Can anyone tell me if it is tacky to use a large carpet remnant as an area rug rather than buying a regular rug? I'm on a pretty tight budget, and I need a LARGE (10x10 ish) rug for our living room. Regular rugs that large are several hundred dollars. What do you think? Any other suggestions?
No, but... do you have a fabric outlet in your area? I got my large (8'x10' I believe) rug from a fabric outlet in my area, for $150. not bad! Its beautiful too. just a suggestion.
Not tacky! I was wondering about the edges though... Will they look worn out after some time? I guess it depends on the quality of the carpet. Have you considered buying a used rug? Check out second-hand shops, Salvation Army shops, garage sales ect - plus ads in the local newspaper. Or you could place an ad yourself?
No. There is nothing tacky about this at all. I have bound and sold hundreds of room sized remnants over the years and 10 x 10 is the most common size. Be careful though. Many remnants of higher quality could cost more than a printed area rug. Binding costs me $1.10 per lineal foot and I sell it for $2.00 per lineal foot. A 10 x 10 bound rug or forty lineal feet will cost $80.00 for the binding, the cost of the remnant (estimate $70) plus sales tax. The retail store you shop at should have a binder they work with. They will send it out and should have it back for you to pick up within a week or so. If not, a few quick calls to some other carpet stores in the area should turn up someone willing to give you the number of a binder or two. If you can lug your rug to the binder yourself, you will save the money a retailer like me will charge for acting as the middleman. On July first, the binder I use is going to start adding fees for pick-up and drop-off service. Ten dollars each trip. I understand, he has to put gas in his van to keep working just like the rest of us and gas keeps going up. I strongly recommend you have your new rug bound because it will help prevent unraveling fibers and give it a professionally finished look. As part of the deal, a good binder will square it up and trim away any unevenness as well.
