Rug Help

Ok, guys, I need your help with rugs:) I've been looking out for a large area rug for our family room ever since we redid our floors a year and a half ago. I've seen some I like, but never something I like enough to pull the trigger until recently.

Here's how our family room looks now. There are a ton of other problems (window treatments, throw pillows, maybe even furniture placement, etc.) which are of course made totally more evident once you take pictures of the space!, but I still really love this room.



For now we have a too small striped rug that we've had for-ever sitting under the coffee table. Just as a temporary fix. We spend a ton of time in this room. Its where Maura does a lot of her playing...you can see the mat that sort of contains her toys and acts as somewhat of a soft spot for sitting on the floor, etc. We also eat at the coffee table a lot and Maura has snacks/milk, etc. here too. So in terms of messes and spills, the mostly exposed hardwood has been great and practical. But its not very cozy.

Enter an area rug. All along I've been thinking something more geometric, because we have a traditional Oriental in the dining room and a more cottagey striped rug in the living room (which adjoins this room - you can see it through the step-up doorway to the left of the gray couch).

Flipping through the Pottery Barn catalog recently, I spotted this guy that I really liked.


Rug #1

{There's also a green version of this which is for some reason on sale for $399. Do you think green would be better?}

Its not maybe as modern or bold as I was originally thinking, but in the long run, that might be better:) I think its kind of a nice compromise between contemporary and classic.

My gut reaction was to order a rug swatch/sample to check out the color, maybe even order both the blue and the green to see which one I liked better (the "blue" looks so grey, doesn't it?). But when I called PB customer service, the woman explained to me that they don't have samples of this particular rug and that there are actually none of these rugs in any of the PB brick and mortar stores close to me (so going to check out the rug in person is out). I've found Pottery Barn stuff to be slightly different in color in person that in the catalogs or online, so that somewhat worries me. I would pretty much have to just go ahead and order it and hope that when it gets here I love it or if not, return it. Shot in the dark - has anyone been to a Pottery Barn recently and seen this rug in person?!

To be on the safe side, I decided to take another quick look around and see if there was anything else out there that might fit the bill. I stumbled across this rug on Overstock which totally caught my eye. Its nothing like what I thought I wanted, but it might be a better option. It's cheaper, has more colors in it (more versatile?) and the pattern might do a better job of hiding the spills and stains which I know are going to happen in here.

Rug #2

I obviously would be ordering this rug sight unseen too. But there are a bunch of favorable reviews, so that makes me feel better. Again, it sounds like the color on screen is different than in person, but based off of what the consumers are saying, this might be in my favor. Here are a couple of comments on the color:

  • "Let me try to describe the colors...the blue back ground is a very pale aqua...definitely a grayed green blue...I have Glidden "Sea Spray" in my dining room and it's in the color family but this is paler than that. There is also a beige...a buttery, creamy beige...not a greyed beige...and the green is not a sage, more yellowey green than a sage which is more gray...there is also a darker beige--a light brown I would call it...and a rust type of cinnamon color...and little pops of white in the center of the flower bursts....and a bit of slate blue and dark brown as well."
  • "Rug reads more blue-green than yellow-gold. Yellow is less pronounced, but the overall feel is still warm."
  • "Color on the site looked like it had a lot more cream , but its an all over light blue."
  • " Beautiful blue green background with ivory, tan and green design...Description says blue background but you don't see it on the screen, looks ivory, but it is a blue green background."

To help me/you decide, I made Photoshop mockups of both rugs in the space. (Just like I did last time when you guys helped me pick a rug for the living room!)

Here's what the PB rug might sort of look like:

{Rug #1}

And here's the Overstock one:

{Rug #2}

Hmmm. Paul says he still likes the PB one better, but I'm kinda torn. What do you think? Which is your favorite? Or should I keep looking?

***So, of course between the time I started this post and when I went to publish it, the darn Overstock rug has sold out!!! Figures! I signed up to be emailed when it comes back in stock... do you guys know if that usually happens and/or how long it takes or am I screwed?


Comments

  1. They both look pretty in the space, but the PB one just really stands out in your room. The contrast in the pattern is so sharp.

    Either way, your room will be gorgeous!

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  2. Just re-read, and re-thought the part about stains, etc. While my gut said Rug #1 for beauty, I started to think of function. We had a similar rug to the PB one and did have issues keeping the off-white part clean. In the end, it didn't last as long as we'd hoped. If it's a high traffic zone, I change my vote to the Overstock one. It works well with the botanical prints you have over the couch and would give you lots of options for pillows/curtains, etc. Sorry if I confused you more!

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  3. I like the overstock one best. The room is quite neutral overall and the PB rug only continues that. I like the little burst of color the overstock one gives you. Some yellow and blue accents in the rest of the room and it will look really wonderful.

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    1. AlsI forgot to mention that I've used Overstock's email me when available service fr rugs and it worked like a charm. You've gotta be quick though once you get the email!

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  4. Sarah, I have vacillated between the two rugs as both are great in the room, but keeping in mind the room's function, I think you would find a wool rug to hold up better in the long run than the cotton and synthetic chenille. The fact that the Overstock rug has more color and pattern also has its advantages, si I am voting for that one.
    Cathy
    You have some mad photoshop skills, I might need a lesson!

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  5. P.S I did my blog tag post today! Thanks for including me, it was fun!

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  6. I just really like the simplicity of the pattern in the PB one, and it would be versatile enough that you could overhaul your entire color scheme in the room and keep the rug without being tide to a set of colors (albeit lovely ones in the O.co rug!). Either way, both are nice options, and I love the photoshopping skills!

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  7. I think I like the overstock one better. It seems to tie both of your sofas together better than the PB one. Maybe the green Pb one would work better than the blue one. With the blue one it looks like there is too much grey going on in the room and looks kind of bland. Hope this helps!

    Meg

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  8. Found your blog through Honey & Fitz- I love finding new to me local blogs!

    Hmm about your rug- I love that the Overstock rug has so many great colors but I'm loving the pattern of the Pottery Barn one. I guess I'm no help since I like qualities of both :)

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  9. Both are gorgeous! I would actually lean toward the more colorful overstock rug. But, just as something to think about, it would limit - a little - your options for curtains and pillows.

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  10. Rug decision-making is SO HARD!

    I am totally in love with how the gray pottery barn one looks in your living room.

    I think it goes with the vibe of your room a bit more than the Overstock one..... since that rug is so light and your furnishings are on the darker side.

    Hope that helps and good luck with whichever you choose.

    :)
    Sarah

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  11. Gosh! Tough decision. I'm torn too because they both look great. I'd probably err on the side of practicality and wait for the overstock one (or something similar).

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  12. Thank you so much, guys!! Looks like the Overstock rug is winning so far! No decision here yet, please keep weighing in:)

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  13. Overstock one by far! I LOVE yellow and grey together! It has more interest but still that geometric feel mixed with oriental. I like both but thats my pick! :)

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  14. A rug is such a commitment, isn't it? I always have a hard time with rugs in our house. I really like the Overstock option - I think that one will give you some more flexibility.

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  15. We have gone through more rugs than I care to admit so I thought I would comment and let you in on what is a widely known secret on the internet, but nowhere else it seems - PB rugs offgas terribly. When we first moved in to our house we bought new, gorgeous PB rugs for our entire house. Within weeks I was having severe allergies. Months later I was living with frequent migraines and asthma-like symptoms. It turns out that in addition to the chemicals they use in their rugs, the PB wool rugs are also notorious for putting little fibers into the air, which you then breathe. We finally emptied our house of every PB rug a couple of months ago and almost magically my symptoms are gone.

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  16. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Ostock rug!! I think it softens as well as gives warmth to the room.
    Denise

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  17. You are a pro at photoshop. I think functionality and practicality-wise you are better off with the overstock rug. Also, the colors are warmer and work beautifully with the prints on the wall and I also like that they have a large pattern.

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