Recently I have noticed many discount stores selling large rugs at cheap prices and have invested in a few to make the most of the aging carpet in the living room. They are much easier to clean and can also brighten up the room. In some cases they are better than buying new carpet and if there are any stains or spills, it is much easier to clean. I never used to like them, but have found it is quicker to clean a rug properly than to vacuum a carpet.
I despise carpet. I'd love to rip it all out of this house. I grew up with wood floors and throw rugs, and I agree, that combination is much easier to keep clean. Unfortunately, for some reason, my cats have learned to associate rugs with comfortable places to pee, so I don't use any here anymore. In my next house or my next life, whichever comes first, there will be no carpet.
I've always used throw rugs throughout the various places I've lived, even when the carpet was brand new when I moved in. Not only do they protect the carpet underneath them, but they add splashes of color to the rooms and help break up large open spaces into smaller "sections" visually, such as where your dining room may run into your living room. They're especially helpful when I've moved into apartments where everything from floor to ceiling is all "beige" and I want to add some large sections of color to the room without having to resort to painting walls - which is a pain to revert back when you're moving out. The one thing to be mindful of is you still often need to deep clean the carpet underneath, otherwise you will be left with "outlines" on the floor where the carpet was covered vs. where it was not. This was especially true with one apartment I lived in. There was Berber carpeting installed just before I had moved in, but that particular type of carpet is made from recycled materials and is rather rough and coarse, and would attract dirt from your shoes really easily. So at least 4 times a year I would round up all my throw rugs and put them aside, and run my carpet cleaning machine all over the place.
Cheap throw rugs are great! If you want change up your home, or If the rug gets stained or damage they are more easily replaceable.
I used to dream of having a full carpeted house when we were renting an apartment. When we moved to a rented house, my sister-in-law gave us a puppy and that started my love for dogs. After 5 years, we were able to buy a house of our own that is fit to be carpeted. However, our dog wouldn't be comfortable with that so I consulted the vet. And not getting a go signal from the vet, I learned to accept that carpet is not for us. We also tried linoleum but the dogs are wary and restless. So no rug or carpet for us.
The only carpet I would consider getting in the future would be carpet squares. I think they're a fairly new concept, since I only started seeing them mentioned a few years ago on HGTV. My main issue with carpet is that it's so difficult to deep clean, and with carpet squares, you have the ability to actually pick up and replace specific sections if they get too dirty. I haven't investigated them enough to know how they function with regard to whether they are laid over padding the way regular carpet is, in which case that might negate the whole purpose of using the squares. If the padding is built into the squares, that would fix that issue, and I might consider them, but otherwise, I still wouldn't want to use them. @Corzhens it's probably just as well that they don't like carpet. It's extremely difficult to keep it clean, particularly once pets get older and start having accidents.
I was just going to mention carpet squares or carpet tiles. I would much rather use this product than have wall to wall carpeting. The low pile is a nice option for high traffic areas. You can literally take them outside and hose them down. I heard on one of the HGTV shows that some of them can even be put in the dishwasher. Crazy. I don't know that I'd try that, but I thought it was cool. Easy replacement is also a good selling point. I also like area rugs, throw rugs, and runners too, because as noted, they are easier to care for. It's just easier to keep things clean.
I have laminate flooring and I like that a lot better than carpet. Carpet it is just too easy for dirt to get trapped in..and has to be vaccummed all the time. The carpet that used to be in here was some fairly ghastly light colored indoor outdoor carpeting. I am glad I am laminate in almost all of the rooms now. I think it looks so much nicer and is easier to care for too. I have rugs on top in places.
I really wish that I could find some cheap rugs. I am looking for some for my reading room and everything is at least $75 for a nice looking rug around here. What stores should I be looking at? Has anyone tried Wayfair?
I've seen some as cheap as 50p on sale. But I also have started buying a few. I only just realised how a few chairs wear out a carpet more than anything else, so it's better that they wear out a cheap rug I can replace, rather than the whole carpet.
I totally agree! I have actually always preferred rugs over wall to wall carpet. For me, the brighter coloured, or warm earth tones, the better too. I think they truly transform the look and feel of any house. Plus, they're just so much easier to clean. I like that you can 'beat them down' almost weekly to proper rid them of dust and all sorts, and hang them out in the fresh air, which is what most people do here. Saturday is usually the day of the 'big clean' and you'll often see people's rugs hanging out and being cleaned. Like Diane Lane, if i'm ever blessed to have my own house, I'll definitely go with the wooden floor and rugs combination.
The previous owner of our house had wall to wall carpet in the living and dining rooms. It hadn't been cleaned in what looked like forever. That was the first thing we did was removed it. Unfortunately there was an attempt to stain the hardwood floors beneath and didn't do a good job then we knew the carpet was to cover it all up. So I opted to use area rugs big enough to cover it up instead of wall to wall carpet and cheaper too.
Another way to save money on rugs is with DIY projects. You can make some beautiful rugs using nice materials, if you have the time. There are tutorials available, and I've seen some super cute ideas. At first, I didn't even look, because I didn't think that homemade rugs would be nice. I've seen some that I really like though. Also, there are videos or other instructions available for making an area rug by piecing together smaller rugs. The smaller rugs are often cheaper or on sale for less, so it might work out to a better deal. You'd have to compare the prices of the several smaller rugs against the price of a large one to make sure it was the better deal, but in some cases, it definitely provides savings. With some of them, I couldn't even tell that they had been made that way. They turned out nice.
I prefer wood floors, they are easier to clean, the environment is healthier for people with allergies like myself. We use floor rugs to help protect the floors and to give a pop of color to the areas airs in the home. Carpet on the stairs is the worse, it is impossible to keep clean the only solution is to pull up the carpet.
Hmmm thats true and that thread really informative for me and it's just too awesome post.Yes it's easiest to maintain the carpet rather than that of rugs.
We don't have rugs at home aside from the old t-shirts that you use to wipe the water drops. I think rugs are good for decorative purposes, but they can trap dirt over time which makes it unappealing in my eyes.
