Wool Rug. Chenille Rug. Jute Rug. Oh my! Selecting the Right Material for Your Space

The right area rug can be your decorating lynchpin. Selecting the correct size is certainly an important part of finding a floor covering for your space. There’s more to decide before you dive into colors and patterns, however. Your rug material will also be an important factor in selecting the right rug.

First things first

Selecting the right type of rug isn’t just about esthetics. Before heading out to find your new rug, ask yourself these questions:

- Is this a high traffic area?

- Is this a space prone to spills and stains?

- Is the room casual or formal?

- Is this a place I’d prefer something soft and cozy beneath my feet?

Wool Rug

It’s no wonder wool rugs are popular. These highly durable, easy to clean, elegant rugs are ideal for high traffic areas and can repel stains. However, you don’t want to use a wool rug where humidity is high – like a bathroom or basement, as it will soak up moisture in consistently damp spaces. If you’re looking for a good insulator, on the other hand, this is a good choice. 

Chenille Rug

Chenille is a nice, affordable alternative for those who like the decadent softness of a silk rug without the higher price tag. This type of rug will provide a cozy floor cover for rooms where a little plush is preferred. It’s not the best for high traffic space, however. 

Jute and its cousins

Natural plant fiber rugs like jute, sisal and seagrass bring a breezy, casual feel to a room. There are differences in how each of these natural materials feels beneath your feet. Jute, for example, is more coarse, and seagrass is more pliable. Stains on natural plant fiber rugs are not necessarily easy to clean. They are also not well suited to humid environments.

Synthetics

There are several variants of the synthetic rug including nylon and polyester. These budget-friendly options are generally easy-to-clean, durable pieces that are well suited to high traffic areas or rooms more prone to tough use (like a child’s bedroom or playroom). The lower price point may also give you latitude to swap out rugs for a new seasonal color or to replace a rug that has seen better days. Although a synthetic rug is designed to mimic their natural fiber counterparts, they do not necessarily have the same feel.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Too Little. Too Big. Just Right: The Secret to Sizing a Rug for Your Room

Adding an area rug is a great way to introduce color and texture to a room. There’s more to the right rug than its style and hue, however. The size you select can impact the overall effect. Going too small can make the room look awkwardly chopped up. On the other hand, choosing a rug that is too large may actually make the room appear smaller and cramped. Try these tips to find a rug that’s just right.

Watch the legs

Defining a seating area? The rug you select should be large enough to fit under the furniture. Whether you opt to place all four legs of each sofa on a rug or just the front legs depends on the space you’re working with, the room layout, and your personal preference. 

Beneath your feet

In a bedroom, the rug should be large enough that you can feel it under your feet when you get out of bed in the morning. Look for a rug that will extend about 12-18 inches minimum around three sides of your bed. To achieve this in most rooms, the rug should be large enough to fit about 2/3 of the way under the bed with at least 12 inches extending beyond the foot and each side. If you’re working with a bed up against a wall, a rug placed along the open side of the bed will work well. 

All in 

Not only should your table fit on a dining room area rug, so should the chairs. The rug in this space should be large enough that all four legs of each dining room chair remain on the rug even when someone is sitting on them. To achieve this, look for a rug that is at least 2 feet larger on each side than your table. For example, if your table is 3’x5’, the smallest rug you should look for is one that is 7’x9’. 

Frame it

Unless you’re installing wall-to-wall carpet, the rug you place down should be small enough to expose some of your wood or tile flooring. Ideally there will be 18-24 inches of space around each edge of your rug if you’re centering it in the room. 

And yet, rules are made to be broken

The most important rule to finding the right size rug for your space is simply to go with what works. The aforementioned rules are guidelines. Using them – and your budget – as a starting point, select the rug that works best to convey the look and feel you’re going for.

by Anjie Cho

KADO: The Way of Flowers

Today is Garden Meditation Day. There may not be a holiday more in tune with the principles of feng shui, in that Garden Meditation Day appreciates the need for inner peace and mindfulness and cultivates an appreciation for nature, which we are directly a part of. In honor of the holiday, I'm happy to share my experience with a very similar practice known as kado. 

In her book, Heaven and Earth Are Flowers: Reflections on Ikebana and Buddhism, Joan D Stamm writes: “to contemplate a flower, a natural mandala of vibrant color and perfect form, is to glimpse the face of the divine."

Last week I attended a Spring Kado retreat at a Shambhala center with Marcia Wang Shibata, a Master Shambhala Kado Instructor. Kado means “the way of flowers” and is a contemplative practice of flower arranging using classical ikebana forms.

I am in love with ikebana and Kado practice and use the offering of flowers as part of my meditative practice. This practice brings me so much joy, and I wish to offer to you, my readers, three remarkable things I learned last week from Marcia Shibata and the flowers.

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Do not expect from a flower that which it cannot give.

In our first arrangement, we were given hosta leaves. This plant has full soft green leaves with delicate stems. I tried for several minutes to arrange my leaf exactly where I wanted it. I had this vision in my mind and I really wanted the hosta leaf to stay in this “perfect” spot. While sitting there frustrated with my hosta, I heard my neighbor grumble. When I peered in his direction, I couldn’t help but giggle. His hosta leaf also had a mind of its own. And although it’s not a flower, this hosta leaf taught me not to expect something from it which it cannot give.

Never compare yourself with others.

After my finishing my first arrangement, I got up and looked at the others in class. I suddenly felt uneasy and insecure. Mine looked busier than the others. Did I do it wrong? I started moving things around in my arrangement, but it still looked crowded. I really started to doubt myself. Marcia came by, and with hesitation I said, “Um, I think mine is too busier than everyone else’s”. Marcia looked at me directly and firmly said “NEVER compare yourself with others”. 

Fragile things don’t open when traumatized.

There were some irises that were purchased for the class. None of the flowers had yet opened at time of purchase. We patiently waited a day or two, and some of them started to open up, showing off brilliant purple and yellow colors. Sadly, there were quite a few that never opened. The flowers remained tightly shut, with dried and shriveled tops. Marcia noted that they likely were traumatized during their travel to us in the US (probably from Holland). She reminded us that when traumatized, fragile things don’t open. It was truly a beautiful poetic statement.  She also said that “like our hearts, each is flower is different, delicate and beautiful.”

In our modern worlds, we have sadly lost touch with some of our rituals and traditions such as feng shui and ikebana. Feng shui isn’t just moving furniture around. Ikebana isn’t just arranging flowers. They are both traditional contemplative practices that teach us how to live in harmony and in balance with ourselves and with the spaces we inhabit.

When you get the chance, spend a little time contemplating how things in your life are arranged. Are they too cluttered? To empty? What you surround yourself with matters immensely, so these practices are absolutely worth the time. 

by Anjie Cho