Area Rugs: To Bind or to Serge?
The edge of your custom-made rug makes a difference.
A huge trend in the decorative world today is the area rug – a striking carpet cut and laid down a top a pristine hardwood or vinyl floor. It can serve as a design statement, a way to ground and separate a space, a cushion for tired feet, or a means of noise control. And yes, sometimes it does all of those jobs simultaneously.
There are hundreds of retailers where you can buy a ready-made rug; just walk into your nearest Home Goods or click through thousands of stock options on Wayfair.
However, nothing compares to the quality and experience of custom-making a rug. That is the ultimate luxury – and oftentimes, it’s not as expensive as you’d think.
The advantages are enormous: You get to choose the exact shade, pattern, shape, dimensions, and edging. You are in total control of the end product, and no one else will be able to duplicate your exact masterpiece without asking you for all the details. It’s a unique piece, one designed by you and your impeccable taste.
The process is simple.
Walk into the showroom and tell the salesperson that you are looking for an area rug. They will show you their selection of carpet, and you can choose any pattern that you fall in love with. Maybe it will be the silky, shimmery fibers of a high-end Kane carpet that will catch your eye, or maybe it will be the durable yet chic woven nylon threads of a Prestige Mills offering. Stanton’s line of luxurious shag carpets add a touch of whimsy to any room, so perhaps that will be your choice for your daughter’s bedroom. For a sophisticated wool look, you may wish to check out Masland’s gorgeous 1866 collection… The options are endless.
Then you specify what shape you’d like the rug to be, as well as the measurements.
Unsure of the proper dimensions?
No problem. That’s what our design associates are there for. They can advise on the size of the rug based on the other furniture in the room and the rest of your décor.
Once you’ve chosen the pattern, color, shape, and size, there is one last part. Edging.
You get to decide how you would like to “seal” the edges of the rug.
And now, a little education goes a long way. So here we go.

There are two ways to edge a rug: Binding and Serging.
Binding is the look of taking a strip of fabric or other material – like leather or jute – and wrapping it around the raw edges of the cut carpet. That strip of fabric is selected by the customer from an array of options to highlight the tones of the carpet that the client prefers.
It allows you to create a custom border effect around your rug to finish off the look.
Serging is the look of taking a well-matched thread that is stitched continuously around the periphery of the carpet. Usually, the finished width is about three-eighths of an inch. It typically evokes a higher-end look that a bound edge.
Ultimately, the choice will come down to personal preference (or your designer’s preference!). Both options are durable and can be executed beautifully.
Price-wise, a serged edge can be more expensive, but not always. If you choose an expensive fabric to use to bind your rug, that can easily top the cost of a serged edge.
At Paragon Flooring, we recognize the importance of properly finishing off a rug, and we’ll be glad to offer you a price quote for both options. Whichever way you decide – bound or serged – we’ll be happy to bring your vision to life.
That stunning area rug you’re dreaming of is well within reach. Just visit our showroom, make your choice, and we’ll take care of the rest.
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