• by Laura Weinert , August 24, 2006

Online rug shoppers can now do much more than simply click to enlarge a product photo and then struggle to imagine it placed in their living room. On the site www.MyRugShop.com, shoppers can upload photos of their own rooms, then select and insert a desired rug to see whether it's a stylish match. The site has aggregated the rug inventories of leading interior design retailers, including Overstock.com, Home Depot, Home Decorators Collection, and Rugman.com.

For those accustomed to shopping in person for rugs, running from store to store with swatches and color charts and making last-minute returns, the site is a quick, attractive, and easy-to-use alternative. Once a customer has uploaded a photo and selected a rug, a dragging tool allows one to adjust the rug placement. Customers can also print out various images of their room with different rugs to compare combinations.

MyRugShop president Dave Simmons came up with the idea when frustrated by his own attempts at rug shopping. When he found himself going back and forth to stores in an attempt to find the best one, he knew there must be a better way. Combining his experience with computer-aided architecture design and e-commerce, he created the site.