Out with then old--in with the new!

I purchased a new rug for my living room two weeks ago.  I had a sisal rug in my living room when I purchased new furniture back in 2006.  I was going through my tone-on-tone look:  the walls were taupe, furniture was taupe, and the rug was taupe.  I liked it at first, but somewhere along the way I decided that I needed more color in the room.  So, I decided to paint the room last summer, which made a tremendous change.  I also played around with my accessory pillows.  The one thing that I had not considered was changing the rug. My living room is decorated transitional style--a cross between traditional and contemporary.  When I started looking for a new rug, I initially wanted to find a transitional style rug and stay away from the traditional look.  I fell in love with a rug at my new favorite rug place (Aladdin Rugs), but the rug was too small.  I needed an 8 x 10 ft rug and this rug came in 5 x 8 ft.  I was told that I may have to wait 6 months before the rug that I fell in love with to come in the 8 x 10 ft size.  Those who know me know that I am not a patient woman.


Two weeks ago, I drove to the Home Goods Store in Hot Springs, AR.  I wasn't sure if I would find a rug to take home, but amazingly I did.  And, the price was fantastic.  I purchased an 8 x 10 ft, 100% hand-tied wool rug for $299!!!  This price is ridiculous.  Rugs this size typically retail between $799 and $2,000.  I did good--LOL!!!  I did, however, compromise on the style.  My new rug is traditional, but I'm not disappointed.  The rug has all of the colors that are in my room:  tan, green, brown, red.  Decor style is not any different than clothing style:  trends come and go but traditional is always in style.  


Here is what my living room looked like with the sisal rug:

  
Now this is what the space looks like with the new rug:

I wanted a rug with color and I didn't want the rug to scream at you when you walked into the living room.  I think I achieved my goal.


Rugs ground a room and keep the furniture from having the appearance of floating in the room.  A rug completes the look of your space.  It's like finding the right pair of shoes to complete your outfit.  If you have been thinking about a rug for your space, be sure to check out Home Goods.  If you live in the Little Rock, AR area, there is a Home Goods Store in Conway (inside of TJ Maxx) and the store in Hot Springs, AR.  Home Goods doesn't have a lot of rugs, but you may get lucky and find the rug you want.  Also, another good place to purchase rugs in the Little Rock area is Aladdin Rugs on JFK in North Little Rock.  This store has a lot of rugs, and 8 x 10 ft 100% wool rugs are priced between $499 and $599.


Be sure to select the right size rug for your space.  I've seen way too many spaces where the rug is only big enough to fit under the coffee table.  The rug should fit underneath your furniture, but it doesn't need to go entirely under your furniture.  A good rule of thumb is to have approximately 2 ft of floor showing around the edges of the rug.  But, this may vary depending on the room size.