable new casual area rug pattern?

Until next time, thank you for reading and we wish you all a safe and pleasant new year.