270 RUGS AND CARPETS

COST

The general tendency is to expend a disproportionate amount
of money on floor covering. A very costly or rare rug is often a
handicap in furnishing a room, for it requires a certain standard
to be sustained throughout. Ordinarily it is good decorating prac-
tice to save on floor covering in order to have more effective things
nearer to the eye level. Usually it is well to buy the best quality
of floor covering in whatever class the budget allows. For exam-
ple, a first-class velvet rug is the type most suitable for the average
home. However, ample size of rug is more important than quality
in producing an effective room.

For the very low-budget home, felt, rag, hooked, string, jute,
fiber, and porch rugs are good selections.

SIZE

A rug should fit the size and shape of a room, leaving a margin
of 6 to 12 inches all around it. The standard sizes are 6 feet by
9 feet, 9 feet by 12 feet, ahd 11 feet by 15 feet, but rugs of many
different sizes are now obtainable. A rug without a border looks
larger than one with a border.

Small scatter rugs are sometimes desirable in halls, bedrooms, or
living rooms. Those in the same room should be identical or as
nearly alike as possible. If used on a plain carpet they should be
like it in their background coloring.

Small rugs must be arranged thoughtfully. They should not
be placed diagonally, because that would violate the architectural
lines of the room. Small rugs should not stray out into the middle
of the floor but should be placed before the most important pieces
of furniture or be combined as bases for the various groups. Some-
times small rugs are laid so that their long lines all follow the same
direction. It is better to have too few than too many small rugs
because they must not suggest a store display.

On a stairway a strip of narrow carpet is sufficient, unless the
lower hall is carpeted from wall to wall, in which case it is also
well to cover the stairs entirely. An extra yard or two of length
should be purchased in a stair runner so that its position could be
changed occasionally in order that it would wear the more evenly.