The Chenille Area RugHave you heard of the chenille area rug before? They’ve been around for over a century, and you can be certain they’re here to stay. Chenille, which comes from the French word for caterpillar, is a fancy yarn with a soft, hairy texture. It has a raised pile. It used to be made from silk, but it is now usually made from cotton. Chenille yarn was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s and has made a major comeback in interior design in the last few years. Chenille area rugs are a relatively inexpensive, easy to clean, fun way to bring this fabric into your home.
The chenille industry started around the turn of the century (19th to 20th), when Catherine Evans Whitener sewed thick cotton yarns with a running stitch into unbleached muslin, clipped the ends of the yarn so they would fluff out, and then shrank the fabric by washing it in hot water. This tightened the stitch and held the yarn in place. Chenille was born! At first, used mainly for bedspreads and curtains, it later became fashionable for casual clothing, and then rugs.
These delightful rugs feature thickly woven pattern of stripes and a soft chenille finish, or can be made of plush cotton or poly chenille that is then cut into strips and braided. Adding a beautiful, colorful accent rug to any room adds comfort and character without much cost and effort. Chenille comes in several varieties. There are fluffy, soft throw rugs, in stripes or patterns that are wonderful for the bathroom, and in front of a shower or tub.
Make sure that your chenille area rug comes with a non-skid backing; if not, place some non-slip sheeting or a rug pad under your rug. This will not only prevent slipping, but will add life to your rug, absorb noise, prevent scratching on your hard flooring, and make it easier to vacuum it. Chenille area rugs also come braided in all sizes and colors. They are perfect for casual, early American and country cabin style homes. They are washable and they are also reversible. This seems to be the most popular design for chenille rugs. These rugs are perfect for drawing attention to a special focal point in a room. While a large braided chenille rug will spruce up any bedroom, living room, entry way, or family room, a smaller one can be used to designate a conversation or work area, a play area in a family room or a child’s bedroom, or a game area. Place them in a hallway, by the front door, or by work areas in your kitchen. Since they are so affordable, let your imagination go wild!
But before you go out and spend that money, consider your current decor and make sure that your purchases will complement your existing design and color scheme in both look and feel. Pull colors from your artwork, pillows, fabrics and other accessories, if the area rug is coming late in your decorating. Tip: Try to use restful colors in your bedroom, and medium tones under tables, to mask spills. Here’s some advice that can enable you to increase the life of your chenille area rugs, just by extending them a little extra care.
To properly clean your chenille area rug, you need to use a vacuum that does not have a beater bar. (The beater bar is the rotating brush.) If the vacuum cleaner does have a beater bar, you should raise it so it won’t come in contact with your rugs. Another way would be to clean the rug using only your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachments. You should clean your rug with just the suction process, in the direction to the pile, because brushes pull at the yarns, causing damage to the rug by making it look fuzzy. If you aren’t sure about the size area rug you want, try masking out the area on the floor. Does that look right? Adjust it and re-measure. This will also help you when trying to visualize a shape.
You are going to love your chenille area rugs! If you want to leap right in and do some pre-shopping for a chenille rug, I'm sure you'll find the rug that suits your choice in design, material, color, type of weave, and size at one of the recommended sources below. I can assure you I took great care to select each one. Each ranks high in customer satisfaction, and they have quality rugs in many price ranges, a sure bet they can satisfy their customers' needs.
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