Leopard Rug Update

February 21, 2012 erin

For President's Day my leopard rug arrived. Thank you, Obama (and Overstock). So the rug is pretty -- it's by Safavieh and looks to be of decent quality. Better Half Ben rolled it out for me and three seconds later Ike and the cat were clawing and break dancing all over it (cat = clawing and Ike = break dancing, although I would prefer for the opposite to have occurred), so I guess it's plush enough.

What it's not is the right size.

I took this picture at night so the colors are all wonktacular, but maybe you can see the problem with this space. It's really long and narrow, and the 6x9 rug isn't working... I think. I could shove it up under the credenza, but then it would leave this awkward open space on either side where I had planned to plunk down a pair of matching chairs.

For everyone interested in buying the same rug, here's a daytime shot that better shows the caramel/tan colors:

I should really straighten up my furniture before I take pictures, right? Oh well.

So, what do you think? Can it work here, or should I move it to the front room and keep shopping? I'd like to maintain an open space in front of the console table so that I can roll out the benches beneath it for seating.

As a reminder, here's some newborn baby pictures of how the room is laid out:

First of all: don't panic! The fireplace has been painted and the tv is better situated (I plan to reveal it this week). The brown dining table is now in the dinette area (it looks terrible -- new dining table is on the list), and the black credenza is against the back wall. The open area between the credenza and console is where I plan to hold play convention 2012-2040 (holy shit I am going to be old when these kids are grown). I just need a rug to mark out the space.

It would be so easy to buy a crazy 4x10 or 5x11 Persian rug off Ebay, except I already have a red Persian rug (which I like) in the room, and I can't have two, right?

I was thinking I might could get away with a Nain rug (they tend to be blue), because it would be different yet similar to the one I already have... I don't know anymore. Rug overload.

What do you think? Leopard where I have it or leopard in the front room?

What kind of rug should I get if I move the leopard?

Or should I totally reorganize the entire living area?

Fireplace pictures to follow.

Wallpaper sample pictures to follow.

Damn I have a lot of things to do.

Leopard: Trend or Classic?

February 13, 2012 erin

Remember when zebra rugs made everyone go all swoon! and lurve! and heart it so much! Ah, the 80s. Kidding -- that was just a few days ago. The internet in all its infernal efficiency has shortened the trend cycle almost to death, as in it's busted before it even begins. Case in point: I find myself yearning to jump on the leopard band wagon because it's trendy and I have been inundated with eight trillion hot ass pictures of fancy leopard sundries that make me want to run out and tattoo leopard spots all over my face. But if I invest in reupholstering a pair of wingback chairs in leopard velvet (something scalamandreish that magically costs about $40/yd hahaha), or -- even more attainable -- a leopard rug, will I regret hitting a wave that's already crested?

But I'm also lusting for leopard because it's dirt colored. Thank you, evolution, for considering the unavailability of showers in the wild for our feline friends. I, for one, support all things invented by necessity. And if you have a toddler you know patterns and dark colored fabrics are a necessity. Toddlers are a lot like wild animals.

Also leopard is just really pretty.

So what do you think? Is leopard a classic -- worthy of an investment piece? Or is it better used in small, easy to swap doses -- like pillows and throws?

Due to a major case of analysis paralysis (and a very tight budget), the fate of my living room decor depends on your opinion.

[via This is Glamorous, Barclay Fryery, via My Interior Life, Aerin Lauder's couch two ways, Miles Redd]

Things to Consider When Buying a Dining Room Rug

November 8, 2011 erin

I have been on such a rabid hunt for finishes and furnishings that last night I dreamed about picking tile for an imaginary restaurant... which would be hilarious if I weren't so very concerned that the checkerboard should be nixed in favor of a penny tile. Like, cold sweat concerned. About a restaurant. That doesn't even exist. [Cue psychoanalysis.] Anyway, the inlaws are in the process of buying a brazillion new pieces for their rad pad, including a rug to go with the MOST AMAZING Pace dining room table they snagged yesterday.

This table:

Plus this room:

Is going to kill your face off.

Hard to tell from the photo (ps, that's not their furniture), but the room looks out onto the fancy pool and atrium with koi pond. It's totally delicious. Yeah, I just typed that.

Of course they need a rug to go with their badass table. I am trying to help because I can shop even in my sleep.

Now, between shopping for myself and clients, I have bought approximately 864587 rugs off the internets. (I am the queen of hyperbole, but I'm pretty sure that's an accurate number.) Some of these purchases were terrible mistakes, but many were not. So let's talk about what you need to know when shopping for a dining room rug.

#1. Size Matters.

See that rug in the picture up there? It's way too small. For a standard rectangular table, you probably need an 8x10 so you have space to pull out the chairs over the rug. Like so:

Sorry the picture is a total zzzzzzzzz, but you get the idea.

#2. Color and pattern are important, duh.

If you already have strong color on the walls, or lots of pattern in the textiles, then a neutral rug will be your bud for life. But in a blank slate room like the inlaws have (light floors and walls), I favor a crazy dining room rug with bold pattern. For one thing, I think it's stimulating -- as a dining room should be. For another, that rug above will hide a multitude of sins... like maybe spilled wine and smeared jelly and cat vomit. Not that these things have ever happened in my house.

#3. Speaking of color, some should be avoided (I'm talking to you, black and white).

Oh I know someone is going to reach up and slap me in the face over this one, but I've already been down the black and white road so take that.

Yep, that's our old house with the OG dining room setup. Let me tell you people what: the black parts of that rug showed every single piece of lint and the white parts showed... everything else. We might or might not be messy eaters. Still, I say eating over a white rug is asking for trouble.

Somebody either has a maid and a nanny, or really enjoys cleaning.

#4. Speaking of pattern, some are easier to live with than others.

A small, low contrast pattern that extends edge to edge is the easiest to work with.

Easy. Furniture can sit anywhere on this rug. Kind of snoozy, though.

Not easy. The scale will compete with furniture. Plus it makes me want to stab myself.

It's also worth considering where the pattern falls on the rug, and which parts will be covered by furniture. (A border also complicates the situation, but it's not such a big deal in a dining room where the table is generally centered over the rug.)

#5. Rugs I like(ish).

The inlaws have a glass table so most of the pattern will show, save where the chairs sit. They are also looking for something colorful with blue in it to coordinate with the front door.