If you want the luxury and warmth of carpeting but don't want to pay for wall-to-wall or are wary about covering your beautiful wood floors, area rugs are a great way to strike that ideal balance. An attractive area rug instills a look of elegance in any room.

To learn about how to use area rugs throughout your home and save money on your purchase, keep reading for some great tips from the pros.

1. Measure Twice.

Ideally, an area rug should be two feet less in length than the smallest side of a room. So if your living room is 12x14 feet, you should look at rugs that are no larger than 10 feet on either end.

Typically, if you're installing a rug in a dining room, it should extend about 18 inches past the table to accommodate your dining chairs.

2. Machine Made is Less Expensive.

Overall, machine made rugs are less expensive than hand-woven rugs. To tell if a rug is machine-woven or hand-woven, look at the back. If the fibers are stiff and run vertically straight, then the rug is a machine rug.

Other affordable types of rugs include braided rugs, cut-and-bound carpet rugs and jute and sisal rugs.

3. Go Reversible.

Look for rugs that are reversible. These unique rugs are designed to be flipped and changed with the seasons. Not only does the reversibility extend the life of the rug, but it also lets you quickly update the look of your room with minimal effort and cost.

4. Rotate Your Rug Regularly.

Rotating an area rug by 180 degrees every year will extend its life. You'll counter the effects of traffic patterns and sun fading by moving your area rug on a regular basis.

5. Spend the Most You Can Afford.

If you're purchasing an area rug that you hope to have for a long time, try to spend as much as you can afford. A high-quality wool rug will last for decades and actually look better as it ages.

A good rule of thumb is to stick with trusted brand names like Royal Intercontinental, Tufenkian rugs, Karastan or Merida Meridian.

• Dream Builder Amusement Park 1.0
  Start building your very own amusement park in Dream Builder: Amusement Park! Grow the park by adding the coolest new rides, the yummiest concession stands and the most entertaining attractions. Add decorations and...

• 7 Wonders Ancient Alien Makeover 1.0
  Construct exciting new wonders with the help of advanced alien technology in 7 Wonders: Ancient Alien Makeover! Match 3 your way to success as you build-up your arsenal of power-ups and gain the resources to construct the wonders of the world.

• The Last Dawn Tales of Arthfael 1.0
  Embark on a legendary quest to save the Batavian Islands. The evil Drustans have kidnapped Princess Ephila. Her King has called forth all heroes to save the princess and recapture their stolen treasure. You’ll play the role of Arthfael as you travel through 7 levels, 9 mini-games and beautiful 3D animations.

• The Invisible Man 1.0
  Griffin's quest for invisibility has left him labeled as a crazy scientist, and he must leave his sweetheart behind as he flees to escape his persecutors. Unravel the mystery of Griffin's strange experiment in this suspenseful hidden object game!

• Scarytales All Hail King Mongo 1.0
  The evil sorcerer Zarrar has returned to take vengeance upon your family and the kingdom from which he was banished years ago. After possessing your brother’s mind through his dark magic, Zarrar is now unstoppable. As the princess, you are the...

• Les Miserables Cosettes Fate 1.0
  One of the greatest novels in history as you’ve never seen it before! Montfermeil, France, 1826. Fantine lives in poverty with her little girl Cosette and life is a struggle.