Guest Post - Five Secrets Related to Luxurious Rugs No One Will Ever Tell You About

In design and décor, luxurious is not synonymous with expensive. There are plenty of expensive items that don’t rise to the level of being luxurious. Luxurious is also not synonymous with ornate, which can easily verge on gauche. Conversely, one can use simple design principles and relatively affordable décor items to create beautiful, elevated spaces. In the world of design, luxurious is that which is elegant, comfortable, and timeless, transcending not only what is “on trend” at the moment, but historical periods and entire epochs.

One of the few decor items that can achieve timeless beauty is the rug. Rugs originally designed and created by nomadic peoples of Central Asia are just at home, just as beautiful, and just as functional in an exquisite contemporary mansion as they were in tents occupied by ancient herders on the Great Steppe; exhibiting, as architect Christopher Alexander famously described, “a quality without name.”  

For professionals designing high-end residential interiors for their clients, one of the easiest ways to establish a living space as truly exceptional and memorable is to dress the home with luxurious rugs. Read on for 5 secrets that leading designers use when selecting and utilizing luxurious rugs for optimum effect.

1. Purpose

As beautiful as a luxurious rug is, it does no good to focus on aesthetics alone. Too many variables will affect a rug’s usefulness and longevity to buy it simply because it caught your eye and you can’t let it go. As with all elements of home design and organization, do not forsake planning. First, ask key questions:

• Am I using this rug to help define the function or functions of the space? If so, what are these functions? How large an area do I need for these purposes? These questions will influence the shape and size of the rugs you purchase.

• How much traffic do I expect this rug to withstand? Moreover, what type of traffic? Will this rug be in a common space near the main entryway? Will it be in a great room where people might want to lounge about on the floor? Will it be in a private study, bedroom, or bathroom? 

All of these questions should influence the rug materials that you select from. Some rug materials, such as wool and sisal, are extremely durable, but they differ in terms of softness.

2. Design With a Rug or Around a Rug?

It’s important to be intentional about the role that a particular rug will play in the design process. If you have rugs that are beautiful family heirlooms that you want to serve as a focal point for interior design, then simply keep that in mind as you plan around it. 

Otherwise, are you selecting a rug that will tie elements of decor together in a room?  In that case, you need to consider patterns, colors, and materials that will do the job. This aspect of planning can be trickier than one might assume at first blush. For instance, if a room includes an aquarium serving as a feature wall with exotic fish and aquatic plant life, the rug you select shouldn’t compete with, but rather promote the priority of that feature.  

3. Lifestyle

Are you a retiree who wants peace and quiet, the owner of a country farmhouse, or a suburban family with a home filled with active children and pets? Even luxurious rugs must accommodate the needs of your family.  Comfort, warmth, sound dampening, durability, cleaning, and maintenance are the most critical factors relative to the practical lifestyle demands of the homeowner. 

4. The Bedroom Rug Reimagined

No room has had more influence on the design of high-end contemporary homes than the requirement of a master bedroom worthy of the name. When decorating a bedroom, the selection of a luxury bedroom rug can help tie together design elements in the linens, blankets, comforters, and other textiles in the room. The selection of a bedroom rug should not be left as an afterthought during an errand run to a big-box store. Choosing a high-quality, luxury piece will elevate the entire aesthetic of your room.

5. Rug Pricing

Some rugs are worthwhile decorating expenses. Some rugs can also serve as investments. Either approach when purchasing a rug is perfectly fine; however, it may be helpful to recognize if a rug’s potential investment value might offset the expense to acquire it. With the exception of artwork and fine china, fine Persian and Oriental rugs represent some of the few home décor items that can legitimately be considered valuable collectibles. 

Whether purchased solely as a decorating expense or as an investment, the chief factors that determine the price of a rug include the material it’s made of, its method of manufacture or weaving, whether or not it’s imported, where it’s imported from, and size. Finally, there is also the question of what you are willing to pay versus what price the market will bear. The selling price of luxurious rugs is frequently negotiated. Only you know the degree to which you value a particular rug.

Keep it Simple

Now that you’re in on these secrets, there’s no need to overthink a luxury rug purchase. In fact, the factors presented above should help you make quicker work of deciding on whether or not a particular rug is just right for you and the space you’re looking to decorate.   

Author Bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.

Flooring Options to Consider in Your Home and Garage

Whether you're building a new home or renovating a current one, you'll face many design choices as you go room by room. One of them is what kind of flooring option you are going to use for your home or garage. This usually will be the first and most important design choice to make in each room.

Polished Concrete Flooring

Concrete is a great choice for garage floors and might be viable as subflooring in your residential rooms. Hard structure and resilient construction withstand wear and tear, and concrete flooring usually fits even the tightest of budgets.

Rubber Tiles

Rubber can be a natural alternative to wood for those looking for something more eco-friendly than concrete. Tiles of rubber are easy to install and provide a cost-effective, durable option easy to customize to the size and shape of any room or garage.

Wood

Wood flooring is usually thought of as a high-end choice, but it's also quite durable and cost-effective if you choose the right kind of lumber. Something that's naturally resistant to rot is going probably to cost more, but it's also going to last a lot longer.

Epoxy Flooring

Epoxy floors are a smart move. It's durable and lasts a long time. Choose from lots of different eye-pleasing colors, and rest easy in knowing that cleaning it will never take much out of you. One word of warning would be making sure your subflooring is moisture-resistant in advance so there is no risk of dampness.

Carpet/Rug

They're warm and easy on bare feet. They're also much easier to clean and take care of with regular vacuuming and cleanings. Best of all is how cheap they are to install.

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is great for low-traffic spaces. Vinyl tiles are comfortable and very flexible. You also get a lot of design choices in terms of composites, shades, and colors. There is also little need for maintenance.

Stone Flooring

Stone flooring options include flagstone, graphite, and sandstone. They can be expensive, but they're very attractive and durable options. Just remember that they get quite cold when it's winter.

You Don't Have to Be Consistent

While you should choose your flooring first when designing spaces in your home, you don't have to be consistent in your choices. You might decide on vinyl or wood for some rooms and carpet for the others. Also, your choice of garage flooring might not match the interior spaces of your occupied home.

Fixing Up the Kitchen? How to Give It a Fresh Aesthetic

If you live in an older home that has not been updated in a while, you may want to think about updating the kitchen. Since we typically spend considerable time cooking meals and cleaning dishes there, the kitchen should offer a pleasant environment and functional workspace to make life more enjoyable.

Paint the Walls

You will be amazed by how much a fresh coat of paint can improve the appearance of your kitchen. Choose a color that works with the room's decor and your home's color scheme. You may want to paint the ceiling white to brighten the entire room. You could alternately wallpaper the kitchen. But keep in mind that humidity and moisture from boiling, stewing, and baking might affect the wallpaper over time, causing it to loosen or peel.

Reface or Repaint the Cabinets

If you have wood cabinets that would be expensive to replace, have them refaced instead. This is a more affordable option to make your cabinet doors look like new. You might prefer to paint the cabinets in a shade that works well with the color of the walls and any trim. A thorough cleaning of the cabinet doors followed by refreshing them with a new finish or paint color will give your kitchen a vibrant look. You can also replace the cupboard door knobs or pulls for a trendy vibe.

Enhance the Countertops

New countertops can give your kitchen a completely different look, especially if the current ones are faded or scratched. Installing marble countertops can make the room feel more upscale, and they are surprisingly affordable. Choose a complementary backsplash to bring the new countertops into sharp focus as well as protect them during food preparation and cooking.

Upgrade the Lighting

Old light fixtures can date a kitchen, making it seem old fashioned and sometimes ill-lit. Replace aging lights with newer styles that accent the other improvements being made. For example, wall sconces can light up nooks and crannies that have been repainted or updated with new shelving. Add accessory lights under the cupboards to illuminate new countertops or install small accent lights in the backsplash for a special effect.

Replace the Flooring

A new waterproof plank floor will bring your kitchen into the twenty-first century and keep it safe from food spills and sink or fridge leaks. You can also opt for linoleum or tile flooring in a pattern that works with your colors and appliances.

You don't have to change everything in your kitchen to improve it. A few well-placed or much needed enhancements can make the room look its best.

Guest Post - How to Downsize from a House and Get Adjusted to Apartment Living

While owning a large house might be a dream for many Americans, having so much square footage can be incredibly challenging as well. From empty rooms and high monthly bills to constant household maintenance, large homes can come with quite steep costs. 

For that reason, an increasing number of homeowners are deciding to downsize, but aren’t quite sure how to navigate this drastic and often overwhelming change. If you’re having similar issues as well, here are some helpful tips that will allow you to downsize from a house and easily get adjusted to apartment living:

Begin by decluttering your belongings

Downsizing to an apartment will inevitably mean you’ll have to learn how to live with less and get rid of some of your belongings in an effort to fit into a smaller space. For that reason, planning and preparing for a household move in advance, even before starting an apartment search, is always advised. Begin by decluttering your entire home, and then immediately throw out, donate, or sell anything you don’t need or use anymore. 

Whether it’s clothing items or unutilized equipment, removing unnecessary items from your home will allow you to realize that you don’t really need all that living space when it’s not filled up with clutter and chaos.

Prepare for the move in advance

In an effort to make moving houses easy, it might also be helpful to downsize ahead of time. Apart from throwing out any unnecessary belongings, this could also mean letting go of any large pieces of furniture or otherwise big and bulky items that aren’t likely to fit inside an apartment. This will allow you to adjust to smaller living before you move out, and it might even make the final move that much quicker and easier, knowing you have significantly fewer large and heavy items to transport.

Consider whether you wish to buy or rent

Once you’ve done the initial preparations, the next step would be to decide whether you want to buy or rent your apartment. While owning a home might be a dream for many, apartments can come at surprisingly high costs, including mortgage, insurance, and maintenance rates, all of which can be particularly daunting if you don’t own the house you currently live in, and can’t put the sales money towards your new home. 

In places like Texas, where the prices of apartments are currently on the rise, many people tend to look for beautiful Brownsville apartments for rent in order to overcome this hurdle. Coming in stunning complexes, convenient locations, and no additional homeowner costs, such apartments are truly the perfect solution for downsizing.

Think about the necessary requirements

In case you’re looking for a condo in larger cities like New York or Los Angeles, on the other hand, there are a number of additional aspects you might want to consider when searching for the perfect home. For example, if having outdoor space and access to a pool is something you don’t want to compromise on when downsizing, you need to include these amenities in your search in order to find the right apartment, as such complexes can be difficult to come across. 

Similarly, if you need additional personal, office, and storage space, or you even plan on expanding your family in the future, these are all important details to keep in mind when choosing the most appropriate apartment size and floor plan.

Finalize the move to your new place

After you’ve found your dream apartment, it will be time to sign the lease. But before you do so, it’s recommended to carefully review the documents and pay special attention to aspects such as the rent price, security deposit, and utilities, as well as any maintenance and damages policies, to ensure everything is as agreed. When you’re finally ready to move in, a professional moving company could be of great help, but you also might be able to complete the move by yourself, especially if your decluttering efforts were successful.

Make your apartment feel like home

Whether you are renting or even buying your new condo, making the space feel comfortable and inviting, without being overly stuffed, could be one of the biggest challenges you face when downsizing. When it comes to furnishing and decorating an apartment, size should be your main priority. Simply carefully measuring the rooms and potential furniture will be enough to help you select the ideal pieces for a smaller space. 

To make your apartment feel homier, personalization will be key. From bright wall colors and printed cushions to natural materials and textured rugs, there are many ways you could add more interest and dimension to your new space, easily making it feel like home.

Wrapping up

Even though downsizing could present a challenge for many homeowners, living in an apartment can actually give you newfound happiness and freedom, without mortgages and house maintenance weighing you down. And as long as you utilize the helpful tips mentioned above, downsizing might actually be a less stressful and more enjoyable experience as well.

About the author: Mike Johnston is an experienced blogger and editor with a background in creative writing and digital media. He’s a regular contributor to the ‘Smooth Decorator’ blog and numerous other online publications where he writes primarily about home improvement, interior design, and sustainable living.