Using a rug to compliment your furnishings is one of the easiest ways to update, revitalise your home. Rugs can add dramatic colour and design to every room; create a focal point or define areas; add warmth to the look and feel of tiles, stone, protect hardwood floors or wall-to-wall carpeting; and tie elements of a room together.

Whatever your style there are hundreds of, shapes, sizes and colours of rugs to choose from. Consequently this can hinder your decision making process. Consider the following points before you start looking and choosing a rug:-

Colour - Colour is probably the most important element in decorating and should top the list of your requirements when selecting a rug. If a room has a lot of bright colours and looks very busy, choose a neutral colour and a subtle design for the rug. If the colours of the room are soft and neutral, you can add a splash of colour and interest with a bright rug and a dramatic design. If you want to enhance the colour scheme that exists in a room, select a rug that repeats the dominant or accent colours; if the colour scheme hasn't been chosen, buy the rig your heart desires and decorate the room around it.

Pattern - Consider the pattern on your rug make sure it does not clash with patterns on the wallpaper, curtains, cushions, and other fabrics in the room. Dark colours add warmth, and light colours will make the room appear more spacious. The amount of traffic is also a consideration. If there are children or pets, or the rug will get heavy use, dark colours and intricate patterns will not show dirt as obviously as on a plain rug.

Size Matters - If you want a rug to cover most of the floor in a room, the same amount of bare floor should be exposed on all sides of the rug, even if the room is an irregular shape or there is a cupboard or fireplace extending into it. If you are not able to arrange that, try and have the same amount of floor showing on two parallel sides.