I have been looking for an area rug also. Have you looked on line at Overstock.com or Rugs USA? I would first suggest you take your pillows with you to shop. I think you should be able to find a pretty oriental-traditional design rug. I can see a navy background with your red tones in it.You also have some green in your couch and then gold in your chairs. All of those colors would work well.

Thanks for your reply, Gracie. I forgot there's green in the striped chairs, too.

I've looked all over and have been taking the sleeve of the arm rest with me to shop and nothing looks right to me, but I don't have an eye for this at all. It just looks like busy + busy = big mess.

Why oh why oh why didn't I get a solid couch?

Why not look at striped rugs? Or one with a bold pattern, using one dark, bold color like navy with one light neutral color, like the chain rug from Pottery Barn?

Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn Rugs

I don't think you have to go with solid but you will have to find just the right rug. What about a solid rug with a border around it in some pattern?
If not, maybe a rug with a pattern but the colors are similar (tone on tone). Like navy background with a lighter blue outline (similar to prairiegirlz suggestion).

Here is a link that might be useful: lowes

Prairie, thanks. I've looked at Pottery Barn, too, and didn't like what they had and wasn't sure it would go with the couch anyway. I see what you're saying, though. It doesn't have to be a solid.

Miraff, thanks for the link. So you think that would look okay? It wouldn't clash with the couch? A friend sent me these links, but I wasn't sure about them.

http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Windsor_III_Area_Rug/210/

http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Suzette_Area_Rug/210/

http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Putara_Area_Rug/210/

Opinions would be appreciated.

I love the look of mixed patterns. I have a solid sofa, but a Persian-style rug and floral draperies. I think you could probably get away with a patterned rug but with a dark background, with some of the colors in your sofa. Like someone mentioned earlier, a navy background perhaps. Lots of rug stores will let you take rugs home to try out.
What i would also suggest is to pore over some decorating magazines, and find rooms you like. Find rooms that have a patterned sofa similar to yours, and see what rugs they have paired with them, and see if you like the look. Then you could chose something similar.

I agree you do not need to go solid. Not sure about your budget, but I'd suggest a traditional oriental silk rug. The silk rugs have a bit more sheen to them--similar to your sofa and drapes.

What about something like this? It's a Couristan and I've linked it below. Where are you located?

Here is a link that might be useful: Couristan rug

Jenny, I think if I'd gone floral with drapes instead of a larger pattern for the couch, I wouldn't be so hung up on this. I've learned so much here, but I don't know what the rule of the thumb is for mixing patterned couches with patterned area rugs. I looked through every magazine I own over the weekend, and also did several searches here and it seems nobody has patterned couches. I'll keep looking though.

Valinsv, I'd like to find something for less than $500. I think it was Johnmari who got some great deals from Home Decorators last September, and if I have to wait until then to catch their sale, I will. I've got two kids in college in the fall and I'm really tightening up the belt here.

Meg, that's got all the right colors, but (as usual) my eyes are saying too busy + too busy = big mess. You don't think that's too busy with my couch? I'm relying on you people in the know, because I'm not exaggerating when I say I stink at this....lol.

I like the second one your friend offered but I'm not sure how the black would look. Can you show other pics of your room. I would prefer that rug in blue.

Here is a link that might be useful: your friend's suggestion

Go to the largest Tuesday Morning near you. They have a good selection of rugs and get new ones in almost weekly.

I also wanted to say that if you are doubting the pattern and don't feel "comfortable" with it then just buy a solid one. It's all about your own taste. It doesn't matter what we think. Solid is always safe. We're just here to keep you from putting pattern when you shouldn't. On design shows they always say to have a place where the eye can "rest". So depending on the rest of your room, maybe a solid blue, black or the cream of your couch would look nice. What kind floors do you have?
Go with your gut.

Marciagaye, thanks for the suggestion. Tuesday Morning is the one place I haven't checked out yet, but you're the second person to recommend I go there. I'll give it a whirl over the weekend.

Miraff, I don't have any other pics to show you and will have to take some. If you can believe it, I'd prefer a print, it's my own lack of knowledge about this that leaves me uncomfortable. I have solid wood floors in maple.

Here's one I found at Homedecorators.com in doing a search for Navy area rugs. What do you folks think? Too muted?

Honestly, I don't think any of the rugs posted will really work, except for the one I linked to (ha!), and the Putara from Home Decorators, probably in the burgundy. I really think you need to vary the scale of the pattern on the rug vs the pattern of the sofa, or it looks too busy. So using a large scale print or a small scale print with a solid dark or neutral background is the way to go, since your sofa print is more of an all-over medium size print, if that makes sense.

I also think a beige or gold solid rug would work, PB (no, I don't work there, lol), has special pricing now on these wool rugs, I think the color straw or clay (the beige or gold colors) would look good.

Here is a link that might be useful: Special Pricing on PB Wool Rugs

I recently took up my wall to wall carpeting on my main floor and had my floors refinished. I wanted area rugs in the living room, dining room and hallway. But I couldn't find anything in ready made area rugs because my sofa had a pattern. After countless weekends looking for area rugs, I went to a carpet store. I had my area rugs made. I picked plain carpeting that I liked and they cut it to my specifications and bound it. I got good carpeting on sale -- had a 11x13, 7x7 and a 15 foot runner for $600. And they look terrific. The $600 also included good padding.