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Rugs and Flooring
May 29, 2020
Rugs are a wonderful way to add character to your home, match in with your chosen style, protect your flooring and add warmth during these cooler months.
There are many options to choose from - colour, shape, material, weave, the list goes on. How do you know which one will be right for your space?
Here are a few tips for your next rug purchase!
General Tips
There are a few general tips that matter no matter the style you are going for depending on the room of which you are wanting to add a rug. Size is the most important aspect when choosing a rug. Don’t skimp on size as it will make the space unbalanced. A room with a mix of different textures feels rich and layered and is a great way to add more appeal to a room.
Dining Room
- Go for a rug that is the same shape as your dining table and that is big enough to fit the chairs on and not catch on the edges when pulled out. We recommend a stain-resistant rug with an interesting pattern. A flatter weave is more serviceable than a plush pile rug under the dining table.
Lounge
- top tip is to have a rug large enough that the coffee table and front legs of all your lounge chairs can sit on together. In the lounge room, you can choose a rug with a more luxurious pile to add a layer of comfort for those times that you want to lie on the floor.
Bedroom
- if you are going to place a rug under your bed, it is important to choose a rug that will fit and add balance to the room. For a luxurious look, place a large rug underneath the bed with a generous amount visible at the foot and sides. Keep bedside tables off the rug to highlight the floor and enhance the feeling of space.
Kitchen
- having rugs in the spots you stand the most is a great idea. Go synthetic and durable and patterned on a dark background - best to mask stains! Another alternative is to use rugs or mats that can be easily laundered through your washing machine.
Hallway & Entry - a rug in the entryway can be used to add colour and texture and is welcoming. Long hallways can benefit from hallway runners. They add colour and texture and can help with acoustics in these spaces. Try a flat-woven rug in both of these spaces - they are better for foot traffic.
Hardwood
Hardwood actually needs the extra protection, especially in high traffic areas and under furniture that may scrape your beautiful flooring. Using rugs on hard wood floors is a great way to accentuate spaces and protect your investment.
Go for lighter toned rugs for dark floors and for light floors choose rich tones to bring warmth. You can highlight your beautiful hardwood floors with bright and bold rug choices.
Carpet
Adding a rug to carpet can add interest, colour and texture. Rugs can also be used to highlight specific areas in open planned houses. Choose colours that won’t clash with your carpet colour, similar tones to your carpet will create harmony, or choose to go bold if your design allows!
Laminate & Vinyl
Rugs will add grip and warmth to an otherwise cool flooring option. Get versatile and choose any rug to suit your style. Mix it up with thick and thin options, patterned and plain, bold or contemporary.
Did you know that there are 5.7 million homes in Australia with a pet that’s part of the family? When it comes to choosing household flooring that’s pet-friendly, the most important things to consider are: Durability (overall strength & resistance to wear & tear) Stain resistance Odour resistance & odour treatments Cleanability (easy clean & care) Scratch resistance Good warranties Here are some of the best flooring options to consider if you share your home with pets: Carpet When most people think of pets and floors, they think anything but carpet, but carpet can be a great option for households with pets if you choose the right carpet for the job. Carpet products and manufacturing techniques have advanced rapidly with a number of carpets offering superior toughness and resilience to wear and tear as well as specifically pet-friendly characteristics such as odour resistance and stain protection. Carpet offers warmth, cosiness, insulation, softness and cushioning under foot so it’s no surprise that it’s the preferred flooring option for many people especially when it comes to bedrooms, living and lounge areas. There’s no longer any need to sacrifice comfort, warmth & plushness if you share your household with furry family members with a number of carpets on the market that have been designed especially for busy family households with pets and kids. What to look for in carpet: Durability & wear resistance Odour resistance & odour treatment Stain protection Easy care & clean + stain removal Backed by good warranties Vinyl Tile & Plank Flooring Vinyl flooring is one of the best flooring options for households with pets because it’s extremely tough and resilient to wear and tear plus it’s one of the easiest floors to clean & maintain. It’s also one of the best options for allergy sufferers with pets since pet hair won’t get trapped, remaining on the surface making it easy to remove by sweeping, vacuuming and mopping. Vinyl plank & tile is also extremely stylish and a fantastic, affordable alternative to timber floors with a huge range of timber-look surfaces, textures and tones. Things to look for in vinyl tile & plank floors: Wear resistance Durability Extremely easy care & clean Great warranties Laminate flooring Worried about your pets scratching the floors? Laminate flooring could be a great choice for you and your family! Laminate is incredibly tough and scratch resistant, making it one of the top flooring choices for households with furry friends. Laminate is a particularly durable and wear resistant flooring choice because it has an external layer and resin coating. Laminate flooring is also very ‘low-maintenance’ as far as floors go – it has great stain-resistant properties, is easy to clean and doesn’t require the use of any special cleaning products or solutions. When it comes to style, texture and designs, laminate is also incredibly versatile with a wide range of looks and finishes to select from. Things to look for in laminate floors: Wear & scratch resistance Water-proofing Solid warranties & guarantees
When it comes to updating your home, changing your floors will arguably make the biggest impact. A timber floor transforms a house into a home with its naturally warm vibe; additionally, timber floors, especially Australian hardwood timber flooring, offer a huge range as well as a broad choice of colours. Australian timber has a characteristic appearance not seen in timber from other sources, with the endless species ranging from Jarrah to Spotted Gum and Black Butt. Arguably timber is the best option hands down. Lasting for 100s of years, you get a product that is durable, easy to clean as well as healthy and natural. Unlike carpet which can trap dirt and allergens and has a reasonably short life span (10 - 15 years), timber flooring is easy to keep clean and can last more than 100 years and can be repurposed at the end of its life. When it comes to maintenance, timber flooring is definitely a more practical choice. Cleaning timber flooring is a relatively simple task; a quick vacuum or go over with an antistatic mop to collect the dirt and dust each week followed by a damp mop just using misted water or an approved cleaning product. You should avoid wet mopping and using steam mops on solid timber flooring. If you follow these simple cleaning tips, place felt pads on furniture feet and use mats at entry ways to avoid deep scratches, you will ensure the longevity of your timber flooring. A well looked after floor may only require a light sand and recoat once every 10 years or so. Timber floors being naturally warm and attractive help create a comfortable and relaxing environment in your home. Natural timber flooring is not only a more energy efficient and environmentally friendly option, it also uses less energy during production. Using timber sourced from carefully managed Australian forests means that many Australian timber floors are also sustainable. Timber stores carbon for life; by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, forests and wood products are helping mitigate climate change. A comparison of building materials will reveal that carbon emissions during timber production are less than 2 tonnes of CO² equivalent, while concrete equates to 12 tonnes, steel frames 11 tonnes and ceramic tiles 5 tonnes. Additionally, wood products break down naturally when disposed of, while carpet, vinyl or tiles will not. Wood delivers multiple benefits including enhancing a person’s emotional state and level of self-expression; reducing blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels; improving air quality through humidity moderation; and fighting climate change by storing carbon for life. Therefore, a timber floor is not just good for the home but also for the planet. Not surprisingly, timber flooring has a healthy 25 per cent share of the flooring market and is seeing steady growth in Australia. A timber floor is an investment for a lifetime – it not only adds value to the home but also gives it character and life. A correctly installed timber floor from Gray’s Flooring will last forever.
Many common household items clean just as effectively and are usually significantly cheaper to use. Another bonus is that most homemade cleaning alternatives don’t contain chemicals therefore they are safer to use; not just for the environment but for our family members as well. Often mass produced products can case allergic reactions or have over powering scents. DIY cleaning products can be made to measure - cutting out the harsh chemicals and smells. There are DIY cleaning products that work on almost every surface and area of the home, including wood floors. If your home has hardwood or laminate flooring, you might want to consider trying some of these homemade wood floor cleaners. But first, know what kind of floor you have and how it's finished and sealed before selecting a DIY wood floor cleaner to try. Water is usually not recommended for use on waxed floors and should always be used sparingly on all types of wood floors and finishes. Saturating a wood floor or letting water stand can cause damage.
Wood floors are known for being relatively low maintenance, and most of the time, a light damp mopping with a little bit of warm water is all that’s needed for routine cleaning. When floors are extra dirty or when more cleaning power is required, check out these homemade hardwood floor cleaners that can save you time, effort and money:
1. Water and Vinegar You may have already discovered the benefits of using vinegar to the counters in the kitchen and bathroom, but did you know that it can also cut through the grime that builds up on your wood floors? Warm water and vinegar will give you everything you need to clean and shine your floors. 2. Water, Vinegar, and Essential Oils If you want to add a nice fragrance to your home, pop a couple of drops of essential oil into your solution along with a pinch of salt. The salt acts to disperse the oil. 3. Vinegar and Vegetable Oil If you’re concerned about using water on your wood floors, or if water is not recommended for the type of floor finish that you have, you might be interested in this homemade solution that uses only vinegar and vegetable oil. Invest in a spray bottle for this and combine equal parts white vinegar and vegetable oil in a spray bottle. Mix the cleaner fresh each time you clean the floor so it doesn't separate and to prevent the oil from going rancid. Simply spray on and mop off. 4. Plant-based Liquid Soap, Vinegar and Water This simple but effective cleaner uses plant-based liquid soap, vinegar and water with the option to add essential oils. This might be a good choice if your floor is especially grimy. Use a damp, not saturated, sponge mop to wash and make up this solution. Add 1/8 cup plant-based liquid soap and 1/8 cup distilled white vinegar to 4 litres of warm water (some people like to add 10 drops essential oil for fragrance) and mop your floors. 5. Tea Bags Do your floors take one lump or two? That’s right – ordinary tea bags can clean your wood floors while adding shine and luster. The next time you make tea, brew a couple of extra bags for your floor instead of reaching for an expensive commercial floor cleaning product. 6. Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and Hot Water It may sound more like a salad dressing than a wood floor cleaner, but this combination of lemon juice, olive oil and hot water promises to clean your floors while leaving a rich sheen behind. Mix 3/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice and four litres of water. This formula does double duty. The hot water and lemon clean the floor, and the addition of olive oil leaves your wood floors with a nice, natural sheen. Simply apply it to your floors with a mop that you've wrung out fairly well; then let it dry on its own. No need for rinsing - once it dries, your floors will look great! 7. Dish Detergent, Water and Vinegar If you have laminate flooring, you might be interested in this DIY cleaning solution that uses water, vinegar and dish detergent along with a microfibre mop or sponge. Simply add 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar, 1 squirt of liquid dish detergent and put it all in a spray bottle and you’re good to go!
To keep your hardwood floors looking beautiful longer, sweep or vacuum frequently to pick up particles that can build up over time and scratch the surface. To minimise the need for damp mopping, use a dust mop or a dry microfibre pad for routine floor cleaning. Always clean spills right away, and never allow water or any other liquid to remain on the surface of your wood floor. Keep your pets’ nails trimmed to avoid floor scratching, and position mats at entry ways to make it convenient for people to wipe their feet. Use area rugs for high-traffic sections, and make sure to use furniture pads for heavy pieces that sit directly on wood floors.
With a little knowledge and a few common household ingredients, you can keep your wood floors clean and sparkling while saving time and money. So, grab your mop, a spray bottle and a few things from your cabinets, and give those wood floors some TLC.
