Planning to buy a new rug? Here are a few mistakes people commonly make when buying rugs, and ways to avoid them.

1. Not measuring the area the rug is going. A lot of people think they can just eyeball the space they want a rug to go, as well as the rug, then when they get home and go to lay it they discover the rug is just a smidge too big or small. “Is it really that big a deal if it’s too small?” you might wonder. Yes, it is — and you’ll see why if you don’t bother taking measurements.

2. Not color-coordinating, or over-color-coordinating. You’d be surprised about what colors don’t go with others. You might see a rug that you think would look perfect in, say, you’re living room, then you get it in there and it just looks ridiculous. To prevent this, take a photo of the room (make sure the lighting allows the picture to have the same coloring as the actual room), then Photoshop in rugs of all different colors to see which looks best.

3. Not paying attention to materials. Picture it: You think you’ve found the perfect rug — perfect size, perfect shape, perfect color — so you buy it without even bothering to see what it’s made of. Which is why when you step on it in bare feet for the first time it’s like walking across hay. How do you remedy this? Always, always, ALWAYS, check to see what the rug is made of.