The vast array of home decorating products available to us today not only causes the issue of choosing which design, theme, fabric and brand are right for your home but also causes a lengthy list of other problems, including whether or not you can find all of the matching pieces to a set.



What do you do when your perfectly situated set was only missing one pillow and you were certain you'd find it at another store location only to find that particular pillow has been discontinued and now you have no pillows matching your perfectly themed room?

Any normal home decorator would curl up into a ball, sulk for days and then gloomily pack their expensive items into boxes to be stored in a dark corner and forgotten for the next ten years and hopefully forever, following up with an even gloomier trip to the department store to buy yet another expensive set, thus renewing the cycle of gloom and misery.

But not you. Armed with the right information, you'll start a quest for “near match” that will not only bring your room together but will also create a sense of eclecticism that only you'll be able to put your finger on.

The first thing you need to know about perfectly themed sets is that they are never perfect and of course, that stores will never order as many oriental area rugs as they do bed spreads and sheet sets. Why? Because unlike you, the general population is far less likely to purchase an entire matched set—not even over the same six months—than they are to purchase one piece of that matched set. Not to mention the fact that area rugs—whether they are wool area rugs or cotton area rugs, red area rugs or grey area rugs—are a huge investment for most people.

You're likely up against a store setting where there are five bedspreads and sheet sets for every one area rug in the same theme.

What can you do to get around that problem? Well, you could always call every store in town from the originating location, making certain they have and are willing to hold your items so you can dash across town to retrieve them. Or, you can break away from the need to stick to a pre-packaged, branded theme.

The truth is that the best rooms don't have to come straight from one designer's workshop. You know what's best for your home. All you have to do is keep a strict record of each of your purchases—never destroy, lose or get rid of your receipts—pick up samples where possible, bring a sample of your area rug to choose pieces that will blend and balance your room and be ready to let some pieces go.

Remember, the journey to matching your area rugs and other themed products is only as long and as hard as the pavement you pound to get the pieces.