Introduction:

This page of rug buying tips is designed to simplify your purchase of a luxury handmade rug. Remember that the goal of any purchase is to make your home more beautiful and you are the best judge of that. While there will be many helpful tips to get you started, very little can compare to the decades of experience we can provide in person. 

Getting Started:

A number of various considerations may help in the purchase of your fine rug. Especially when purchasing your very first fine carpet it is good to know where to begin. Each point will be detailed further below.

1 - Design and Color
2 - Size and Use
3 - Types and Textures
4 - Investment and Legacy

Design and Color:

First and foremost, determine the mood you want for your room. The design personality and color of the rug selected will create the desired feeling for the room. Bring in swatches of prominent fabrics in the room your rug will call home and also colors of walls and floors. At no obligation, take some of our rugs home to try them out to be certain that the design and color are exactly what you need.

Casual, modern designs can bring hand woven classic beauty to a 21st Century decor. 

Bold medallions are a dramatic statement especially when seeking a more formal approach to design.

Vintage patterns may help a viewer reminisce about time passed and introduce a traditional feel.

Rugs can be found in many shapes and sizes, from rounds to runners, any space can have the right fit.

Rug patterns should work well with existing designs and fabrics in your room or serve as a centerpiece for such integration.

Size and Use:

Big Rugs First: 

  • Prioritize your rug purchases according to room size and importance. 
  • Purchase the largest rug first. 

Furniture: 

  • Multiple rugs may be used to suggest a number of unique spaces within a single room. 
  • No hard and fast rules dictate having the legs of furniture on or off the edges of a rug. Simply adjust until the feel and function are right. 

Traffic: 

  • Do not fear to use your handmade rug in a commonly traversed area of the home. 
  • Likewise, wool naturally repels dirt and stains. So long as you remain vigilant and address spills right away there should be no issue with the location of the rug in your home. 
  • Use of a rug pad (provided at no charge with a rug purchase from Aaron's) will keep your rug from slipping regardless of its placement on either hard or soft flooring surfaces. 

Template: 

  • Use of a newspaper or sheet folded to size can be helpful in imaging the appropriate size for your new rug. 
  • Alternatively, you could mark the area with masking tape to elicit a similar effect. 
  • Some areas benefit most from a single room sized rug, while other decor could be complemented best by using a collection of smaller rugs. Try a number of combinations to help you imagine which would be most compelling for your space. 

Types and Textures:

There are three primary categories of rugs to consider

  • Handmade Pile - These rugs are completely made of wool (or wool and silk) with hand tied knots.
  • Soumac - A short pile rug ideal for very high traffic areas.
  • Hand Tufted - Although also prepared mostly by hand, a machine finishes these rugs with a backing holding the knots in place. These rugs will be less in price because less time is involved in their creation.

 

Investment and Legacy:

Even in a high traffic and high soil location, a finely crafted hand-knotted rug will last for decades. Some antique rugs in our collection are pushing two centuries and are still in fine condition.

Fine rugs are easy to move from room to room and home to home.

Handmade rugs will last for generations with proper care and maintenance.

Conclusion:

We hope this brief guide has started you well on your road to the purchase of a finely crafted rug. If you have specific questions we welcome you to come and see us or reach out to us via contact information at the top of this page. We are open Monday through Saturday 10:00am-5:30pm and have been in the same Historic Building for 30 years. We are glad to be here to curate one of the finest collections in the Midwest!

Convenient parking can be found along the side of the building and in the front.