How To Clean A Rug 0

You’ve found the perfect rug. The colours complement your room, the texture feels great, the size is just right and you plan on keeping this rug for a very long time. Now that you’ve found it, how are you going to keep it clean and looking great? Follow these steps, and you can have a rug that lasts for ages.

1. Vacuum Your Rug Regularly

Just like you would do to your own carpet, make sure to vacuum your rug on a regular basis with a suction vacuum about every one week or two weeks. Be careful not to vacuum the tassels as they can be pulled and fringe. Every month, flip your rug over and vacuum that side too, and loose dirt should be cleared from your carpet in the process. A vacuum or soft bristled brush can also help loosen fibres that might have settled or compacted.

2. Rotate Your Rug

If your rug is underneath a table or chairs, be sure to rotate it every so often. Doing so evens out wear and tear and should be done at least once a year. If you do so, traffic and sun fading damage will be evenly distributed throughout your rug, rather than being concentrated in one area. Also, make sure to do this if furniture is on top of your rug. Consider moving that furniture to avoid impressions or uneven fading on that rug.

3. Spot Clean Your Rug

Unlike the above two steps, spot cleaning it uses a chemical treatment to ensure those pesky spots are gone. There are a few different formulas you can make to spot treat your rug and they all work great. Here are two common messes that can be taken care of with spot treatments:

Food/Drinks

First remove as much of the food or drink as you can with a paper towel, spoon, and/or a clean cloth. Once you have done that, rinse the stain with cold water, and then after the rinse blot dry and sponge with rug shampoo. When sponging, do not use a stiff brush and use cool water to finish. Let dry thoroughly.

Pet Stains

Food/drink stains and urine stains could be cleaned out with a cup of white vinegar per gallon to the rinse water. For faeces and throw up stains, you can scrape the material, and then sponge the area with a rug shampoo or the same white vinegar solution mentioned earlier. You can also find several specialised cleaning products for this kind of cleaning issue that you can try after testing it on a small area of the carpet to make sure it won’t run.

4. Hire a Professional

It can be that simple. Sometimes, personal care just isn’t enough. This is certainly true when you can rub your finger vigorously in the rug for ten seconds and see dirt on your finger, or when you can see the warp and weft look dirty when you pull the pile apart and look at the foundations. This is when you should look to one of these fine professionals to clean your rug for you.

 Rug Home has put together its own list of who we trust when it comes to cleaning a rug professionally. 

How to redesign your home 0

You've decided to redecorate? 

You’ve bought a new house, you’re waiting for a child, or you simply feel that you need some changes in your life. Whatever might be the reasons, you decided to redecorate the place you live in to make it your own. After a few attempts to design it by yourself, you choose to turn to a professional interior designer, thinking the process would then be easier. However, you realise that choosing the right one is not that simple. Here are a few tricks to help you.

After a few attempts to design it by yourself, you choose to turn to a professional interior designer, thinking the process would then be easier. However, you realise that choosing the right one is not that simple. Here are a few tricks to help you.

The facts!

Fact: the process of renovating one’s house is complicated.

Another fact: It doesn't have to be.

The first step you should take before contacting any specialists is simply to take a look at your place and to analyse your needs. Make a list of the furniture you want to replace or modify.

But why

Ask yourself WHY you want to redecorate this specific room; know what you want, but also what you don't want. Sure, creating an open space with the kitchen and dining room would be great, but you don't want to lose storage space.

And yes, this $100 000 wooden table is wonderful, but I doubt it would last long with your two-year-old. To summarise, write down your needs and desires to know what should be done, and keep it in mind during the process.

This crucial step will also allow you to know if you really need to work with an interior designer or if the work that needs to be done could be done by someone else (a friend, a colour consultant, a painter or even yourself).

However, if you do decide to work with an interior designer, they’re going to review your needs with you, so having them already listed will save you precious time.

You need to know what you're after - go nuts online

Once you’ve determined the nature of your needs, examine the different possibilities and modifications that could be brought to your room. Try to find inspiration online and in magazines. Websites such as Pinterest, houseandgarden, getdecorating and we heart it and home decoration TV shows will be your best friends at that time.

Time to look for a professional interior designer 

After gathering a few inspiring pictures, you can start looking for the interior designer who will take your project in charge. The key to realise this step efficiently is to look at different designers portfolio and to talk to the people who’ve worked with them.

Another great thing to do is to ask for submissions of a possible design for your room and to choose from those. Trying to find a designer who really works towards his client's needs whether than to embellish his own portfolio will allow you to make sure that your wishes are truly going to be respected.

The following step, once having reached out to a specific interior designer to collaborate with them, is to tell them what you want as well as how much you're willing (and able) to pay for it. The designer is qualified to tell you if your budget is realistic and if not, what could be done with it. Be sure to clearly state from the beginning of the process the amount of money that you want to invest in the project in order to avoid any bad surprise.

In the end, as in any relationship, the key to a great collaboration with your interior designer is communication. Don't retain yourself from asking questions, trying new things and make it clear when you don't like something. After all, you are the one who's going to live in this space.

To know more about home decoration and interior designers, I recommend:
HOMEPORTFOLIO. Choosing An Interior Designer - How To Choose An Interior Designer, http://www.homeportfolio.com/how-to/how-to-select-an-interior-designer,

DECORILLA.  How To Find An Interior Designer That’s Right For You, https://www.decorilla.com/online-decorating/how-to-find-an-interior-designer/

How To Pick The Perfect Rug For Your Space 0

The Perfect Rug For Your Space

How do I know what to pick?

Picking a rug for your home can be difficult, and with so much variety available, how do you pick the perfect one? We all know one of the classic ways to decorate a room is with a rug, and these days, the styles, shapes, and colours of floor rugs available are practically innumerable. It’s great news for rug aficianados, but what if you don’t have a clue how to style a room with a rug? This handy guide will give you some of the best ideas for rug styling so you can decorate like a pro!

Centrepiece or part of the show?

The first place to start is to determine if your rug is a foundation or the magic marker that connects the dots. If you’ve already put all your furniture in the perfect spot and just need something to tie it all together, then you’ve most likely already got a plan regarding the rug’s size, shape, and colour.

If you’re starting from scratch, then the perfect rug gets to be the piece around which you build the room. Every room is different in this regard. For example, you’re a lot more likely to build an entire living room off of a rug than you are a bathroom, though anything’s possible in home decorating!

It matters what rug you pick

The point of a rug is to highlight your furniture and pull the room together, so it matters what you pick. Solids are a great staple, but colours matter. If you have brightly coloured furniture or wall art, a more tonal floor rug may be a wise way to balance the room. Similarly, if your furniture is neutral, a brightly coloured rug can add just the pop of fun the rooms needs. Don’t count out patterns either! Bold, big, and brash patterns can be a fantastic foundation for a quality space, as long as your furniture isn’t shouting too. Subtle patterns are a wonderful way to add texture to a room with a lot of character. If you like to decorate with books, artwork, and baubles, stripes or spots in soothing colours can be an interesting dimension. Maybe cowhides are your thing?

The truth is, a lot of the choice - when it comes to colours and patterns - really ends up being a matter of personal preference and good judgement. The more challenging skill set is how to position a rug! Rugs are accessories, but they often feature prominently, so placement is key. Some placement tips will probably seem like obvious conclusions. A good example of this would be a rug for a dining room, as the best choice is typically going to be large rugs that cover the space the table and chairs occupy. However, not all dining rooms are created equal, and not all are suited for a rug in the first place. Don’t take any rug rules as gospel, because no one knows your house and your space like you. That being said, there are a few pieces of advice you can follow when planning out your space.

So how do I place my rug?

When using an area rug, a rug that is designed to accent a specific part of a space, make the rug a little smaller than the space you’re putting it in. It needs to give the furniture and the floor room to breathe, without being too small to be worth noticing. A nice way to compliment your space is to have the front two legs of your dominant seating furniture piece rest on the rug. There are multiple ways to take this tip and run with it. Large area rugs can be the platform on which you place a table, or they can accent the space in front of a fireplace. Another awesome tip for area rugs is to use them to split a room. A rug that’s focused entirely on the left side of the room, anchoring the furniture, leaves the entire right side to form its own layout and emphasis. By that same token, it’s not at all impossible to use more than one indoor rug in the same space. The biggest thing to be wary of in that situation is your colour choices. Rugs should complement each other. Don’t be afraid to mix textures for an added punch!

There's plenty of variety

Rugs come in all different shapes, just like rooms. Long, narrow rooms can be elongated visually by long, narrow rugs. Patterns help with visual tricks like that as well. Not all rugs need to match the shape of their rooms though. A long room like the one we just mentioned could be given a fun pop with multiple circular textured rugs or a modern spill shape in a fun colour. A lot of shape choices will depend on how you plan to theme your space, so don’t be afraid of what seems unusual or unconventional. A great way to accent a traditionally square room is a large round rug, or even with a hexagonal rug. If your furniture emphasises lines, go for a more angular rug. If your furniture and décor have curves, go for curves in your rug! Be aware of the size of your rug when using it as a centrepiece. Never cover the whole floor. Your room will always appear larger and more cohesive if you leave a visible floor border around the edges of the rug.

The real choice is yours

Ultimately, the most important part of a rug is how it makes you feel. Does it comfort you? Calm you? Inspire you? Pump you up? It may sound like a lot to expect of your rug, but colour, shape, and size choices can say a lot about you and the space you’re designing. Trust yourself, and trust your space. If the rug doesn’t work, the whole room will scream at you to let you know. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

Should I buy a synthetic or wool rug? 0

The difference between wool and synthetic carpet?

 Wool? Nylon? Polyester? With so many choices out there, it's easy to default to the most popular choice, nylon. It's affordable, easy to dye, and durable. Unfortunately, it needs a special chemical coating to make it stain-resistant. And when it comes time to clean it or throw it out? Not so nice for Mother Nature.  

Go Natural

 If you want to be a kinder person to Mother Nature this year, opt for a quality wool carpet. On top of it being a renewable resource that's naturally biodegradable, wool is also flame-retardant, water-resistant, stain-resistant, and long-lasting. The beautiful wool carpets you find in antique shops or museums are a testament to how durable the material is. An antique synthetic carpet is simply an oxymoron, as they degrade and yellow just like any other plastic. Wool is also easier to clean - ask any professional carpet cleaner. Synthetic carpets are lint/hair/grime magnets, and it can take some serious steam or vacuum power to get them clean. Wool will have you saving money in the long run as you spend less on maintenance and replacement.

Wool also feels so much better on the skin, and has a natural bounce to it, making it feel extra cushy. For those who are chemically sensitive, a natural wool carpet might be the only option. Wool is also a more effective insulator, helping you keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

What If I Don’t Like Wool?

Sisal (from agave) is another natural material that is typically grown without chemical fertilisers or herbicides. It is highly durable, and only needs vacuuming due to its anti-static nature. However, sisal comes out like a hemp material, so it's a bit rough to the touch. 

 Seagrass, like sisal, is a natural material made from grass and reeds that grow in Chinese paddies and marshes but is much softer. It also resists dust, dirt, bacteria and allergens, making it perfect for those who don't have time to clean so often and those with kids and allergies.

There is also something to be said about the inherent aesthetic of a natural carpet. It's much like comparing particleboard with a lovely hardwood - there just is no comparison! 

Invest in Natural

While synthetic carpets still dominate the market due to their affordability, the smarter investment is a natural fibre rug. With so many new options available today, the home-owner looking for a beautiful addition to their home doesn't need to look any further than Rug Home. 

What Are Cowhide Rugs? 0