Rugs and carpets are among the most versatile tools in any home decorator's arsenal. Whether you want to add warmth to your living room, help define space in your family area or spice up the color scheme in your bedroom, the right rug can be the easiest and quickest way to achieve this goal. Best of all, they do all that in a wide variety of styles so that you can easily find just the right rug to create the effect you want in your home.

Not sure how to choose the right rug for a room in your home? Here are some tips to help you find the perfect.

1. Set the tone for your whole room with a full-size floor rug.

When choosing a room size rug for the floor of any room, go for subtlety. A floor-size rug will be the largest design element in your room, and it can easily overpower and overwhelm any other elements, including your furniture, wall art and other décor. A busy pattern or very loud colors can distract attention from the rest of your room.

That doesn't mean that you're stuck with blah neutrals, though. Pick a floor size rug in a pattern or solid that serves as the perfect anchor for the colors of your walls and furniture.

2. Define areas in a larger room with smaller area rugs.

One of the quickest ways to define a section of a larger room is to furnish it with an area rug. It's a time-honored decorator's trick to keep the spaciousness of an open floor plan while bringing in a hint of warmth and coziness. A sofa and chair set in the middle of a huge floor look lost and out of place. When you put an area rug under them, you have given them an anchor, which allows everything to look more natural.

When choosing area rugs to define functional space in a room, be sure not to add too much. Stick with one large rug and a couple of scatter rugs, or a runner. Even an enormous room can look over-designed if you try to cram too many design elements into it.

3. Call attention to special features with accent rugs.

Smaller area rugs can form a backdrop for special features for example, your grandmother's sideboard or gateleg table. Accent rugs can serve a functional as well as a decorative role in your design scheme. A floral hearthrug will protect the carpet or flooring in front of your fireplace while adding a graceful touch of color while defining a comfortable seating area for fire gazing.

4. Choose the right style to accent your décor.

The rug that you choose for your floor can anchor and establish the style of your entire room. Here are just a few suggestions for helping define the style of your room with a rug.

Going Colonial? Choose a braided rug in colors complementary to your upholstery or walls and you will add instant country charm to any room.

Need a Bright Spot? Warm up a dark or dim room with a rug in a light tone. Remember that texture makes a difference, too. For a clean, cool, bright feel, opt for a patterned Dhurrie in light, bright colors.

Adding a few scatter rugs in warm colors and patterns can give a calm and relaxing atmosphere to a room. Scatter rugs on the floor or under tables make great accents to bring in needed color and warmth to a modern room.

Add Style to 'Generic' Furnishings with the right rug. You can entirely change the feeling of a room with a single design element when that element is a rug. It may take a bit of courage to arrange your Danish Mission furniture on a bright and splashy contemporary rug, but the effect will be amazing. Take that same furniture and back it with a luxurious Persian carpet and your room will take on a completely different feeling. Most contemporary styles of furniture do very well with this kind of change-up, making the rug one of the most versatile fashion accessories that your home can sport.

5. Use runners and scatter rugs to accent your floors as they protect them.

Wood, tile and stone floors can be purely stunning – but high traffic areas can take a lot of damage. Carpet runners and scatter rugs are a great way to call attention to the beauty of your natural floor and protect high traffic areas from damage.

Carpets are an important feature to add to one's house. When choosing a new rug or carpet, make sure that you know which colors and styles go best with your room. Next time you want to do something different with your home, look at the many ways that area rugs can accent the style of your home.