A Great Room Rug Dilemma

I need some help choosing a new rug.  Here is our great room:

I happen to think the space is lovely...a little on the small side, but lovely nonetheless.  When we moved in three years ago, we needed a rug for our great room because our previous great room was carpeted and we didn't have a rug for the space.  We went to Home Goods and picked one out.  We always knew it was on the small side for the room, but we also knew that finding a bigger rug would be a huge expense, and we really just loved this rug. 

We obviously kept it and now we have a new use for this rug in our office, which we are in the midst of redo-ing (I'm a bit behind in posting about the office, stay tuned for that:).)  By transplanting our current great room rug into the office, we'll have to fill the rug-less hole left behind.  We definitely want a bigger rug, 10' x 13' or so would do the trick nicely, even up to 10' x 14'.  (Our current rug is 7'6" x 9'6".) 

Finding a rug this big is not an easy task.  Home Goods doesn't typically stock rugs this size, and most stores like Pottery Barn, West Elm, World Market, and Crate and Barrel only go up to 9' x 12' rugs, and we'd really like to go bigger.  Ordering online can be tricky too, as I've experienced before.  Colors aren't always true to the pictures, and rugs are not cheap to return.  Still in order to find a rug in the size we need and within a budget we feel comfortable, we will most likely resort to an online order.  I fluctuate between wanting a thick, wool, neutral rug (like our current rug) and trying a rug made of natural fibers like jute.  Here are some inspiration pictures for the natural fiber option:

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

Part of my indecisiveness results from the fact that we don't intend to change out our great room furniture any time soon.  My style has changed a bit since we purchased our couch and chairs, and the room would benefit from smaller scale furniture, but the fact remains that the current pieces are high quality and are extremely kid friendly.  It would be hard to justify making a change anytime soon.  That being said, I'm not sure how great the texture of our couch would work with a jute/natural rug, even though it's the look (especially combined with a nice light colored cowhide) that I'd really love for the space.  So what I'm saying is I need some help with this decision.  My mind has been so close to the issue for a long time as I've poured over every rug source I can think of...help a girl out:).

Here are some potential rug options:

Dark Natural Diamond Jute

Home Decorators

9'6" x 13'

$320 shipped (on sale with free shipping)

Morocco I Area Rug

Home Decorators

9'9" x 13'9"

$765 shipped (would wait for a better sale:))

Zig Zag Chenille Hemp Rug

Home Decorators

9'6" x 13'

$390 shipped

(The reviews all say that the pattern of this rug is more apparent than the picture shows.  The chevron alternates between a creamy white chenille and a natural jute, much like this rug from West Elm, which I LOVE.)

Premium Jute Braided Area Rug

Home Decorators

9'6" x 13'

$454 shipped

Exeter Wool Rug

 Home Decorators

9' x 13'

$769 shipped

Allure Flat Woven Rug

Home Decorators

9' x 13'

$625 shipped

Handwoven Mandara New Zealand Wool Rug

Overstock

9' x 13'

$880 shipped

Handmade Majestic Beige Wool Rug

Overstock

9'6" x 13'6"

$620

(This has a green cast to it, that I don't think I love...if it was straight brown/beige, I think it'd be in our great room already:).)

Moroccan Brown/Ivory Dhurrie Rug 

Flat Woven

Overstock

10' x 14'

$600

(Our hardwood floors are dark cherry colored, so I don't know if this one would provide enough contrast.)

Hand Hooked Alexa Moroccan Trellis Wool Rug

Overstock

9'6" x 13'6"

$610 Shipped

(In my opinion, tufted wool rugs hold up better than hand hooked wool rugs.  It's not a deal breaker necessarily, but it's something to keep in mind.)

I included some blue rugs, which I love, but I tend to prefer a beige rug which would allow me to switch our great room colors whenever I feel like, which historically is quite often (ie: I'd like to decorate with red and green for Christmas if I feel like it, without needing to incorporate blue because our rug is blue...does that make sense?)

Basically, I'm asking you to pick your favorite (or suggest a rug not on this list!) that you think would work best.  I'm especially interested in opinions regarding the first four rugs listed:).  Although prices vary greatly on my list, you know I'll be waiting for the king of sales, and I'll use a coupon and probably ebates too, so knowing that, we're comfortable with purchasing any of the rugs listed.

Front Room is a Changing

Even though I just recently posted about the new rug I had picked up for our front room:

I've already switched things up.  The rug above is beautiful and I did love it, but after having it down for a little bit, something started to bother me about it.  I think perhaps the green in it was too subtle and made our green couch look strange in the room.  Or maybe it was just too busy.  Or maybe there was too much red and orange for my liking.  Or maybe it was the curves of the couch with the paisley print that made things just too curvy for me.  I don't know what it was exactly, but it didn't feel right, so it got returned.  I was a little sad because it was a fantastic deal at $199 for an 8'x10' wool rug.  Ah well.  

I replaced it with the Olin Rug from Crate and Barrel:

This rug was exactly what I had in mind after I landed on my inspiration image for this room:

Amber Interiors

See the black and white striped rug by the credenza?  Olin makes me so happy.  And while I don't have black chairs next to the credenza, yet, I did play with our floral Pier 1 chairs, so the room is currently looking like this:

The chevron pillows were from Target on clearance for $6.48 each.  The letter pillows were from this post.

Next up on the list of projects for this room:

1. Art on the wall behind the couch

2. Curtain Rod and Curtains

3. Perhaps a big mirror for singing productions by Lucky and Charm (They are mirror singers, and I love their shows.)

4. Black Chairs or Slipcovers

Has anyone else been return happy lately?

The Trouble with Rugs...

is that there are too many good options!

I just picked up this guy from Marshall's on clearance for $199.  It's a 7'6" x 9'6" 100% Wool Rug.  I couldn't believe how well the colors worked together for our front room.  I also love that this rug could work equally well in our very neutral great room, in our sun porch (which has reddish cushions on the chairs and couch), or down the road in our basement if I want to switch things up...it has both the yellow and blue colors we used on our walls in that space.  For a person who likes to change things around as much as I do, versatility in a rug is a definite bonus!

I should note that I originally was thinking of a black and white striped rug like this for the space, and I would have tried to track down some sort of fabric to make curtains with a color scheme that included black, white, green and blue.  Now, I'm searching for some black and white striped curtains or fabric that could be made into curtains.  Black and white striped fabric should be much easier to come by!

In addition to curtains and a curtain rod, I'm also working on coming up with an artwork plan for the wall behind the couch.  I'd like to settle on something personal and inexpensive, and I'm mulling a couple options around in my head:).  Regardless of what curtains and artwork I settle on, it sure is exciting to look back on the progress we've made in this room already, considering we started with an empty room and a green couch:)!

Basement Updates including Crazy Big Clipboards

We've made several changes to our basement in the last few months.  Back in November, it was looking like this:

During IKEA's big sofa promotion this past winter, we picked up a Karlstad sofa that I hemmed and hawed about.  There were parts I liked about it and parts I didn't.  One of the parts I didn't like was the birch legs.

We spray painted them oil rubbed bronze, Young House Love style, and I like them much better now!

And then I came across this pillow (and a few others) from Pier 1 that I needed to have:

Cool Chevron Yarns Pillow

Pier 1 Imports

(You might recognize it from my Christmas Wish List.)

And with the pillow came an overall color scheme for the room: blue, green, white and brown.  The room was looking like this:

After adding a bit more furniture we already owned:

(Most of the furniture (aside from the couch) is temporary since we'd like a cushy ottoman instead of a 'coffee table' and the white rocker is intended for Charm's Room once I no longer need the ugly but comfortable rocker that is currently in his room:).  

You also may have noticed there is blue painter's tape on the wall indicating there is something planned for the wall behind the couch:).  

If you've been reading this blog for a long while, you may remember that way back in September, I wrote this post inquiring about sources for huge clipboard clips so that I could create some enormous clipboards for displaying artwork or large photographs. Well, I never found any big clips, but that didn't stop me from ordering the ones that I linked up to in that post.  

I also picked up a 4' x 8' Eucaboard 3/16" thick from Home Depot that I had cut to 22" x 32" rectangles.  I was able to get 6 rectangles out of one piece of Eucaboard.  Bill and Lucky worked together to get the clips attached to the boards using a few parts he picked up from Home Depot.  I honestly have no idea what he used, but could find out if anyone would like to know:).  It was cheap though, costing only a few bucks for all six of the boards.

Then I filed down the corners of three of the boards using a metal file to create rounded corners.  Finally, we hung them up using 4 medium 3M picture hanging strips per board.  I spaced the boards 5 inches apart.
  

I love the display options these boards will allow in the future including the display of kids' art projects, black and white photographs (Sam's Club offers 20" x 30" prints for about $9) and even something simple like this:

I painted the numbers using acrylic paint on IKEA art easel paper rolls, which are a great width for the clipboards.

I love how bright and kid friendly this space is turning out to be.  The pop of blue on the walls is exactly what the space needed.  And I cannot wait to get some great photos of the kids in the near future blown up for display.  I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as I make that change!

Now, I realize this post is getting ridiculously long, but I must mention that I thought I had the rug picked out for the space.  I posted about the rug I wanted in my birthday wish list post.  I even ordered that rug...Happy Birthday to Me (Thanks Oma and Opa!)...but then it showed up, and instead of being Kermit the Frog Green, it's Oscar the Grouch Green.  I love everything else about the rug...texture, pile, material, but the green is a little 'off'.  

It's not horrible, but it's not what I was anticipating.  I haven't even unrolled it yet, because I'm scared I wouldn't be able to get it packaged back up to return it (at the cost of $46!).  Oh decisions!  I don't know where else I would be able to find a similar 100% wool rug for the same price...I got it on sale for $300 with a coupon and sale combination.  So...who knows what's coming next for the space (except for those individuals who attended our Halloween party this past weekend, because I wrote this post a week ago:).)  What I do know, is I love those clipboards!

Clipboard Cost Breakdown:

1 4' x 8' Eucaboard 3/16" thick for $13

6 Clipboard Clips for about $5 shipped

Attaching Bolts/Nuts 'less than $5' per Bill :)

Total for 6 clipboards (I have 3 more that I don't know what I'll do with...yet.) = $23 or $3.83 per board!

Anyone else have a color 'fail' while ordering online?  What a bummer that is!  Overstock has never let me down before!

Linking up to The Rooster and The Hen.

Hopscotch, Anyone?

First of all, I must say thanks for all the kind words and pins on Pinterest this weekend!  I have this feeling there will be more gutter shelves going up in kids rooms and playrooms!  If you've found my blog through Pinterest, welcome!!

Here is another project that I completed a couple months ago, but I haven't posted about until now.  Several months ago I posted about the one dollhouse room that we have completed so far (more rooms have been planned, and Lucky and I are excited about finding some time to work on it!!):

I have incorporated two pieces of this pretend room into our real life home decor.  I already showed you that the sunburst mirror was a mini red replica of the mirror I made for our guest room:

And now, meet our new foyer rug:

It's just a simple jute rug like this one that I painted using a combination of flat white paint and fabric medium.

Here is my plan:

I first used painter's tape to mark where I wanted my hopscotch lines to be.  Then I surrounded that tape with additional painter's tape.  I pulled off my original hopscotch tape lines and painted in that area.  These images help to illustrate the concept:

I thought about stenciling in the numbers, but it would have taken me a while to print out numbers on the ol' computer and mark them with a Sharpie and then paint them.  Because it was nearing dinner time, I took a risk and free handed them.  I think they turned out just fine!  

The rug may get moved to our mudroom at times, but for now, I love greeting people with such a kid friendly rug!  And it's keeping the kids busy in the winter time in an area where I can keep an eye on them.  I had picked up a couple hopscotch markers from Joann's in the $1 section, except they were 50% off making them 50 cents each.  They were bright pink, orange and purple.  The instant gratification of being able to use something as is was nice, but the colors wore on me.  I just recovered the gravel filled markers with scrap fabric that I sewed into pouches:

They live in a little bowl on my campaign chest in the foyer.

In this image, you can see some chairs I painted and recovered last fall during our big furniture refinishing frenzy.  You will be seeing more of the houndstooth fabric that I picked up for $2.70/yard last fall.

These chairs were an orange wood color originally.  They were $4.99 each at Goodwill.  Including supplies and the chair cost, it was less than $20 total for both chairs.

My next area of focus in the entry area will be this little nook:

I plan to add some sort of wall treatment, a different mirror, and maybe some wall hooks too.

I love this chest!  

This bulb bouquet was my Valentine's present from Bill, and it has been so much fun to watch it change and bloom.  We have a new flower surprise almost every morning!!  In the spring, we'll plant the bulbs outside, too.  I used to tell Bill not to buy me flowers because they can be so expensive, but I'll take living flowers like this any day!!  Thanks dear.

I have no idea how or why I started talking about flowers during a rug post.  But that's all I've got for today!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  

Linking up to Finding Fabulous.

Linking up to The Shabby Nest.

Linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick.

Linking up to The Rooster and The Hen.