Split level houses are really best suited for wall-to-wall carpet. But, with today’s trend to hardwood floors, everyone is ripping out the carpet and refinishing the wood. Then, the next question is how do we add area rugs to define and soften the spaces?
After removing Mrs. P.’s wall-to-wall carpet, we did a dust free sanding of her oak floors, then finished them in natural to keep these smallish rooms light and bright. Next, we needed rugs that work well together but differentiate each space.
Sizing an area rug in a split level house can be tricky. We want to leave walkways and avoid trip hazards. But we want to avoid “floating islands” of furniture with no connection to the area they belong to. Sometimes, in these small spaces, the half on-half off approach can pull the room together.
There is a very subtle vine etched into this custom bound carpet to add interest and coordinate with dining room nearby, without fighting with the large sofa pattern.
A traditional bordered rug works perfectly with Mrs. P.’s antique dining set. The small scale of this pattern does not overpower the small room. The rug is just large enough to accommodate the chairs with people seated. And, it still leaves an adequate walkway to the kitchen.
When buying bordered rugs, look for expertly crafted corners like this one.
The runner adds just the right pop of color on this split staircase. 3-1/2″ to 4″ of wood exposure on either side of the runner is a good balance.
The light scroll against the burgundy background blends perfectly with the natural color of the oak stairs.
We’d love to talk more about the other projects we’ve done like this and their average price range. Leave it to the professionals – we know exactly what will work best for the project you have in mind, and can help you clean it too!
