Be Imaginative In Your Floor Ideas

Talks about different designs and patterns in floor coverings and rugs and the advantages and disadvantages of using designs and patterns.

In a rug or floor covering where one area of color is the same as the others, where the forms in the patterns are exactly the same, where each piece of the design is counterbalanced by the exact piece of the design at an exact distance, either above or below, or to either side, it might normally be considered very well designed.

However, if such a rug or floor covering is large, this feature becomes overpowering and unattractive. On a smaller rug. the colors and patterns would not be repeated as many times. so the effect is not as annoying. But on a large rug, the pattern seems to go on endlessly. Some designs take this feature into account and use the laws of optics in ingenious ways to mitigate this effect, but in most cases, an unrelentingly busy pattern will not produce the calm, eye-pleasing effect that is desirable in floor coverings.

If carpeting is the floor covering of choice, it is better to carpet the floor in a color the same as the room, but in a darker shade. Perhaps not without any pattern at all, but with a simple pattern in the same colors as the room. This will allow the design scheme of the room to be carried through the pattern of the carpeting, though it may not afford a focal point in the room. This can be achieved by using a pattern only in the middle of the carpeting, and then adding a bold and wide border around the carpet. This may still make the pattern, especially on the border, seem obtrusive, but if the center pattern is small or subtle, and then scatter rugs or hearthside rugs are used in crucial places, this feature will also be softened.

Many times, a decorator or homemaker will choose a carpet that is a completly different, contrasting shade than the walls in order to achieve some drama in the decorating scheme. Using soft colored green carpeting with a room that is painted a tan color will usually result in a smooth blending of colors. As a matter of fact, green is one of the safest and most satisfying color to use in almost any color scheme, as long as it is in the same tone as the walls (a muted color green carpet with soft colored walls, for example).

There are some greens, such as those with more earthy tones, that are able to blend in with just about any decorating color scheme. These types of greens are considered the most calming in the color spectrum since they do not have any exact opposite colors. Green, in pale shades, is considered the most peaceful of colors and never opposes other colors in the room, as so many colors can do. Even with greens of a deeper tone or strength, this effect is able to be maintained. This, along with the natural calming effects of the color green, is one of the qualities that make it the best choice for flooring.