Area rugs make any room cozier, especially a small spot with tile or wood floors. Remember when you are considering what look you want to create in an exceptionally tiny room that the floor is an important part of your scheme.

Many older homes have hard wood floors that often beg for floor covering as a way to soften the area and, importantly, to absorb sound. But know that you have to get the size just right. Believe it or not, if you select a rug that is far too small, the effort can backfire, and the rug will just emphasize the undersized character of the room. I have observed that this is the most universal gaffe people repeatedly make when choosing an area rug.

So remember to try and reach out to the corners of a room and realize that furniture definitely can be half on, half off the edges of a rug. Notice how the legs of this chair kind of kiss the edges of the rug and by doing so unite the furniture to the wood floor and the pieces at the sides of the space. Sometimes I think that people make the mistake of buying too small because of price and err on the side of going a little short just because they think that maybe they can get away with it. When in doubt, consider the next size up! Ask the sales person if you can take two sizes home and try them out before committing to a final sale.

In my community, we have a dealer who will bring out numerous rug choices to actually try them out in the room, and this is always the very best way to find out if a rug will work out permanently. This particular rug is one from a New York company whose family has been in the rug business since 1900 and knows the value of a good quality rug. If you decide to invest in a better grade product, realize that the rug will last your entire life if properly cared for, thus making the higher price tag worth consideration.

Obvious enemies of rug longevity are wear and tear, moths and dampness. You can follow the guidelines used for centuries by moving the rug around in order to even out traffic patterns. Make sure that strong sun won't fade one part of the rug. Expose the rug periodically to light and air. This is where the old practice of spring cleaning comes into play; remember why our great-grandmothers would remove items from the house and put them outside once a year. Make sure that you clean up spills immediately and vacuum any rug often to remove dirt and debris from the fibers. If you are a pet owner, understand that you need to vacuum at least every other day in order to pick up the dirt and fur from your creature! The range of styles and price points available are nearly dizzying. From polypropylene/acrylic that you can merely hose off in the yard to 100 percent hand-dyed wool rugs, a quick Internet search yields literally hundreds of choices. Yet, it remains significant that nothing is as comforting as seeing a rug in your space. Be aware of return policies before you purchase online, and know that you will likely be responsible to pay to ship an item back to a vender.

Consider your local sources first in order to make this audition process a little easier. Another way to monitor prices carefully is to inquire about available machine made designs versus hand woven rugs. Often, you can get the pattern you like in a variety of sizes, from hall runners to room sized rugs.

At the other end of the area rug spectrum, you will find the floor tile of FLOR. The idea of using modular carpet tiles originally began in the contract carpet market years ago as a way to minimize the need to replace entire rooms of carpeting just because someone spilled coffee in an office. You purchase the tile squares and assemble them yourself in your room with the knowledge that indeed you too can just replace one or two tiles should an accident occur. Families with babies and young children love the flexibility offered by this practice and the reasonable price tags associated with the product. Nevertheless, if you are devoted to properly caring for a good quality heirloom rug, it can last for generations.

Photo Credit: Kalaty Rugs

Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at [email protected]. To find out more about Christine Brun and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.