A great way to update a room is to add a tactile or visual interest by adding a patterned rug.  Our favorite is our Handwoven Rustic Rug which adds texture with the hand sewn cotton and wool. Along with its staggered design makes it a unique piece in any room.
In regards to size, I don’t know if there is a perfect size.  I think a lot of it depends on personal preference.  If you are unsure of what would look right, just make sure that there is an even border of flooring around all four sides, or at least that borders of flooring opposite each other are even. Don’t get a rug so large that it touches the baseboard around the room.

If you have a large room that doesn’t have a definable space, I suggest putting the front legs of furniture pieces on the rug and the back legs off.  However, more importantly, you might want to make sure the rug is placed in a balanced fashion in the room.

It’s that time of year we will start primping our homes for family and friends as we gather together for the holidays. The list is long: clean out the closets, get new bedding, reupholster the dining room chairs, and hang the pictures that have been leaning against the walls for months!

Below are a few wall art tips from interior designer, our Design Director, Jane Moore.

1. Select walls that are scaled to the piece.

2. Hang mirrors or art about 4″–6″ above the chest, table, console, etc.

3. Same with a mantel; hang about 4″–6″ above the mantel.

4. Museums generally hang CENTER of piece of art 60″ from floor to CENTER of piece of art (that’s a good eye level) and I do about the same (but one does have to “eyeball” it a bit and make a decision depending on the piece). The 60″ is a good starting point to “eyeball”.

5. When hanging art over tables, sofas, mantels, etc., do not go too high up from the piece. You do not want it to look like it is floating by itself. The furniture piece and the art should act as a unit. (Number 2 and this one sort of go together).

6. When hanging wall art in a grid or row, do not space it too far apart. 2″- 6″ is generally good depending on the pieces. If you have a lot of pieces, another option is to hang them touching each other. Again, they should act as a unit.

7. Try not to do one-point hangs on wire. Do two-point hangs as far apart as possible to help keep the art from going out of level.

8. Ideally, hang art on D rings that are attached 1/3rd of the way down the sides of frames keeping the frame from going “cattywumpus” and taking the stress off of the frame.

And, if you want to save your marriage and avoid too many extra holes in the wall, hire professional picture hangers!

How big is too big? How high is too high? Is this too small?  These are those common questions we all know we ask ourselves when it comes to decorating.  Therefore, we are here to try and help. Each month, we will post a reader’s question to answer.  However, since this is our first posting and we want to give you plenty of time to think of that one question that you never seem to know the answer to,  we will go first:

How many inches should a coffee table be from the sofa? (Good question, right?)

Eighteen inches from the sofa is a good enough distance for someone to walk through, and enough for you to rest your feet on!