Flokati Rugs traditionally come from Greece. They are generally woven from wool, making these rugs are the perfect addition to any home.

The best way to look after your Flokati rug is to shake it out regularly to free any dirt and to lift the wool pile.

Its best not to use a vacuum cleaner but if you do, use an attachment that is gentle on the rug or just the hose but make sure you vacuum carefully so as not to damage the rug..

Authentic wool Flokati rugs should  be washed by hand in warm water using a mild detergent. Although I have seen rugs that are machine washable on a gentle cycle in cold water. Just follow the manufacturers instructions on how to care for your particular rug.

Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry flat in a shady spot. DO NOT place your Flokati rug in the dryer.

If the rug is grubby you may prefer to have it cleaned professionaly.

Why not dress up the kids room with a colorful rug featuring a map of the US.

The Rectangular STOPS Trivia Game Rug is based on the award winning geography trivia game STOPS© so not only will the room look great but it gives your kids the opportunity to  learn more about the United States.

They can answer answer questions from landmarks and state capitals to American History which will help them to remember facts about their country.

The American flag is displayed  along with numbers, state abbreviations, the country regions and surrounding oceans.

Features:

• The rug has a Class I flammability rating.
• Lifetime antistatic, antimicrobial, soil and stain protections
• 100% high twist premium nylon
• Tufted cut pile construction
• High fiber density
• 10 year wear warranty

The STOPS Trivia Game rug is available in the following sizes:

• 54″ x 78″
• 78″ x 109″

There is also a great looking 7’7″ round Stops Trivia Game kids rug available:

Surprisingly, the use of  leather rugs has become quite common.

These beautiful rugs fit well into almost any type of home décor and come in all shapes and sizes. And often they do not even look like leather.

Leather rugs don’t have to be related to just sheepskin type rugs or the rustic look, they quite stylish nowadays.

One of the most common types of leather rugs is the shag rug. Leather strips are basically taken and made into a shag rug. Suede and other soft leather are usually used to create this great look.

There is nothing quite like sinking your feet into a soft leather shag rug when you get out of bed or off the couch.

Most people will not even realize that your shag rug is made from leather until they look really closely.

Woven leather rugs are another popular design and they provide a very durable carpet for just about anywhere else that you need a rug. The flat weave leather rugs can be dyed just about any color.

So if you are looking for something that will add texture and depth to your room, why not try a leather rug.

Many homeowners are surprised to find that a leather rug fits in with country style décor, modern décor, Victorian style décor, well any décor really. They are relatively affordable, from about $150 and up and you will have a rug that is very durable and feels great when you walk on it.

The only issue with this type of rug is that you can’t just pick it up and throw it in the washer and dryer. Leather rugs must be dry cleaned in a special manner so that they are cleaned properly and also stay together through the cleaning process. If you have a good leather dry cleaner in your area, then go for it, leather rugs will add that something special to your home that you have been looking for.

Keep the look of spring in your home, long after spring has passed.

Nourison have designed this beautiful sunflower shaped wool rug as a reminder of the warmer months.

The Nourison Blooms Flower Shaped Wool Rug is made from hand tufted,  100% wool in shades of yellow, green and with touches of brown.

The flower has a dark brown and mustard colored center.

It is recommended that this lovely rug be professionally cleaned when required and simply spot clean between cleanings.

The rug measures 3′  in diameter.

This is just another example of the exquisite Nourison range of rugs.

You will find more beautiful Nourison rugs at Amazon.com.

At Nourison Rugs, “We look at the market to see what other companies are doing – and then we do something different.” So says Alex Peykar, one of four brothers who founded Nourison Rug Company in 1980. The company, named after the family patriarch, began its life as Nouri & Sons, a company whose intention was to always have the right rug in the right color whenever their retailers needed it.

Twenty five years later, Nourison Rugs is the worldwide leader in handmade rugs of all types and styles. Their products range from traditional designs and museum quality hand woven Oriental rugs to hand-finished designs created on power looms. Nourison Rugs are beautiful, functional and offer excellent craftsmanship in every price, style and construction category.

The Nourison name has become synonymous with quality and beauty in traditional, contemporary, modern and nouveau styles. Nourison Rugs offers over 60 collections of carpets and rugs in 6 different style categories.

You will find a range of beautiful Nourison rugs at Amazon.com

In our fast-paced, over-processed, crazy world a lot of people are turning to a simpler life.  They are down sizing, taking time out to meditate and embracing historic methods of medicine, ways of life and life enhancements.  One of those methods is Feng Shui.  What is it and how can it help you?

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui means ‘wind-water’.  It is pronounced ‘fung shway’.

It is the ancient Chinese art of arranging a living or work space to maximize the flow of vital energy, or chi.  This can include how the furniture is arranged and which colors are used in the space.  The aim is to get the chi flowing so that it creates harmony, comfort and balance.  The Chinese say that if you can achieve it in your environment, it will go on to affect how you feel and live.

How does it work?

A lot of feng shui is common sense.  For example, let’s take the furniture placement.  The feng shui ideal would be to have pieces placed in such a way that it is easy for a person to walk from one place to another, without having to squeeze past items, go around things instead of straight from A to B and not block doorways.  From a feng shui point of view, this allows the chi to flow.  This does make perfect sense if you think about your own home.  How many of us have an item of furniture that is really too large for where it is and we end up turning sideways to go past it.  Or a room where it’s impossible to open the door fully because of a bookcase or chair behind it?  Many homes even lose the use of a door altogether because of furniture placement.  Their feng shui consultant would have a fit!

How much nicer would your space be if you didn’t have to do all of that and if you could use all of your doors?  But feng shui can be applied to every item in your home.  Let’s look at a simple item that most people have – an area rug.  This is just a rug that only covers part of the floor.  How would we apply feng shui to the rug?

Feng shui and your area rugs

According to the principles of feng shui, every item in your home or workplace gives off energy.  That energy feeds into the overall chi and that is what we are trying to improve.  So every aspect of each item has to be considered.

Color

Color is very important because it determines the mood of a room.  If there are soft or pastel colors, the room will be relaxing – but if there are too many gentle shades, it can tip over into boring!  If the colors are strong or vibrant, the space may become nerve-jangling and increase tension.  So give some thought to the color of your rug or any new one that you are about to purchase.  Does it enhance the existing color scheme or jar against it?  Remember that with feng shui you are trying to attain harmony and balance.

Texture

It’s also important to consider texture.  The right texture or combination of textures can make a room much more welcoming and comfortable to spend time in.  This is simple to demonstrate.  Imagine a house with all wood floors.  Beautiful but maybe a little bare and hard looking?  The addition of a few area rugs would instantly soften that and the two would compliment each other, bringing balance and harmony.  Great chi!

Your area rug can improve your energy and opportunities!

People often have an area rug in their entrance hall.  This is a great place to start because one of the beliefs of feng shui is that both energy and opportunity come to us through the front entrance of our homes – just like a visitor.  So we need to make those things feel welcome and bring them right on in!

A feng shui ‘rule’ is that soft, rounded shapes are always better than sharp angles, so choose a round, oval or half circle area rug for your entrance.  This should improve the energy and help it to balance.  The very best shape you could choose is an octagonal rug because this is a very important feng shui symbol.

If you have a rectangular or square rug, this would be considered as having ‘sharp points’ at the corners, which are construed as ‘pointing’ at people or opportunities and energy as they enter your home.  Those angles need to go.

If you really get into feng shui, you would also check out your hallway for rectangular pictures or mirrors (replace with oval or arched) and even plants.  A soft, round bushy flower arrangement would be better than an angular plant and a cactus is a definite no no!

Overall aim

You can gauge the chi of a room by how much you (or anyone else) enjoys being in that space.  Feng shui is all about energy and people give off masses of it.  If people are happy in the room, then the chi will be healthy.  It’s a circular effect.  Happy room = happy people = happy room!

It may sound a little ‘new age’ and weird but just think of your own home and areas where even simple improvements could be made.  Area rugs are not expensive and it might be a great way of trying out feng shui in your own home.  It might be the start of a new passion, a happier life and more opportunities.  It’s got to be worth a try!