Look East for an Area Rug Runner

A friend of my wife is a compulsive world traveler. On one of her recent trips she brought us a lovely rug all the way from Turkey. It’s a nicely woven carpet in reds, browns and black which fits the decor in our dining room very nicely. I would probably describe it as an area rug runner, because it works great as an area rug in a narrow room, but it’s long enough that it could also be used as a runner to protect a well-traveled area in a larger room.

A runner can serve the same kind of function as a stair carpet: it protects the surface beneath and can also provide extra grip to prevent people from slipping on wood or tile. It’s always a good idea to use rug pads or tape to ensure that the mat itself doesn’t slip. In addition to the practical benefits, a rug can also provide an interesting focal point for a room.

I’m not suggesting that you send your friends off to Turkey to bring back carpeting for you, because there’s really no need. In today’s global market, high-quality rugs from the East are available almost anywhere, even on the Internet. You may pay a little more than you would by haggling in an Istanbul marketplace, but you save on the airfare!