Avoiding area rug angst

Sunset, Jan, 1995 by Daniel Gregory

A designer of contemporary area rugs offers some pointers

THERE ARE DOS AND don'ts when selecting an area rug. Choose one with a pattern, and it can act as a vivid focal point, turning the floor around it into a kind of picture frame. But decide on one that's too loudly patterned for the space, and you could have a visual brawl on your hands, as the rug spars with innocent bystanders like sofas and chairs. So how do you avoid a floor fight? We asked rug designer Vicki Simon of San Francisco for her advice.

Context. Where is the rug going to go? And what will be around or on top of it? Your answers determine the size, shape, texture, and design of the rug you select. Think about the rug as part of the total look of the room, says Simon. "I recommend getting your furniture first and then the rug. It's easier and usually less expensive to make the rug work with the furniture than to make the furniture work with the rug."

If you like patterned area rugs, try to envision how much of the pattern will be obscured by your sofa. If furniture will cover up most of the rug's design, there's no need to worry about getting a rug with a pattern.

Size. A few standard dimensions work best in certain situations: a 9- by 12-foot rug is usually considered living room-size; a 6- by 9-foot rug is often placed in front of a sofa under a coffee table; and a 4- by 6-foot rug is about the size of a coffee table. Before you buy, decide where your rug will go to determine the size you'll need.

Texture and materials. You have a choice between firm loop pile and cushy cut pile in wool or nylon. Says Simon, "The advantages of loop pile textures are that they are easier to keep clean and don't crush or show footprints."

Wool rugs are generally more expensive, but the money is usually well spent. In fact, wool remains a favorite fiber of rug designers like Simon. She appreciates its softness, resilience, lack of sheen, ease of cleaning, and natural stain-resistance. Simon advises: "If your rug's going to be in front of the fireplace and you'll be lying on it, you may want to invest in the softness of wool." Don't use a rug with variable textures in the dining room, she adds: it makes sliding chairs back from the table difficult.

Shape. The rectangle isn't the only shape available. "Round rugs are very versatile," says Simon. "You can have oval or round rugs in a square setting." If you are considering a custom-designed rug, then the shape can be as "organic" as you want: "It can be like art for the floor." If artwork is already the focus of the room, she advises choosing a solid-color rug that doesn't compete.

Rugs by Vicki Simon are available through interior designers and Limn Company in San Francisco, Linea in Los Angeles, and Partners in Time in Seattle.