The terminology and jargon used in the world of area rugs can be confusing. The more you learn about the fascinating world of rug-making, the more intricate and complex you discover it is. So to help those of you interested in the many words used to describe the various styles and attributes of area rugs throughout the world, we present to you The Ultimate Area Rug Glossary!

ABRASH
The word used to describe the variations in color found within a single color in an Oriental carpet. Abrash is commonly seen in tribal nomadic rugs and in reproductions of them. Mild Abrash is caused by variations in yarn diameter native to nomadic dyeing and yarn spinning. Heavy Abrash is caused by the change over to a new dye batch. Generally Abrash is desirable in tribal carpets and undesirable in urban carpets.

AFSHAN
Named for the Afshar, it describes the presence of silk pile in an urban carpet.

AFSHAR
A Turkic speaking nomadic group living mostly in southern Iran known for fine quality of their rugs.

ANTIQUE WASH
A chemical bath that tones down colors to simulate aging.

ARDABIL
Home of the 14th century tombs of Sheik Safi ad-Din and Shah Ismail. The city that shares the name of The Ardebil Carpet one of the finest and most famous objects of Islamic art. There is controversy, though, as to whether the carpet was actually made there. Modern era carpets from the region are generally of dubious quality.

ART SILK
Also called artificial silk it describes a yarn for weaving made from mercerized cotton that attempts to take on the appearance of silk. The fiber is very soft to the touch and is used to create a price category for smaller budgets whose tastes run toward expensive silk rugs. Rugs sold as silk as given a burn test to check for the presence of cotton.

AUBUSON
Fine flat carpets woven in France from the 15th to 19th Centuries. They were derived from Moorish weaving with the assistance of Architects and Artists of the royal court.

AXMINISTER RUG
A complex machine made rug woven to a flexible cotton frame that can contain up to 70 colors of wool. Its invention in 1882 in the midst of the industrial revolution practically destroyed the handknotted rug industry. It was thought that mechanized items were all going to be of superior quality, a theory later shelved.

BAKHTIYARI
A nomadic group of southern Persia. This tribes weaving is popular among collectors and the rugs themselves tend to be of unusually durable construction lasting as long as 200 years in heavy wear environments. The most popular design feature a square grid with a floral vase in each.

BALUCH
A nomadic tribe living in Afghanistan and bordering countries who produce a large volume of commercial weaving. Their rugs are generally brown, black, and gold.

BIDJAR
The rug design named for the Bidjar region of Iranian Azerbaijan. Originally the design was Kurdish featuring hundreds of trees and was really responsible for earning the region its fine reputation. Commercial Bidjar are factory woven and feature a distinctive diamond shape medallion. Commercial Bidjar are thought to be the most durable carpets in history as most will last 300 years. This has earned the Bidjar the colorful moniker The Iron Rug of Persia . Both types of Bidjar are still made in limited quantities.

BUKHARA
The capitol of Usbekistan and the traditional trading center for Turkmen tribal carpets. Today, rugs called Bukhara are generally commercial copies knotted in Pakistan and India. Actual Turkmen carpets are called by their tribal names to ease confusion with their popular reproductions. Commercial Bukhara carpets are available in about twenty quality gradations, though surface appearance may be similar. Commercial Bukhara carpets are the best selling hand-knotted rugs in the world.

BURN TEST
A small tuft of fibers from a rug may be burned to test for its content. For example cotton has a vegetable smell when burned. Wool smells faintly like hair. Silk smells distinctly like human hair when burned.

CHANTED RUGS
A technique used for the duplicate manufacture of the finest urban rugs. The colors of the pre-dyed yarn are chanted rhythmically to assure that rugs are more perfect than rugs made with other techniques. Most fine carpets from Tabriz and Isfahan are made this way.

CHI-CHI
The often derided name for Caucasian type rugs made in Chechnia and Dagistan.

CHIN WOOL
The fine whiskers from the chin of sheep that are sometimes set aside a special ceremonial carpet. Chin wool carpets are considered finer than silk ones but are very rare. Turkmen tribes most notably use this fiber for their finest carpets.

DHURIE
A low grade kilim from India. They are generally a product of the Indian prison system. It is also a term used to insult the quality of Kilim from other places.

ERSARI
A large mostly settled tribe of northwest Afghanistan who make both urban and tribal rugs. They are renowned for the quality of their nomadic saddles and tent gear.

FLAT WEAVE
A catchall term that describes any rug without pile including Soumaks, Kilim, Verneh, Sozani, and Dhurie. Aubuson carpets are also flat but are excluded due to their extreme complexity.

GABEH
A fluffy long piled rug used by nomads as a mattress. They have only been sold commercially in the West since 1990. Gabeh usually have a simple colorful design often with a pastoral scene. The Gabehs charm has only been appreciated recently and they now are being produced commercially for export.

GILEEM
See kilim.

GUL
Persian word for flower, it describes the common ornaments found in Turkmen carpets. Guls are the design element often mistaken for elephants feet.

HEREKE
Turkish city famous for its factories where the most elaborate silk rugs in the world are made. Though Hereke is in Turkey they use the Persian Senneh knot in rugs made there.

HERIZ
A large city now located near the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. The geometric medallion rugs woven there in the early 20th century were extremely popular in Europe and the U.S.A. Commercial carpets bearing the Heriz design are woven in every rug producing county in the world. The Heriz design is the most popular Persian design in the west.

KASHKULI
An element of the larger nomadic Qashqai tribe of southern Iran famous for the quality of their rugs.

KASHMIR
The name for the fancy village carpets made of silk or mercerized cotton in the Islamic region of India. Kashmir are woven with a Persian knot and mimic the designs of newer urban carpets from Iran with an emphasis for Indian tastes for brilliant color. Coloration used in these rugs is unique to India.

KAZAK
The people of Kazakhstan and the Turkish style rugs of that region.

KILIM
Any pileless carpet in which the pattern is formed by the colored weft strings being wrapped around the warp. In Farsi the word is Gileem. The word is also used to describe the pileless side of nomadic bags and saddles.

KNOT
There are two basic types of knots used in oriental rugs:
Persian Senneh - A fine asymmetrical knot used in fine urban and complex tribal carpets. Observers will notice that these rugs have a light and a dark side.
Turkish Ghiordes - The symmetrical knot used in most tribal carpets it makes for a higher pile heavy wearing style of rug. Chinese carved carpets also feature this knot.

KURD
A tribal people who live in eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and the Kordistan region or Iran. They produce what are commonly thought to be the finest tribal style rugs in the world. Kurdish rugs are a passion among rug collectors and connoisseurs and bring the highest prices at market.

LUR
Formerly nomadic people of south western Iran. They are renowned for the quality of their rugs and kilim.

ORIENTAL
Traditional word that means of the Eastern World or of the land found by ship when Africa has been circled , it has come to more accurately describe characteristics of Turkey, Iran, India, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan. The modern definition excludes characteristics of China and Indochina now classified as Asian.

OTTOMAN
A powerful Turkish dynasty that ruled most of extended Persia from 1290 to 1924. It was named for its founder Osman.

QASHQAI
Name of a former politically confederation of southern Iranian nomadic tribes mainly: Shesh Boluki, Kashkuli Bozorg, Amaleh, Derrehshuri, Farsi Madan, and Kashkuli Kuchek. The regional trading center for these tribes is Shiraz. Most Gabeh carpets sold in the west are of Qashqai origin.

SALOR
A Turkmen tribe famous for the quality of its rugs that has been virtually wiped out by military conquests. Modern era rugs from this group are rare and highly prized among collectors.

SARYK
A Turkmen tribal people known for the quality of their older rugs. Newer units are of dubious construction and design.

SAVONERIE
The name given to French piled carpets made until 1890 that look similar to Persian Kermans. These rugs were more foot friendly than their cousin the Aubuson and had an impressionist quality many find very appealing.

SEFAVID
A Persian dynasty remembered for Shahs Tasmasp and Abbas who were great patrons of the arts and ambassadors for Persian rug weaving to the rest of the world. They are credited for the enduring international popularity of Iranian style carpets.

SEROUK
The factory woven carpets woven in the vicinity of Serouk in Iranian Azerbaijan are some of the most beautiful ever made. Most were manufactured with intent to export to the United States. They were frequently found in the lobbies of fine hotels and in American living rooms in the post WW2 era. Serouk rugs often remind people of their grandparents or a relative visited during the holidays.

SHAH ABBAS
Design element that features swirling feathers and Lotuses named for the Shah who commissioned its design. Its found in most modern urban Persian style rugs.

SHAHSAVAN
The once powerful confederation of Turkic speaking tribes living in Azerbaijan. They are decimated by military losses and now mostly make kilim.

SOUMAK
A heavy flat woven rug made with a weft wrapping technique. This technique is also used in commercial rugs that are designed to look like antiques. Most traditional Soumak are made in the Caucasus region.

SOZANI KILIM
In Farsi Sozani translates as Laundry Bag . They are heavy flat woven carpets similar to soumak with an additional embroidered design on the surface. They have been the rage in recent years with the increased popularity of tribal carpets. Sozani are the most exotic type of flat woven tribal carpets and are even being made in silk.

TALIM
A special notation used to record and reproduce the designs of Kashmir carpets.

TEKKE
The largest Turkmen tribe in the 19th century thought to make the finest rugs made in the Turkmen style. The Tekke carpets are among those most highly prized by collectors.

TUFTED CARPET
A mechanically assisted technique for manufacturing rugs in which tufts of wool are punched through base fabric to color in a silk screen design painted on the base. The back of the base is then painted with thick Latex glue and covered with a sacking material. Mostly this method is used in China to produce inexpensive versions of their handknotted rugs.

VERNEH
A Shahsavan type of soumak rug featuring interlocking birds.

VILLAGE RUG
A rug made by a variety of people working on the clock on a loom located in the center of a village. Usually some form of day care is provided. Most large size tribal carpets are made this way.

WILLIAM MORRIS
The English design firm named for its founder that specialized in adopting middle eastern designs to western tastes. Most of their beautiful designs were used in institutional settings like Grand Hotels and Government Buildings. They actually made Persian style carpets in London from 1890 to 1914 with labor imported from Pakistan.

WILTON RUG
A machine loomed carpet with a limited color palette. Most today are made of synthetic fiber and have dubious durability. Well made wool wiltons can last as long as 15 years of more. Most Wiltons are made in time sharing factories that manufacture wiltons for many companies at the same time. Modern Wiltons are the first type of rug to be computerized and automated.

YURUK
The Turkish word for nomad. It is used to describe any nomad living in Turkey.

So there you have it! Too much information? Perhaps. Probably all you really need to know is that Rugs Direct has over 100,000 area rugs available in hundreds of styles so you are cetain to find the perfect one for every room in your home. Shop now - and get free shipping on your entire order.

Many people believe that the "best quality" area rugs are made in Asia by hand and the only way to obtain one is to import it. Historically this may have been true, but modern advances in machine weaving technology make it possible for you to now buy an incredibly beautiful, durable rug that is 100% made in the United States of America. Case in point - the American Star brand available exclusively at Rugs Direct.

American Star area rugs are machine-made in Anderson, South Carolina of olefin/polypropylene. This gives them the look and feel of wool rugs, but with the increased durability of synthetic fibers. They are manufactured to look good - and last even in the most high-traffic locations in your home.

No compromises have been made in terms of variety or style with American Star rugs. Currently there are eight different collections that cover all of the popular styles from casual and contemporary to traditional Oriental:

• Lexington - interesting patterns in transitional designs
• Miami - neutral patterns and shapes
• Monterey - featuring solid colors
• Princeton - contemporary florals and intricate patterns
• Santa Monica - contemporary patterns with amazing eye appeal
• Savannah - neutral transitional rugs that can be used indoors or out
• Tahoe - a mix of traditional and transitional in a neutral pallette
• Winchester - classic traditional rugs in beige and burgundy

Currently there are over 85 American Star rugs available, but the collections are rapidly expanding.

If "Made in USA" is important to you, then you most certainly need to explore the American Star collections at Rugs Direct, the nation's leading source for area rugs.

American rug manufacturer Milliken has long sought to put more on their floor coverings than beautiful patterns and colors. With their Wildlife Impressions Collection they have managed to capture some of the most stuffing wildlife art from two of the country's premier studios on area rugs that are now available to you from Rugs Direct.

The Hautman Brothers

James, Robert and Joseph Hautman have established themselves as America's foremost family of wildlife artists. All three brothers have received numerous honors and awards, and have been a dominating presence in many state and national duck stamp competitions.

At last count, the three brothers have seen their art featured on over 50 state and federal conservation stamps. Jim, Bob and Joe are the only brothers ever to win the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The talents of the Hautman Brothers as well as their unique family gift were mentioned in the motion picture "Fargo." They have received national accolades on television and National Public Radio, and from newspapers such as USA TODAY, The Washington Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune and The St. Paul Pioneer Press, as well as TIME, US News & World Report, Sports Illustrated, U.S. Art and North American Hunter magazines. The Hautmans' creations have been displayed in the Oval Office of the White House and at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Milliken has placed close to 30 of their top designs on area rugs that are available in two different sizes - a small 2'8" x 3'10" and convenient 3'10" x 5' 4" size. Unlike many rugs featuring fine artwork, some of the Hautman Wildlife Impressions rugs are available in what is known as "portrait" orientation. That is, the image is taller than it is wider. The decision was made to honor the vision of the artists and create the rugs in the style of the original artwork. This gives you many more options and possibilities when deciding where to decorate with one of these beautiful rugs.

The Milliken Hautman rugs are made of 100% nylon for durability and longevity. They are suitable for an entry way, although for obvious reasons, many people don't like to place these rugs in areas of high foot traffic. Another great location is in front of a fireplace - although it's not uncommon to see one of these rugs hung on a wall in a den, family room or lodge-theme living room.

Eddie Leroy

Well-known wildlife artist Eddie Leroy comes from Eufaula, Alabama. His career as an artist began in college in 1986 when he entered an Alabama Wildlife Federation art contest in Birmingham. He did not win but a collector purchased his painting, his first art sale. Just two years later, he won that Alabama contest and has been chosen as the artist for a number of stamp-print programs since then.

About of dozen of his most beautiful wildlife paintings are available in the Milliken Wildlife Impressions Collection. Interestingly, Leroy is known for "painting from life." That is, each picture he paints is from an actual place in North America and there is a factual story behind the image.

To explore the complete line of Hautman and Leroy Wildlife Impressions rugs from Milliken, take a look at Rugs Direct.

Interior designer and popular television host, Candice Olson has helped literally millions of people throughout the US and Canada to solve a huge variety of decorating problems with her fun, no-nonsense approach to furnishing your home. In addition to her broadcasts on HGTV and the W Network in Canada, Olson has also written two books that present her appealing and practical approch to home decor.

Her most recent guide, Candice Olson Kitchens & Baths, is brimming with hundreds of full-color, before-and-after photos of Candice's stunning room makeovers. Recommended by numerous Rugs Direct customers, this book invites you to choose colors, materials, and furnishings to achieve a dream kitchen or bathroom that fits your unique style. It is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Books a Million stores.

But that's not all. Olson also has attached her name to a wide variety of home furnishings ranging from wood furniture to lighting, paint, wallpapers and area rugs. Her partnership with Surya, one of the country's premiere manufacturers of top-quality area rugs, has been a highly successful endeavor. There are currently dozens of styles available, organized into five exciting collections.

The Fusion Collection is a set of lustrous ribbon shag rugs that are hand-woven out of 100% polyester. They are great for children's bedrooms and play areas, as well as kitchens and bathrooms.

Her Modern Classics Collection is hand-made of 100% New Zealand wool. There are over 20 different sytles with patterns that are graphic and flowing. You'll find an array of hues ranging from warm red to cool blue color palettes.

The impressive Sculpture Collection consists of close to 40 different rugs that are very difficult to describe in words. The are mono-chromatic but, as the name implies, they have depth and texture that gives them a totally unique look and feel.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Olson's Decadent Collection. Here you'll find some rather wild patterns with mansion-size rugs available in the 9' x 13' size.

A new set of rugs from Candice Olson is called the Luminous Collection. They are classic and sophisticated, but with a contemporary edge. Rygs in this collection are hand-made of 100% wool and represent some of the finest craftsmanship available for your floors today.

If you've ever had the opportunity to watch one of Candice Olson's television programs, you know her approach to interior design is one of pracicality, simplicity and durability. She takes the same approach to the area rugs bearing her name. If you want to decorate your floors with area rugs that have a timeless beauty that will serve you well for many years to come, explore the Candace Olson Collections available at the nation's leading source for area rugs, Rugs Direct.

The popularity of hardwood floors is at an all-time high. Some designers are going so far as to recommend to their clients that they take a peek underneath their wall-to-wall carpeting to see if there isn't a beautiful wooden floor hiding there that someone foolishly covered up several years ago. It happens more than you might think!

But this surge in the popularity of hardwood has also resulted in an increased need for area rugs. Unlike traditional carpeting, rugs can do a whole lot more for a room than many people realize. So, what are some of the many things you can do with an area rug?

Create a Focal Point
Depending upon the size of the room and the amount of wood on the floor, there many not be a place (or places) that focus your attention. A rug can do this - either with a pattern, or a color, or a combination of the two. Contrast is the key. Don't copy the color or style of your walls, drapes and furniture - complement them.

Muffle Sound
There's no mistaking the sound of heels or hard soles on a wooden floor. A rug will all but eliminate this. So if you need to dampen the sound of footsteps in a hall or well-traveled passageway, a soft, padded rug will do the trick.

Warm Up a Cold Room
Actually this can mean two different things, and both apply equally to the benefits of area rugs. A room might physically be cold - as in having a low temperature. A rug can insulate your feet from a cold, bare floor better than just about any other option. But also the room may be cold in the sense of being uninviting or lacking "warm" colors. The addition of even a small area rug on tile or oak flooring can do wonders toward making the room simply feel warmer and more inviting.

Protect the Floor
It's a lot harder to repair a fine wooden floor than clean - or even replace - an area rug. In a high-traffic area it makes common sense to place a rug to preserve and protect the floor underneath. The importance of this increases exponentially if there are children in the home!

Cushion Your Feet
As anyone who regularly works on his or her feet knows only too well, standing on concrete or tile or a wooden floor all day is not very comfortable on the feet. Simply by placing a padded area rug in the space can make a world of difference. The same is true in your home. Living spaces should have soft rugs available so you can kick off your shoes and give those barking dogs a break.

Keep Dirt Out of the House
Although many people don't think of them this way, a simple doormat is a type of area rug. In addition, a wool or braided rug just inside a door is a great place to trap all the outside dirt that might normally be tracked inside on one's shoes. Again, it is so much easier to vacuum a rug - or even wash it, depending upon the material - than to clean the floor underneath. Every outside entrance should have a durable area rug as the initial landing point.

Create Livable Spaces
Most designers agree that large rooms with expansive floor space look better if broken up into smaller, more inviting areas. The best way to do this is by starting with area rugs and then arranging furniture and objects to create these smaller living modules. It can be challenging and does not apply to every home, but rugs are a great way to subdivide large rooms to make them more practical, inviting and enjoyable.

Obviously there are many more things an area rug can do for you and the only limitations are your imagination - and budget! There are literally tens of thousands of choices available to you, but a great place to start your search is Rugs Direct. Our search engine for area rugs can help you narrow down the vast styles and selections available to quickly find the one that is perfect for your home. To get started, click here.

America's top interior designers have hit upon a new technique that is greatly expanding their decorating options with area rugs - layers. That's right - why settle for one rug on the floor when you can add one or two on top of it to make a totally new three-dimensional design?

Nicole Gibbons of So Haute in New York City calls this new look "a hot design trend." She recommends placing multiple rugs on hardwood floors so that there is at least 12-18 inches of space on all sides. That way the contrast between the rugs is most evident. You want to stay away from placing two rugs on top of each other that are too close in their overall dimensions.

Some designers recommend looking for rugs that fall into the same pattern and color family so as to not create too "busy" of a layout on the floor. The same holds true for fabric. Most people find it more pleasing to put wool on wool rather than mixing in cotton or silk. However, don't be afraid to experiment with using polypropylene and wool. They often match well enough not to create a problem.

Kristen Hutchins, a professional designer based in Los Angeles, sees a floor as a blank canvas on which to build a nice layer of art. Wh recommends starting with a large, neutral rug as the bottom layer and buiding up from there. You can add one patterned rug, or multiples to define seating or activity areas. The only limitation is your imagination!

If you are a bit bolder and more adventurous in your decorating, you might try an animal-skin print or a natural fabric such as jute or seagrass. It's amazing what a black-and-white zebra pattern rug can do to enliven a room, especially when placed over a darker contrasting color. Give it a try!

Some people are afraid of layering because it means they are going to need to buy two or three rugs instead of just one. However, the fact of the matter is you end up buying smaller rugs than you would if you were covering the floor with only one. It's pretty easy to do a cost comparison when starting with a room with nothing but a hardwood floor. Sketch out the areas, figure out how many rugs you will need and in what sizes. The go to Rugs Direct and have a ball figuring out what goes with what, and what will look fantastic on TOP of something else.

There are some very practical benefits to layering area rugs, especially over wall-to-wall carpeting. In a kid's room, the extra layer will add a protective cushion to the inevitable falls. It also protects the carpeting from spills and stains. It is certainly more economical to have a rug cleaned than to call in the carpet specialists or rent a steam cleaner from the local hardware store.

As you experiment with layering your rugs, don't fall into the trap of always aligning the edges parallel or perpendicular to one another. There's nothing that says you can't lay one rug on top of another at an angle. Also don't be afraid to lay two small rugs side-by-side on top of a larger one. This effect can sometimes be very striking in that you are creating a design that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world.

So the next time you find yourself looking at a large, blank floor in your home, consider layering two or three rugs in the space to make it uniquely your own. Your options truly are limitless, and the potential unlimited. Visit Rugs Direct and start exploring.

Teachers have long know that children learn best by repetition of an idea or concept, combined with a visual presentation of it. That's why you see so many posters and charts in classrooms. But there's no need to neglect the floor as a potential canvas to reinforce learning. With the wide variety of educational rugs available today, the options are almost limitless. But why stop at only using educational rugs at school? There's no reason learning can't be reinforced at home as well. In fact, some people think it might even be more impactful and long-lasting.

Rugs Direct has close to 100 different styles of rugs that are ideal for a child's bedroom, playroom of the family den. They not only provide a great deal of color and style to the room, but also will help your child master important educational concepts.

For example:

This rug, from the Funtime Collection by Kids Play, is call "Multiplication." It's a colorful chart that can be used to help your child master his or her multiplication tables, and also to understand how division works. It comes in two sizes: 5'3" x 7' 6" and 8' x 11', so it is certainly large enough for the child to lie down on top of it and interact with the various numbers and squares. It's 100% nylon for durability.

Here's another great example:

This rug is called Phonics Fun and comes from the Educational Collection of Joy Carpets. It's a great way to introduce a child to the alphabet, the sounds of letters and words beginning with those letters, and numbers from 0 to 9. It comes in three sizes: 3' 10" x 5' 4", 5'4" x 7'8" and 7'8" x 10'9". It is treated with Stainmaster and FX Carpet Shield, which means most all food and beverage stains don't have a chance of ruining it.

How about a rug to teach world geography?

Again from the Kids Play Funtime Collection, this rug, called The World Around Us, shows a representation of the world with all the continents and oceans highlight in different colors. It shows the equator and lines of latitude and longitude as well. Two sizes, both in 100% nylon, are available and it comes with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer.

There are also rugs that show the states of the United States, dinosaurs, clocks and musical scales. Just about any early-learning concept can be enhanced with an educational rug from Rugs Direct. Take a look for yourself and see to which concepts you would like to expose your child. Who knows, you might just learn something - and have a big of fun - yourself!

Click here to visit Rugs Direct, the nation's leading source for area rugs.

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According to many top interior designers, 2011 is the "Year of Purple" in home decor. There are actually some psychological studies that attempt to explain why this has become such a powerful and highly popular decorating color among homeowners.

Deep purple combined with lighter shades evokes feelings of kindness, wisdom and even love. Lighter shades, similar to the colors found in many flowers, make people feel tender and compassionate. Or so they say! According to classic Feng Shui home-decorating principles, purple inspires the imagination and can lead to financial success and wealth. No wonder it's become such a popular motif these days.

Of course there are many experts who feel this is one of the worst choices a home decorator can make. Even if you don't want to stick with beige and burgundy, don't use PURPLE! The one thing everone can agree on is that nobody is ambivalent when it comes to decorating with purple. Love it or hate it, you will have an immediate, strong response.

At first thought, you might believe decorating with purple will limit your choices. Nothing could be further from the truth. The trick is to balance the purple with a palette of complementary colors to create an appealing master scheme.

As it turns out, a lot of colors look absolutely great with purple, whether a deep and dark shade, or more of a pastel. Many shades of blue seem to soften the effect of purple furnishings or paint. But, as you can see from this suggested scheme, some warmer shades work extremely well too.

Again, there are all sorts of studies on the psychological impact of colors that predict the emotional response people will have to various color combinations. But sometimes all you can do is experiment and hope for the best. Start slowly. Add some purple accents or stripes first. There's no need to go out and buy a purple couch, paint the walls and ceilings plum and hang pictures of ripe grapes on the wall. At least not yet!

Of course one of the best - and easiest - ways to add a bit of purple to a room to gague its effect is with an area rug. You can find almost 200 different styles on the Rugs Direct website in a variety of styles, sizes and fabrics. Many use purple as an accent color and will add just a dash of color to an otherwise traditional scheme. Then again, you can buy a solid purple shag rug that will make you taste grape soda every time you walk into the room! You have many, many options.

So be bold! Give purple a try. Even if it doesn't immediately bring you love, serenity and wealth, it will certainly make your room unique.

Click here to explore the wide range of purple rugs available at the nation's leading source for area rugs, Rugs Direct.

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Fifty or sixty years ago people shopped for rugs much differently than they do today. There was a greater emphasis on the origin of the rug and even its historical background. People would speak of their "Persian rug," or that their rugs were "imported from India." To someone knowledgeable about the design of area rugs, this had great meaning. Rugs made in China, for example, had a very different look from ones made in the Middle East. And since most everything at the time was hand-made and truly custom, people took great pride in identifying the nationality of their area rugs.

Rugs also were, by comparison, much more expensive than they are today. As a percentage of family income, a rug could easily be an extreme investment to a typical homeowner. It not only had to be of such high quality that it would last many, many years, but any redecorating of the room had to focus on the rug as the centerpiece. It was the one design element that was NOT going to be replaced! It was not uncommon for a rug to be passed down generation to generation, as it was frequently the prized possession of the family.

Area rugs were also not considered a "commodity" as they often are viewed today. You couldn't go into a department store or even a furniture store and expect to find a good selection of high-quality rugs. (Big box retailers did not yet exist!) Instead, most all rugs were purchased from dedicated rug merchants, or imported through the use of a broker. Frequently rugs were purchased sight-unseen, but quality and origin were more important than color or style. The times truly were different.

As consumer expectations evolved and rugs became a much more universal addition to the home, technology stepped in to fill the void. New fabrics were invented and machines were designed that could weave a rug in a fraction of the time it takes an artisan to hand-knot a masterpiece. To a less discrimination customer, these new synthetic, machine-made rugs looked every bit as good as the much-more-expensive imports. And that was the key - the cost. Instead of investing the equivalent of three-months' salary in a floor covering, a homeowner could now buy one for a few hundred dollars.

Today rugs are available just about everywhere. There have never been so many different styles, colors, sizes, patterns and fibers available. At Rugs Direct you can find some 70,000 different rugs, many at prices a 1950's family would think far too good to be true! It's easy - and affordable - to decorate every room in one's home today with area rugs, and many people now change the rugs with the season. Why not?

For more tips on decorating with area rugs, check these resources on the Rugs Direct website.

• Traditional Rugs
• Contemporary Rugs
• Braided Rugs
• Outdoor Rugs
• Southwestern Rugs

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Buying a highly "visual" product like an area rug can be difficult over the Internet. The many colors and color variations in a rug can be hard to represent in a photograph, especially at the image resolutions normally used on websites. On top of that, much of the appeal of a rug has to do with the touch and feel of the fibers - something that is simply impossible to convey on a computer screen - yet!

So to better give customers a sense of the variety availabe in many area-rug collections, and to help them visualize the rug in an actual living space, Rugs Direct recently introduced high-definition video presentations of selected rugs on its website. These have proven to be a tremendously popular success!

The first video presentation was for one of the most popular collections of all time from Sphinx. Called "Generations" this collection features some 26 different styles in a wide range of patterns and colors. Prices start at around $49 for a small throw rug and go up to $849 for a large room-size rug. Homeowners love this collection, but its range of options can be overwhelming. Now, in one 90-second video, shoppers can view and visually compare most of the different styles Generations has to offer. They can not only see the individual rugs, but also get a better idea of the rug's applications by viewing a number of room scenes. It is proving to help people imagine the rug in their own living or dining room, thereby bridging the gap between an online image and the real thing.

Following the success of the Sphinx video, Rugs Direct quickly produced similar presentations for a number of other popular collections. Now available are videos for:

• Surya Aros
• Surya Caesar
• Surya Cosmopolitan
• Kaleen Home & Porch
• Jaipur Blue
• Jaipur J2
• Jaipur Poeme
• Momeni New Wave

The videos are hosted on YouTube and are a part of the new Rugs Direct Channel that can be found there. Plans are to greatly expanded the library of videos over the next few months, so that customers can better envision the huge range of decorating options available to them when using area rugs.

On the main Rugs Direct website there is now a page that features all of the rugs for which videos are presently available. It can be reached by clicking here.