No matter which floor covering you choose, it should be serviceable for your lifestyle, and if you are building a new house or renovating an older one, your choices in floorings are endless.

Floors set the tone of the room - the look and feel of a room - but beyond appearance, the ultimate decision on which flooring material will be installed should be based on how a room is used. For example, a room in which there is heavy foot traffic needs a hard wearing floor whereas a bedroom floor needs to be soft and cozy on the feet.

Area rugs are the latest trend in home decorating. These versatile splashes of color ground a room, giving it personality and function. Consumers today are looking for all type of area rugs from abstract to the antiques, including the ultra shaggy flokatis and even designer area rugs!

Rugs transform the look and feel of a room, whether your decorating preference is traditional, contemporary or country. Considering the vast range of styles, colors, and shapes, area rugs are an easy solution to a decorating challenge.

Nothing is as elegant than an heirloom quality Oriental area rug atop a gleaming hardwood floor, or more charming than a handcrafted braided rugs on timeworn pine planks.

Carpet and carpeting has outsold every other type of flooring for the last 50 years, and accounts for more than half the flooring purchases made each year.

Because carpet can be applied over almost any subfloor or existing flooring, a thick pile carpet will hide irregularities in subflooring in a way that other flooring coverings can't.

Colors are very much in demand with decorators this year. Shaw Carpets has reworked their carpet line with bright bold colors suitable for any room. In addition to color, look for texture - sculpted carpets in contemporary patterns and shaggy shags with multi color threads. WOW!

Retro colors are making a big come back for those of you who prefer dark warm floors. Look for carpets in delicious colors like chocolate and kiwi.