Deck the "Halls"

Recently, I had the opportunity to decorate a home with an unusual layout. What I thought was unusual about this layout was the way it resembled a long hallway. Although it had an open floor plan, it still felt like a hallway every time someone entered it. And since the home was a combination of office and living space, I had to make that constant hallway effect disappear. So, my resolution was to keep it economical, contemporary, yet simply stated. By opting to go with indoor/outdoor area rugs that would subdivide the spaces, I would achieve my goal.


My selection of indoor/outdoor area rugs was limited, but I did manage to find some great buys at reasonable prices while shopping at Lowes. I started with the home's entryway. In order to create visual interest, I chose the rug with the dragonfly motif and positioned it lengthwise. This position visually created a needed extension in the doorway. A sort of Zen transformation took place when I set a beautiful tall Japanese floor lamp at the base of the rug. This finished and defined the space for the entryway.


The next target was the same wide hallway leading to the work area. Here, I created a living room space. This time I chose to go with a more neutral pattern. The rug had a well defined border which anchored the heavy furniture and created a much needed focal point in the middle of the room. It was placed perpendicular to the entryway between the entertainment center and leather sofa, transforming a 10x12 foot hallway into a living room.


Finally, I tackled the 20x20 foot work space. The main goal in this area was to create a contemporary look that didn't feel overstated. Since the furniture in this space took up most of the room, I positioned the desks against one wall and kept the rug at the ends of the desks. This placement increased the apparent size of the room by drawing the eye from the desks, to the rug, to the open floor space. This created a spacious work area with a flowing traffic pattern.


By separating the seemingly long hallway into spaces, a look was created. All it took was strategically placing area rugs. The space that once was a long hallway, now was a home with character.


For more great ideas go to Area Rugs 101.