Tis the Season!

Tis the Season for Rivalry! Need to Give the Best Gift & Beat Cousin Fred Once and For All?

We understand your pain and we have your solution. Check out the site at http://area-rugs-st-louis.com/ or better yet, stop by and let us help you pick out the perfect gift to knock Cousin Fred’s socks off.

An area rug or runner makes a thoughtful gift that will be appreciated for years. Grandma’s toes are probably getting cold this winter and a new floor-warming centerpiece might be just what she needs to put that spring back in her step when the snow starts to melt. Our sales this month will make sure you don’t blow your holiday budget either!

Grab yourself some “me” time this Saturday, stop by our store at 14206 Manchester Road for some hot coffee and fresh bagels and let our experts create a relaxing and rewarding shopping experience for you! Be the holiday hero this year!

Tell us – what sort of gift giving competition are you up against this year?

Area Rug Word of the Week

Field: Central part of a rug design generally surrounded by a border.

Designer Program

Welcome to the Rug Decor Designer Program. If you are a part of ASID and or have your own interior design company, please contact Rug Decor St. Louis to learn more about our designer program. Here at Rug Decor, we want to help the local designers make their clients the happiest they can be. Rug Decor's customer service and personal relationships with St. Louis designers in unbeatable. We make sure the designer is treated well, and anything area rugs they get, and get to the best quality possible. There are benefits to being in the Rug Decor designers program- and if you call Rug Decor St. Louis (636-256-7847) you will be able to find out all the details on this great program. Designers from all over St. Louis have started to form a great partnership with Rug Decor. Call today and find out the benefits, events, and much more. We hope to hear from you soon Designers! Creating the best living space possible with the best area rugs is at your fingers. We will speak soon!

Warm Up Your Floors

Warm Up Your Floors Sales Event is going on now. Come to our website today and pick out the perfect area rug for your home, just on time for the holidays!

Word of the Week

Berber- Term popularly used to refer to a natural colored look of carpeting. This style has been developed commercially by carpet manufacturers. Berber is more accurately or traditionally defined as a group of North African tribespeople who crafted rugs of handspun yarn from the undyed wool of local sheep.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is here and Christmas and Hanukkah are around the corner. Ring in the holidays with our amazing area rug specials!

The Holidays Are Getting Closer

Warm Up your Floors @ Rug Decor today...Print out this special coupon and SAVE BIG on your next purchase! http://area-rugs-st-louis.com/print-coupons.html

Word of the Week

Flat Weave: Weaving in which no knots are used. The weft strands are simply passed through the warp strands. Dhurries are flatwoven rugs that originate in India and are usually made of cotton or wool. Kilims are generally finer, tapestry-like flatweaves.

Rug Decor Catalog is Finally here!

The new 2010 Rug Decor catalog is officially in! Stop by our store to pick up a copy. The new catalog features 48 pages of the hottest rugs – contemporary, traditional, rounds, special order, runners, room-sized, handmade, runners….and more! The catalog features brand new collections – just now launching in time for the holiday season. Rug Decor features Internet Pricing in a Full Service Store - we feature more rugs, more help, more service and of course more savings. Stop in today – there’s more to love at Rug Decor!

Word of the Week

Abrash: Change or variation in the color of a rug due to differences in the wool or dye bath. The effect of abrash is subtle shading differences. In older or antique rugs, Abrash occurs naturally. In new rugs, both machine made and handmade, Abrash is carefully created by changing the color of the yarns to mimic a vintage look.

Virtual Tour of Rug Decor St. Louis...

Rug Decor St. Louis is a top quality store. Here is your own personal virtual tour of the store. Check it out! OR Come in today and we can give you an in person tour Rug Decor St. Louis 14206 Manchester Road Manchester, MO 63021

Common Problems and Solutions

Crushing is caused by humans and by furniture. The weight of furniture crushes a carpet's pile. Furniture glides or protectors help to distribute the weight of the furniture that could potentially be caused by the feet of the furniture. Changing traffic patterns in a room by rearranging the furniture can help reduce crushing caused by lots of feet, furniture and more. Frequent vacuuming helps to raise the pile.

Static occurs with cool temperatures and low humidity. Make sure you chose a carpet with anti-static protection, and if that doesn’t fix the problem try using a humidifier. If not call us and we can give you more advice!

Shedding is most common in wool carpets. New, cut pile carpet will also shed for awhile, but that is easily fixed by using a vacuum to pick up the extra loose fibers that will be left laying around your house.

Pilling is what happens when small fiber balls appear on top of the carpet. If the pilling is minimal, just clip it to help and reduce the appearance. Call a professional if this gets worse over time.

Snagging occurs when sharp-edged objects such as furniture, toys or pet claws snag the carpet fiber. This is easy to remove, just snip or clip and pull off the carpet.

Sprouting is when small tufts of fiber stick out above the carpet surface. Clip the individual sprouts level with the carpet. Never pull them or you may pull other fibers in the process and further the damage.

Fuzzing makes the carpet appear "hairy" and is generally caused by slack yarn twist or fibers breaking out of the yarn during wet cleaning or servicing. If this happens please make sure to call a professional.

Winter is Here!

Winter is here- and if it's time to start looking into the color trends of 2010 so you can be in the know and have the best interior decorating around! This color palette below is the Chic Color Trend of 2010. All of the earthy and somewhat heavy on the brown colors will leave your home feeling very idealistic to an old country home. Classic Color Trend of 2010, which represents a more vivid and saturated feel of all the colors. These colors will remind you of the beach. Absolutely calming and lovely. Casual Color Trend of 2010 leaves the old country feeling behind and moves into the more modern and city feel of colors. Alot of these colors will start to remind you of street lights, which represent the concrete feel and unusual feel of a fast paced "city" life. SO, when you are searched for a new area rug and or carpet, keep these color trends of 2010 in mind so you can capture the feeling that you want for your ideal home.

Its the Rug Reel!

Click to enlarge the Rug Reel Picture!

Word of the Week

Direct Glue-Down — An installation method whereby the carpet is adhered to the floor.

Word of the Week

Pile Crush —

Loss of pile thickness due to compression and bending of tufts caused by traffic and heavy furniture. The tufts collapse into the air space between them. This may be irreversible if the yarn has inadequate resilience or the pile has insufficient density for the traffic load. Frequent vacuuming will lift the pile for longer carpet life.

Word of the Week

Soil Retardant — A chemical finish applied to fibers or carpet surfaces that inhibits the attachment of soil.

Word of the Week

Yarn Ply — The number of single yarns twisted together to form a plied yarn.

A Taste of Rug Decor:

Below are a few samples of what Rug Decor has available in stores!

Word of the Week

Staple —

Short lengths of fiber that may be converted into spun yarns by textile yarn spinning processes. These spun yarns are also called “staple” yarns. For carpet yarns spun on the common, modified worsted systems, most staple is six to eight inches long. Staple fiber may also be converted directly into non woven fabrics, such as needle punched carpet.

Word of the Week

Plush — Luxuriously smooth-textured carpet surface in which individual tufts are only minimally visible and the overall visual effect is that of a single level of yarn ends. This finish is normally achieved only on cut-pile carpet produced from spun yarns by brushing and shearing. Sometimes called “velvet-plush.”

Word of the Week

The Word of the Week for the ending of August 2009 is:

Backing — Fabrics and yarns that make up the back of the carpet as opposed to the carpet pile or face. In tufted carpet:

• Primary backing — A woven or nonwoven fabric in which the yarn is inserted by the tufting needles.
• Secondary backing — Fabric laminated to the back of the carpet to increase dimensional stability.

In woven carpet, the backing consists of “construction yarns” which are interwoven with the face yarn.

Colors for Fall 2009

A summary of the top Fall 2009 colors that make up the diverse color palette are:

• American Beauty — this flattering true red is neither harsh nor over-the-top. Designed to suit all skintones, this warm but robust hue can be blended with almost any shade.
• Rapture Rose — represents all that is new and fresh about this fall’s designs. With nurturing and feminine tones, this color plays upon the vibrancy of last season’s fuschia but is toned down a little with soft pink. This key shade transcends clothing into cosmetics and accessories.
• Burnt Sienna — more a pinkish, earthy orange, reminiscent of Mediterranean terracotta roof tiles. Warm and comforting, probably the most-fall like of all the Panetone shades.
• Majolica Blue — adding an exotic feel to the color group this cross between teal blue and navy complements oranges and purple hues perfectly.
• Purple Heart — sitting somewhere between true purple and lilac, this refined tone is soft and sensual.
• Warm Olive — a rich yellowy green, reminiscent of an olive in a martini, which, according to Pantone's Fall 2009 report “makes all other colors come alive.”
• Honey Yellow — a warm and welcoming yellow with a hint of honeyed beige. A perfect partner to Burnt Sienna for a wintry feel.
• Crème Brûlée — needs no explanation for those who love its namesake, the delicious French desert. Providing one of fall’s classic neutrals, this paired down mix of gray and ivory beige looks good enough to eat!
• Nomad — another timeless neutral which falls between light gray and beige serves as an anchor for more robust colors
• Iron — represents the “new black” of the season. Neither a true gray nor brown it falls more in the category of a cross between slate and gunmetal. This serves as a grounding color for all other tones.

As you can see below these new colors for Fall can be encompassed into any carpet or rug that you are going to purchase this fall of 2009. Base your carpet and rug choices off of these new darker and richer hues and you will be known as the one who is in the fashion realm of what's hot and what's not. So go ahead and indulge in these decadent colors and see for yourself how wonderful they will make your home look.

Word of the Week

Broadloom —

A term used to denote carpet produced in widths wider than 6 feet. Broadloom is usually 12 feet wide, but may also be 13 feet 6 inches and 15 feet wide.

Word of the Week

Antimicrobial:

A chemical treatment added to carpet to reduce the growth of common bacteria, fungi, yeast, mold and mildew.

Pattern Definition

There are many different types of patterns that can be found on a rug. Here is a quick run down of what each pattern is and what it will look like. Have fun & chose your patterns wisely.

Herati pattern A design consisting of a flower in a diamond, with leaves outside and parallel to the diamond's sides.

Kilim A tapestry-like woven rug.

Baktiari Recognizable by its repeating diamond pattern. Originated by the Baktiari tribes of ancient Persia, the design is among the oldest still in popular use.

Aubusson

The Aubusson design is named after a town in central France where the design originated. The town of Aubusson was noted for its carpets and tapestries since the 15th century.

Heriz Named after a small region in northwest Persia (modern day Iran), the characteristic Heriz design is its dominant eight point geometric central medallion and bold corner motifs related to the central design.

Isfahan Named after the capital of the Persian empire founded in 500 BC, located in central Persia. The design is noted for its arabesque vines, flowerheads and palmettes usually surrounding a central medallion with corner designs adapted from the medallion.

Kashan The Kashan design is named after the city in central Iran between Isfahan and Tehran where the design originated. Kashan has been renown for its rugs for centuries and also as the city from which the three Wise Men left to follow the star of Bethlehem.

Kirman Named after the city in southeast Iran where the design originated, the beauty of the Kirman design is its central, softly curving, floral medallion, a quarter of which is generally repeated in each of the four corners. The border has delicately designed flowers and scrolls.

Sarouk Named after a small village on the edge of the Ferahan region in western Persia where the design originated. The Sarouk design generally used a center medallion on a field of exquisite, detached, floral sprays with a simple border in a contrasting color. It is rich in detail of its leaves, buds and flowers and is known for keeping the design similar in its field, medallion, corners and borders.

Prayer Rug A rug with a representation of mosque or arched prayer area. Columns may be shown supporting the arch with a lamp hanging from the arch’s apex.

Word of the Week

ki⋅lim

[kee-leem, kil-im]

–noun

a pileless, tapestry-woven rug or other covering made in various parts of the Middle East, eastern Europe, and Turkestan.

Word of the Week

A little introduction to the Word of the Week with Rug Decor StL: Rugs are complicated pieces of art and only specialists know what goes into the making of a rug. WE ARE THE SPECIALISTS. So let us help you become educated on different words that pertain to Rugs.

So here goes with the first Word of the Week... It will be an easy one.

rug

 [ruhg]

–noun

1.	a thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.Compare carpet.

2.	the treated skin of an animal, used as a floor covering: a bear rug.

3.	Chiefly British. a piece of thick, warm cloth, used as a coverlet, lap robe, etc.

4.	Slang. toupee; hairpiece.

—Idiom

5.	cut a rug, Older Slang. to dance, esp. to jitterbug.

Color your Space

Since we have already discussed the summer color trends of 2009, I want to reiterate the importance of color in rooms. When buying a rug you are always looking for a certain feel and or appeal. Here are a few tips to help you create the type of space you have always wanted with certain rug colors.

- To make a room appear smaller or cozier, use warm colors to bring the room inward.

- Dark colors and warm colors advace.

- Cool colors recede. So with these colors you can make your room look larger.

- Dark floor coverings make the floor seem smaller, it also defines the edges of a room and draws the eye downward.

Those are our handy tips on color and space for the day.

Stay tuned for the fall color trends of 2009.

Rug Vocabulary

There are very many different components that make up a beautiful rug. We- Rug experts- like to call it Rug Vocabulary. Here is a little vocabulary list to brush up on your rug geometry.

Warps: The parallel strings stretched from loom beam to loom beam on top of rows of knowts are tied. Weavers most commonly use cotton for warp material because it is easier to weave than warps that are made our of wool.

Wefts: Run across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between rows of knots. Wefts are most commonly made out of cotton, wool, or silk. Wefts help hold the rows or knots in place and help to strengthen the structure of the rug.

Knots: Tied by looping yarn around pairs of warps and cutting off the standing end is how a knot is formed. The ends of the knot become the pile or the nap of the rug.

Foundation: The combination of warps and wefts in the body a rug, into which a pile is woven.

Edge Bindings: Made by wrapping several warps at the edge of the rug with yarn to reinforce this part of the rug.

End Finishes: Hold knots and wefts from working off the rug's wrap strings. Many rug types have a flat woven kilim selvedge at both ends.

Finges: Formed by gathering and knotting together bundles of warp strings at both ends of the rug after the rug has been cut from the loon. The knots in these bundles of warp strings keep pile knots and end finishes tight at the rug's ends.

Field: The part of the rug's design surrounded by the border. The field may be solid or contain medallions or an overall pattern.

Medallion: If a design has a large enclosed portion, usually in the center of the rug, that is called the medallion. Some medallion shapes consist of: tear drops, diamonds, octagons, or hexagon designs.

All Over Design: If a rug does not have a medallion, it will be known as an All Over Design Rug. The pattern repeats itself and fully covers the field of the rug.

Borders: Borders are most commonly known as the most exquisite detail work on the rug. The border is not the small band against the side of the rug, it is the design element along all four sides.

Spandrels: Ornamented space in the corners.

Design: If a rug comes from India it is referred to as an Indo-Persian design, and when a rug is from China it is referred to as Sino-Persian design, and rugs from Pakistan are known as Pak-Persian designs.

That is all for now on your Rug Vocabulary. I hope you learned about the different Parts of a Rug. Good luck identifying every part when you purchase your next rug.

Summer Cleaning Tips

It is almost time to start thinking about how to clean up after these sweaty summer months. I know I never seem to have enough energy to take off my shoes after a long workout or even an afternoon at the pool, especially when the weather is scorching hot. It is always necessary to keep your carpets/rugs as clean as they can be so they last longer. No more carpet stains for you if you follow these simples rules about cleaning and keeping your carpet looking its best! To keep the cleaning to a minumum, but also very effective, here are 5 carpet cleaning tips that you can use for these hot, sticky summer months, and even throughout the whole year.

Carpet Cleaning Tips:

1. DO NOT rub carelessly on a rug stain. Gently dab or put pressure to the stain. Rubbing will only cause the stain to spread and or cause more permanent damage.

2. If you see a stain starting to form, or a large glass of grape juice tips onto your carpet, DO NOT wait to clean it up later. "I'll do it later", is no excuse for cleaning up carpet (potential) stains. If you want to stay away from a dirty carpet blot the stain immediately and make sure you are careful you cleaned it all up.

3. DO NOT apply just any carpet cleaner to your carpet. If you have a chemical cleaner make sure before you use a generous amount that you test out the cleaner on a corner of your carpet first. You do not want to mix a chemical cleaner and stain together, especially if the cleaner is going to take the color out of your rug.

4. If your carpet starts to show signs of mold and or mildew, do not worry, this essential tip will help you rid of all your carpet flaws. Just beware that mold or mildew does not grow overnight, therefore these hard to rid stains will not go away overnight either. Mold and mildew sound like tough stains to remove from your carpet, but be patient and know that you will get these stains out. For colored rugs you can use Lemon juice, non-chloring bleach or salt solution. Another good solution is to use hydrogen peroxide for the stains if you are not sure that these other solutions will not be harmful to your carpet. So say goodbye to mildew and mold and hello to a fresh smelling AND looking carpet!

5. FOLLOW THESE STEPS ABOVE TO ENSURE FOR A CLEAN CARPET, AND A WARM FEELING HOME! :)

GOOD LUCK!

INVENTORY LIQUIDATION!

Come visit Rug Decor during our INVENTORY LIQUIDATION SALE! Save 50-75% off hundreds of rugs! We are clearing out our inventory to make room for new rugs. We're stacked to the ceiling with name brand rugs priced so low we can’t say their names! 5’ x 8’ area rugs originally priced $399 now only $99!

Plus, visit http://www.area-rugs-st-louis.com/ for an exclusive web coupon – an EXTRA 30% off clearance rugs OR 20% off in-stock running line rugs.

Hurry, first come, first served!

Summer Sale!

Shout Out to Mom's World Wide: Hey Mom's of 2009, are you interested in redecorating your home? Are you in dire need of a new area rug for your living room? This is the deal for the '09 summer. Come in to a store near you and see what you can find that fits your needs and or wants. This summer sale won't last long. You must visit our website at: www.rugdecor.com to get 10% off your purchase. Come in soon! We can't wait to see you!

Colors of Summer

Summer is finally here and we are excited about the new 2009 colors that are being incorporated with fashion, style and everyday life...and there is no better reason to be up to date on your color schemes for the summer. This fashion forward society is still running with the ideas of brighter, more vibrant colors that really make you stand out. The colors to the right are a few of the most popular for this 2009 summer.

With these fun and fresh colors on the mind and summer already in the now, who wouldn't want to incorporate these bright colors into their home?

These color trends for the summer of 2009 can help liven and brighten up any area of your home. Make every neighbor and friend envious of your summery home decor. Don't be shy, and use the summer 2009 colors to make your life and your home sparkle! Find every summer color and style @ Rug Decor. Come in today to check out our special sales and much much more. Above, a Paula Deen rug is featured, using the summer greens and reds. Coming together beautifully on a porch fit for a star gazing night or curling up with a good summer read.

Welcome to Rug Decor Saint Louis

Hello, and welcome to Rug Decor of Saint Louis, Missouri. We are proud to share with you today our new blog. This blog can be read by anyone and everyone, as long as you are interested in rugs, and making your home fit your unique style. We will help you with design tips, sales and deals on rugs and more, as well as making sure your questions are answered and you are satisfied. So come and tune into the Rug Decor STL blog and see for yourself, what we are all about.