Fundamentals of Art and Design 3(1+2)

Lesson 08 :Furnishings in interiors

Size and Method of using rugs

Carpets and rugs in relation to floor, walls, columns, doors, windows, and fireplaces must have connections to other visual centers; even small areas of flooring around the rug must become a part of the design of the floor plane. The different ways of using carpets and rugs are as follows.

Wall- to –wall carpet:

Wall to –wall carpets cover the entire floor area and installations are fixed without any gaps. They are glued down using adhesives that last longer. The disadvantages are that the traffic lanes wear out over a period of time and cleaning is a difficult job. If maintained well, wall-to–wall carpet makes the room look spacious and elegant.

Room-size rugs or room-fit rugs

are available in prefinished, standard sizes such as 9 feet × 12 feet, 12 feet × 15 feet, or cut to a desired size from a roll of carpet and finished on the cut edges. A room-fit rug covers the entire floor, just like carpeting, but is not permanently fastened down. Three to 12 inches of floor usually are exposed between the wall and outer edges of a room-size rug. Up to 18 inches of floor can be exposed around the periphery of large rooms.
Area or accent rugs

comprise a rather unstructured group of rugs from 3 feet × 5 feet up to 12 feet × 15 feet or larger. Area or accent rugs can be used effectively to divide spaces within an area, focus attention on a furniture grouping, direct traffic, or provide a focal point (visual accent or interest area) for some portion of the room through their texture, pattern or shape. These rugs may be used on the floor, wall or on top of furniture. Accent rugs might be used in several areas within a space, but care should be taken to see that they do not look cluttered.

Throw or scatter rugs

are small, often machine washable and 3 feet × 5 feet or lesser in size. These rugs should have non-skid backings, if they will be used on top of wood, hard or resilient floors. Non-skid backings are not necessary, however, if the rugs will be used on top of carpeting or a larger rug. Scatter rugs may be used for defining space division or for enhancing beauty through color, texture or pattern.