Michigan Retailer Focuses on Rugs

Flint, MI, February 21--Thousands of years ago, tents in the Middle East were decorated by finely crafted, hand-woven rugs. Now, area rugs are enjoying a resurgence as hard-surface floors are becoming more popular, according to the Flint Journal. Jim Pemberton, owner of Peerless Furniture and Floor Coverings in Flint Township, said the use of rugs dates from ancient times. "They're part of human history," he said. "Rugs used to be handed down though generations as family heirlooms." Area rugs can add interest, cut noise and increase safety. They come in a myriad of colors, materials, styles, shapes and sizes. There are so many choices that making a decision can be daunting. Pemberton offered suggestions on how to choose the proper rug. "It's all about lifestyle, color and the size of the room," he said. "A good guideline is to pull from something of the room for the rug. Windows, walls, furniture - pull the color out." Pemberton said that for the most part, sticking with the style of the room is a good idea, although there are exceptions. "Typically, if the room is traditional, stick to that for the rug. But I won't tell you that changing that won't ever work. I'm not a proponent of everything matching perfectly, necessarily." The choice of material is another big factor in most people's decisions. Material can influence price, durability, how the rug can be cleaned and its look. Generally, shoppers choose between natural and synthetic material, with a lot of choices in each category. Pemberton said he likes wool better most of the time. "I think wool is always a good choice," he said. "It lays flatter, it's easier to clean and it's more durable. Especially if you plan to keep a rug a long time, maybe even pass it on to your kids or grandkids, wool is an excellent choice." There are different qualities of wool, too. Sometimes it amounts to the manner in which the rug was made. Hand-knotted rugs often are superior to machine-woven rugs, although Pemberton said there are first-rate machine-made rugs too. Other fibers to choose from include the synthetics polypropylene (olefin), nylon and acrylic and natural materials such as cotton, hemp and sisal. Besides the material, there are other choices to make: size, color, shape, design. David Smith, vice president of flooring at Skaff Furniture and Carpet in Mundy Township, said size depends on a number of factors. "We ask lots of questions of people looking to buy rugs," he said. "One of the first is about the size of the room. That often will help determine the size of the rug." In the case of dining rooms, there is a formula that usually results in a properly sized rug: Add 4 feet to the length and width of the dining table. "That's so you can pull out chairs without going half on the rug, half on the floor," Smith said. For example, if the table is 4-by-6 feet, look for rugs that are 8-by-10. If the table is round, add 4 feet to the diameter. Other size considerations have to do with arrangement of furniture. Groupings can be created by using smaller rugs to anchor a couple of chairs and a loveseat, or a sofa and chair. Or use a big rug to fill most of the space in a room. "In a bedroom, you can use two small rugs by each side of the bed; you can put a big rug under the bed; or you can bisect the room with a rug under half of the bed," Smith said. He cautioned that when choosing a rug that will have furniture on it, make sure the design is compatible with that decision. "Don't choose a rug with a big medallion in the center for under the dining room table," he said. "You'll never see the design." A good choice for the dining room would be a rug with an overall pattern, with or without a border. If the rug will be completely exposed, choosing a medallion or other central design is appropriate.