Tips on Choosing the Right Rug

It's almost that time of year again when family and friends gather to celebrate the many joys of the holiday season. We imagine ourselves gathered around a dining table, sharing and savoring the many festive dishes such as turkey, ham and pineapples, yams, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.

But, is your dining room ready to accommodate everyone? Are you happy with its décor? What's under the table?

A dining room rug adds warmth and elegance to the room, and gives it a sense of completeness. Most interior designers suggest selecting a rug first if you're decorating a room from scratch. Fabric and paint colors will easily fall into place to complement your rug.

Regarding the size of a dining room rug, keep the following in mind: it is preferable, but not always possible, to keep the furniture around the perimeter of the room off the rug; the dining chairs to remain entirely on the rug when seated; and vents on the floor to remain uncovered.

Before shopping, follow these measuring tips.

First, measure the entire room from wall to wall if there's no furniture in the room. If there's furniture around the perimeter of the room, measure up to the foot of the furniture.

Second, measure the width and length of your table, with and without leaves, and add about eighteen inches to the measurement to allow room for the chairs to remain on the rug when seated. Generally, an 8x10 rug will accommodate a table of six; a 9x12 will accommodate a table of eight; a 10x14 will accommodate a table of 10 or 12 depending on the size of the chairs.

A rug is also a conversational piece, and ameliorates the acoustics in the room. There's a lot of good chatter during gatherings over the holidays! If you're ready to make your dining room more joyous this holiday season, and everything is in place except for the rug, make sure to bring along any paint and fabric swatches you may have available when you shop. A picture of your dining room is also helpful. Happy dining room season!

Sally irizarry Hirsch, of W. Hirsch Oriental Rugs, has been assisting Richmonder's select rugs of beauty and quality for nearly fifteen years.