Are Cheap Rugs Truly Worth Considering?
Posted by juliabennet on April 8th, 2012
What is the first thought which comes to mind at the mention of the phrase ‘cheap rugs’? While some people might describe them as being of a sub-standard quality others simply take them as low-priced home accessories with no bearing on the qualitative aspect. To any layman, these points of view might appear as conflicting as can be but it is a fact that in case of rugs price cannot always be taken as a true indicator of quality. Apart from Persian rugs which are in a class of their own, it is possible to find a rug which is a good balance between price and quality.
For a rug to be branded as cheap, it need not be manufactured from poor quality raw materials. Anyone who ventures out shopping with such an attitude is bound to be astonished at some of the high quality nylon fiber rugs which can be bought at unbelievable prices. Since these are usually backed with jute or rubber, they are undoubtedly long lasting not to mention eco friendly as far as commercial grade products are concerned. How is it possible? Often many of these nylon cheap rugs are categorized under ‘Minimum Advertised Price’ policy and hence need to conform of strict policy guidelines.
Because they are placed on the floor, it is but obvious that rugs would be subjected to frequent wear and tear and this is why people prefer to opt for cheap rugs as these can be periodically replaced without making a large dent in the household expenditure. But can these be acquired easily? Provided the buyer knows exactly where he should look for them, these are as accessible as any other commodity. Special occasions, company close-outs, wholesalers and online discounted sales are some of the popular choices for an individual looking for an economically priced rug.
Some of features which characterize cheap rugs are their asymmetrical patterns, varying thickness and vibrant colors. While choosing rugs, wool should be given a priority because of its resilience and maintenance-free nature but at the same time rugs made from acrylic, nylon, polypropylene and recycled material should also be considered. Being synthetic in nature and belonging to the machine-made genre, these cost much less as compared to a hand-woven piece. A braided or a recycled rug is also a good idea as it can be customized as per the need and come in handy for outdoor use as well.
Purchasing cheap rugs entails its own unique modus operandi which differs from other forms of shopping simply because of the fact that there is a lot of difference even within the same price range. Products might range from being Persian or Oriental to nylon, jute and polymer thus implying that rugs will vary not just outwardly in terms of pattern but also inherently in aspects like thickness, maintenance and usage. Therefore, a thorough and in-depth comparison of features, material and washability is definitely in order before paying for the chosen rug.
Given the plethora of choices, a strong recommendation would be to stall the purchase decision till something classic like a muted olive green, ivory, tea-stained burgundy or blackberry black rug is spotted. Something contemporary like shag or a zebra pattern also looks nice on cheap rugs and if bought from a garage sale or through a personal dealing it could score high in terms of quality as well. One way in which these differ from their expensive counterparts is the lack of symmetry and the onus is on the user to turn this to his advantage by placing them strategically and judiciously.
A surprising element about cheap rugs is that they can still be of good quality in spite of being priced economically. If you know where to acquire this rug from and how to go about selecting one you might end up with a classic piece without spending a fortune.
