Create conversation areas.

Anchor the rug.

Bring on the grape juice.

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1. You need texture!

To create visual interest one needs a variety of textures. Think of the basic elements of a room. Walls, windows, and floors are all hard surfaces. A wool rug softens these by introducing warmth.

2. Use rugs to define conversation areas

Look at the picture on the left. Note how there is a main conversation area (the couch and two armchairs) and a smaller one by the window. The two rugs create a sense of intimacy in a large room by carving a large space into smaller nooks.

3. Consider the pattern

Think about where your rug is going. If you have a formal living room, a traditional Persian carpet with a central medallion is a great choice. Tribal, geometric designs lend style to more relaxed settings such as family rooms or home offices. What else is in the room where your rug is going? Fine china and impressionist prints might prefer a dressier rug while Asian, African, or Indian artwork would go well with a tribal rug.

4. Choose the proper size

For a dining room, you want to make sure that the rug is large enough so that when chairs are pushed out from the table, all four legs are still sitting on the carpet. Otherwise, the chairs will get stuck. For a living room, it is a good idea to make sure that the front legs of your chairs and sofas sit on the rug, to anchor it. With today's overstuffed, oversized furniture, a rug that is too small will look like a raft floating between huge icebergs.

5. Don't hide the rug under the bed

Rugs are art that happen to sit on the floor. You wouldn't buy a Picasso (and most of us couldn't) and hang a drape over 3/4 of it, so why buy a room-sized rug and then plop a king-sized bed on top? Consider buying three smaller complimentary rugs for a bedroom: a 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 for each side of the bed and a wide runner to put in front of it.

6. It's a carpet, not carpeting

An oriental rug should never look like wall-to-wall carpeting. It should complement hardwood floors, not cover them completely. It is a good idea to leave at least 18 inches of space between the rug and the wall.

7. Pull colors from the rug

Oriental rugs contain such rich palates that a single rug can be used in a variety of different color schemes. If your walls and furniture are neutral, an easy way to introduce color is to add an oriental rug and then choose which colors to "pull out" of the rug. For example, if you put the rug on the left in a room with pale tan walls and upholstery, you could use salmon throw pillows and a collection of mineral blue glassware on a windowsill to tie the rug to the room.

8. A little wear can be a good thing!

While some may consider tattered fringe and areas of low pile to be detriments, a gently aged rug can enhance a room by bringing an air of permanence and timelessness to the surroundings. If your furniture and/or home is new, an older rug can provide an element of depth. A modestly worn rug is the perfect complement for antique furnishings or an older home.

9. Oriental rugs are portable

There is no rule that says once a rug is in its place it must stay there forever. Unlike dining room sets, rugs can go anywhere. Trying a rug out in a new room is a quick, easy way to redecorate.

10. Oriental rugs are kid-proof

Well, as long as your kids are not complete hellions, they are. If little Connor spills the contents of his sippy cup on your Bidjar, thanks to the intricate pattern, the rug will be none the worse. The long borders of oriental rugs make excellent roads/train tracks, by the way.