Assessing Your Needs

• Identify the room you would like to purchase a rug for and measure it wall-to-wall. Draw a diagram, placing the furniture and marking doorways and other important details.
• Measure the space that you envision the rug in. Give the dealer maximum and minimum measurements for the length and width of the rug.
• Think about how the room is used-Do you use it twice a year for company? Is this a room you really live in? Does the room have a definite traffic pattern? How formal a lifestyle do you have? Do you need to darken or lighten the room?
• Look at color-Are you adding a rug to a room with existing colors or are you starting with a clean palette of colors? Are you selecting the rug first or is it the last piece of the puzzle? Do you want the rug to be the focal point or blend into the room? Make a list of desirable and undesirable colors.
• Decide your budget-Keep in mind that a rug can be handed down through generations of your family. A good quality rug, properly cared for, has a long life span. With so many rugs available, there are choices for every budget and décor.
• Decide the look you are going for-What is the flavor of your home and the room the rug will go in-contemporary, vintage, traditional, formal, casual?
• Clip pictures-While you glance through magazines and advertisements, make note and cut out any styles of rugs that appeal to you. You can also save swatches of material and paint chips for color.
• Make an appointment with an oriental rug dealer to see the space in your home and help you assess your needs before you start shopping.