Our motto at Bond Products is, “Every hard floor needs a nice area rug.”
For those of us who grew up in the era of shag carpets and wall-to-wall, hard floors were a bit of a revelation. Who knew floors could feel so smooth and cool and look so clean? There’s a reason that all of a sudden everyone was ripping up their carpet and praying a hardwood floor was underneath it. Besides the aesthetic value of hardwood, it appeals to people who are more environmentally conscious and to those who want to avoid the allergens that can get trapped in installed carpet. It’s more than a trend or fad: exposed flooring is here to stay.
The problem with yards and yards of hard floor is at least two-fold, however. First of all, hard floors are cool, and by that we mean cold. They are ideal for hotter parts of the country like the Deep South or the Southwest, but Philadelphia gets (and stays) cold in the winter, and no one wants to stay in a cold room. The second problem with an excess of exposed hard floor is that it can be bit bland looking. Adding an area rug, or two or three, solves both problems at once. This being true, how do you go about choosing the right area rug for your hard floor?
Your first consideration has to be: Is this a carpet you love? If you don’t love it, why would you buy it? A carefully considered rug purchase is an investment in comfort and beauty, so don’t bother browsing rugs you don’t like, even if they are practical or fashionable. There are any number of different types of carpets or rugs: shag or high-pile carpets, antique rugs, flat-weave carpets, and rugs woven from fibers like jute or hemp. Take some time in a carpet store or with a professional designer. Explore your options, and then take use into consideration because…
There is no point in putting an antique rug in a toddler’s bedroom or under the dining room table if your beagles have claimed that space already. High-pile rugs are not made for places with lots of traffic, unless you want to see how dirty carpet can get. Consider how the room your carpet will be in functions, and work with, instead of against that purpose.
Finally, determine how you will take care of your rug. Can you beat it outside? Will vacuuming be enough? Will you be able to clean it yourself or does it need professional cleaning on a regular basis? If you can’t afford to keep your area rug or carpet clean, you should look at other possibilities. Don’t be like the shopper who wants to be a size 8 but is really a size 12. Never wearing a dress you love isn’t a good outcome, nor is being unhappy living with a carpet you can’t afford to take good care of.
These three tips will help guide you to a good carpet choice. Don’t rush through this process, though. It should be enjoyable for you to weigh your options and then finally select the perfect area rug or carpet for your hard floor. And don’t forget to add a non-slip backing to your rug to keep it in place and stop accidents from happening. Bond Products has three different kinds of rug backing to accommodate any carpet or rug need, and as we say, “Every hard floor needs a nice area rug!”
