Soft Furnishings - What rugs work best for your home

Kids rugs
Let’s face it, when we’re redecorating our kid’s rooms, style isn’t exactly the first thing on our mind. The sorts of colours kid’s like, for instance, tend to be the sorts of colours that will clash with each other or be uncomfortably bright. But it is all about colours, so when decking a kid’s room out you don’t have to play by the rules, so long as you’re playing.

When thinking of kid’s rugs, think of flooring that doubles up as an imaginative island. Kid’s rugs are either going to have toy cars raced on or toy-brick houses built on. They are there to incite imagination and be part of the fun; rainbows, animals and shapes are the way to go.

Kid’s rugs are there to provide a bit of safety too. Rugs are an extra layer of soft furnishing for bumps and tumbles, they’re made to be sat on and jumped on. They’re also made to be spilt on. So the best rugs are the ones that can be cleaned most easily, like acrylic. And the thicker the pile, the softer they’ll be.

Persian rugs
The Middle East is the motherland of the not-so-humble rug. Carpet weaving in Persia is an institution that goes as far back as the region’s history. So integral are rugs and carpet making to the historical region that, even today, Iranian rugs occupy a space way beyond any other type of rug.

The full history of Persian rugs has only survived in paintings. It’s reported, though, that carpet weaving in Persia dates back to the Bronze Age. So Persian rugs are clearly a primary source for antique styling, but you probably don’t want to go walking all over a 500-year old woollen weave.

Iranian carpets are still considered to be up there with the best. And the old traditions are nowhere near dead. The style of Persian rugs is ubiquitous and is the perfect addition to a design that incorporates rich dark woods and classic furniture. If you’re designs lean towards authentic natural materials, then these are the rugs for you. Nothing looks better on a wooden floor than a classic Persian rug.

Turkish rugs
Right up there with the famous Persian rug is equally famous Turkish carpet. Geographically, Turkey and Iran sit side by side, so it’s probably not much of a surprise that they’re both leaders in the field of rug making. It’s part of the culture of the Middle East that makes rugs so important here. The nomadic lifestyle called for temporary flooring, while the bitter cold of the desert at night warranted insulation on the floors.

Like Persian rugs, Turkish rugs are wool based, made by hand and adorned with intricate designs. In fact, it’s very hard to tell them apart. Both can range from Turkish humble or practical designs, all the way to ostentatiously coloured patterning.

Elsewhere in the Middle East and Arab world; Pakistan, Armenia, Morocco and Indian rug weaving and the production of carpets is still integral to the unique cultures and economies of local and national regions. It’s no wonder that this area of the world is so definitive when it comes to rugs.

Shag pile rugs or shaggy rugs
A shag rug, or just a shag, has a deep but thin pile that literally looks shaggy. The look is modern and rather like animal fur. In fact, this is probably the reason why shag pile rugs have become so popular in recent years. The decadence of a royal boudoir might once have been down to the luxurious soft furnishings in a time where animal hide was the standard material for insulation and comfort.

Thankfully long gone are the days that animal fur is an acceptable way to create comfort. Instead a series of modern materials has replaced fur, but without loosing the soft, sumptuous feel.

Shag pile rugs are perfect in bedrooms, and even bathrooms, as the perfect surface to cushion your bare feet. And they can easily add a decadent feel to a design too, with light coloured shag rugs looking great on top of rich coloured carpets, or in front of the fireplace.

Modern rugs
Modern rugs are rather self-explanatory, and cover all sorts of shapes and sizes that you can find in your local department store. The best thing about buying a modern rug is that you can take advantage of modern advances in material and design in order to ensure you have a hardwearing rug that does the job.

Synthetic fibres, like nylon, polyester and polypropylene have now become some of the most common materials for rugs. Wool is the only natural material that can stand up to them at all. Nylon for one, if far easier to be printed on, meaning that vibrant designs are easier and more affordable to produce, and also incredibly stain resistant.

As one of the best uses for rugs is to protect your flooring, having a modern carpet is a great way to ensure longevity, durability and affordability.

For more great tips visit www.drytron.com.au. Of course, if you need to get the carpet cleaning experts in to get your carpet, upholstery and rugs looking their best, simply give us a call in the Drytron Customer Care Centre on 13 12 50.