Interior design projects don't need to dig a deep hole in your budget. While you can certainly improve your kitchen or bring new life to your bathroom, you can also upgrade the appearance of your floors for a small price.

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 12×14 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, Elson, Karastan or Merida Meridian.

6. Professionally Clean Your Rug

Having your rug professionally cleaned every four to five years will lengthen its life by years. Not only will your rug receive a proper and thorough cleaning, but its rejuvenation will make you feel like you have a completely new one.

Area rugs provide a low-cost option to spruce up the inner appearance of your home.