Get floored: A guide to shopping for area rugs

The right rug can really tie a room together. The wrong one could permanently stain your floors. Knowing what to look for is key to landing the right rug for your space.

The first thing to do is decide how much money you're comfortable laying down for a rug. High-end rugs can run as much as several thousand dollars.

Unless it flies and comes with a genie, not many people would opt for that kind of investment. But Darrin Johnson, owner of Ultimate Flooring & Paint in Cape Girardeau, explains that those are the heirlooms, the decadent hand-woven pieces that last for generations.

"Hand-knotted rugs are the highest value because you get a look that you just don't get from machine-woven ones," he says. "There's a certain luster in the yarn that's just different."

To strike a balance between high quality and high cost, a comparable six-by-nine machine-spun wool rug falls in the $400 to $500 range. Johnson says although these require periodic cleaning by a professional, they last quite a while.

"In a quality rug, I've never seen one that has worn out yet," he says.

Wool is the highest quality and most durable fiber, followed by nylon and olefin. The latter two, however, are much easier to care for. If you're not too careful with a beverage here and there, all it needs is a quick shampoo.

After price and fiber, something else to keep in mind when choosing a rug is the style. There are basically two schools of thought to choose from: traditional and contemporary.

A classic traditional rug is fringed with tassels and has a richly textured border that runs around arabesque flourishes or other intricate designs.

"Lots of rugs used to have the fringes and be really traditional," Johnson says. "But the long tassels and borders are almost a thing of the past."

A contemporary rug, on the other hand, is modern; the designs range from subtle color palettes to geometric patterns or even wild abstractions.

"Some, it's like someone could have painted it and hung it up in the living room," he says. "People treat them as works of art."

You could even design your own rug if you can't find what you're looking for in a catalog or on the rack.

"Someone wants a tartan plaid for a billiards room or an eggplant purple? We can do that," he says. "People love having something that nobody else has. Something one of a kind."

Of course, opt for a trendy design in a good-quality rug and you run the risk of it outliving its own style. The important thing is that it remains faithful to the aesthetic of the existing furniture.

It's also important to take into consideration the type of floor your space has. Hardwood floors are susceptible to permanent stains from the type of rubber backing found on lower-quality rugs, and if you plan on putting your rug on top of carpet, a layer of padding might be necessary to prevent it slipping around.

Don't get burned rug shopping; take the time to find the rug that works for you.