Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Why European Area Rugs Are Suitable For Interior Decorations


Rugs have always been part of a homeowner's life. Some believe it's almost impossible to complete a home without them which is why it is inevitable for a lot of businessmen to take advantage of this by making rugs their primary business products. Area rugs are being manufactured in so many different places from all over the world. One of the best types of area rugs is European area rugs.

Although rugs that are made in Europe come in a wide variety of designs, they could easily be distinguished from those that have been made in other top rug manufacturing places like Persia, India and China.

European area rugs have more solid, simple and elegant designs. They make use of designs like stripes, blocks, checkered, and other designs that tend to be very neutral in terms of blending with different types of interior decorations.

Unlike Persian rugs that usually have shady floral designs, rugs made in Europe can come in different attractive colors like black, white, red, etc. They also come in floral designs however they are not as concentrated as those of Persian rugs. Floral designs from rugs made in Europe tend to be a lot lighter to the eyes and they also make use of lighter colors for floral designs.

Generally, rugs are being used for home interior decoration where homeowners can play with whatever look they want for their home. However, because of the simplicity and elegance of European area rugs, they are also most of the time being used to decorate corporate business offices and other venues. This is because the simplicity and elegance of their designs are capable of giving an office a lighter and very soothing ambiance.

Just like any other type of area rug, European area rugs also have hand-made versions that tend to be quite expensive because they take a lot longer and harder to finish. Most of the time, the area rugs that are made available in the market are made by machine. Rugs from Europe that are made by machines are a lot less expensive but they have similar designs to those that have been made by hand and they are also equally durable. However, as it takes machines a shorter period of time to finish making rugs, they cost a lot cheaper.

If interior designers choose to come up with an elegant looking design for a lesser cost, they sometimes choose to buy European area rugs that are machine-made. Most of these cheaper rugs are also made out of genuine raw materials like wool and cotton fiber. Because they are made out of genuine raw materials, they also have strong qualities like being resistant to dust mites and other similar insects, being hypoallergenic, being resistant to excessive exposure to the heat of the sun and being very effective in absorbing moisture.

Overall, European area rugs can add various colors and designs to a room or office to pick up the mood and give a good impression. Whilst these rugs are different in terms of design and color compared to some of the other types, they are still a popular choice for some homeowners.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Secrets Behind Cheap Rugs For Sale


Don't get carried away by the lure of savings that cheap rugs present. You have to remain a responsible and educated consumer when browsing through affordable rug options, whether online or in brick and mortar stores. Cheap rugs for sale are a dime a dozen. Quality products are hard to find. Knowing this, you will have to be very critical about the material, construction, texture and appearance of the rug you buy so you do not end up with a substandard product.

Rugs are usually made from a variety of materials. The most common of which is wool, a natural fiber, highly regarded for its durability, strength and softness. High-quality varieties are usually imported from Tibet and New Zealand as the sheep's there produce high levels of lanolin. Lanolin, in turn, enhances the fiber's texture and strength, thereby ensuring the finished product's perseverance. Regardless of this feature though, wool is known to be prone to shedding and fading. As such, they are not advised to use in areas with high traffic. Another popular material used in making rugs is silk. This protein fiber is typically blended with other rug fabrics to pair up its distinct softness with sturdiness. But what makes it more appealing, albeit the difficulty in maintenance is that it refracts light and shimmers when exposed. Cotton is another widely utilized material in rug creation and it is preferred by homeowners because it is affordable, easy to clean, and eco-friendly. However, it does attract dust easily and hardly equals wool and silk when it comes to durability. Grass fibers are probably as resilient. But they are less popular because of their coarse grain. Last on the list are synthetic fibers, namely acrylic, viscose, nylon and polypropylene. They are also durable. And since they do not require collection and harvesting, they are cheaper than other types of rug materials.

As far as construction goes, most modern day rugs are still made through the same techniques used by ancient weavers. Some are hand-knotted, tufted, hooked and braided while others are flat woven. However, there are currently rugs that are machined made and processed, which explains their marked down prices. See, usually it takes about a month to three to dye, weave and pattern a rug. And sometimes, more than one person is involved in its creation. It is because of this that they fetch high prices.

It is possible that the cheap rugs you are eyeing are actually just manufactured in some factory without that much time investment put into it as well as attention to detail. Not that they are unreliable when it comes to fulfilling their protective and decorative purposes. But handmade rugs are obviously better as far as craftsmanship goes. Still, if you can secure robustness, there's nothing wrong with getting a low-priced model. Anyways, it might not even be the construction or material that's compromised in this deal. Shipping fees, taxes and money conversions also play a part on why certain products are expensive or economical. Thus, it is not impossible to find cheap rugs for sale that are hand-crafted from reliable and smart retailers.