I would do a big ol' fluffy white shag rug.

Here is a link that might be useful: Overstock

Thanks Kellyeng!

That's a good link, as the picture they show matches both the couch and the floor.

The rug looks really nice in white, just wondering if I would be over my head getting a white rug (I think white was a mistake for the couch given how sloppy I am!)

Andy

How about a blue striped dhurrie, like the one in Something's Gotta Give (but not as large)?

I think lighter colors given the dark floor. I like the idea of a white shaggy one...I'm clumsy though too so I understand your hesitation. Plus i have kids that would muddy it up in no time.

Rug? Couch? Entertainment center? Huh? Oh ... sorry. I just can't take my eyes of that outdoor view! WOW!
:-)

You didn't ask ... but I would paint your trim and doors white. The windows and sliding doors are white and the narrow wood trim around them isn't really adding anything and it makes the room appear dated and not in keeping with the clean/modern look you are trying to achieve.

@suero, I love the room you attached, but I am having a hard time picturing it with the modern furniture...I can't seem to get "country cottage" out of my head :)

@gingerjenny, I don't even want to go there re: kids. I'm afraid my grandmother's plastic couch covers are gonna have to come out!

@auntjen, now you know what sold the house! The house is so small and narrow with such a wide view that I kind of feel like I am always on a cruise ship. Not that this is a bad thing, I am just tired of waiting for someone to bring me a drink :)

@chispa, I so hear you. This was my first instinct when we painted the walls and I am still on the fence for painting the trim and doors white. I just hate painting over real wood, especially since the trim is solid and not the new fingerboard junk. For the real modern look, I would either remove completely or replace with something squared off to hide anything underneath...But its been growing on me as is...maybe after I get the rug and shades done, I'll bite the bullet and paint it. The house was very 80's when we got it:

And unfortunately I can make most of it modern, but the kitchen is too servicable to change out the pickled oak cabinets :( Maybe I'll resurface them one day...

All,
Your ideas are great, would love any other advice to spruce it up...

What about something like these.......

Nice website in Toronto,Canada. You may find some nice inspiration there. Pretty pricey though. Google weaversart.com and look at rug collections. I am not trying to promote anything here. They just have beautiful carpets. Eye candy!

how about something custom painted using your colors or a theme. Nice kanji print perhaps

Here is a link that might be useful: custom rug

A dhurrie doesn't have to look country. This is what I had in mind.

CB2 has very funky and inexpensive rugs that I think would look cool.

I don't care for the light blue stripe as much with your color scheme and the dark flooring. Room and Board has 2 really bold striped rugs that might work:

what if you put up a shelf above the sofa, between the two windows, and get a model sailboat instead of art? If I had such an amazing water view, I think it'd be cool.

I like minimal window treatments in the room, but would look into updating the vertical blinds.

@Door1, really cool rugs there. They didn't list prices, how expensive are they?

@Suero, wow it just shows how poorly I am able to mentally visualize things. You are right that it doesn't look country cabinish. I'm still not sure of the stripes, as everything feels so geometric now I feel I need something a bit organic to break it up....but its growing on me :)

@FroofyCat, we love Room and Board! That's where we got our dining table and entertainment center (and the unpictured couch that wouldn't fit up the stairs, grumble). We like how the sailboat looks, but the wife and I made a pact to be a little different and not keep things beachy beachy here, as all the neighbors have the mariner theme going on with anchors, nets, diving helmets, ring life preservers, sailboats (in and out of bottles), starfish, etc :) Maybe we'll allow ourselves a large shell or piece of coral.

@Fbsketcher, the link didn't work but I see where you are going. The kanji sounds interesting, especially since we discussed how we wanted a zen-like decor. I feel we steered a little away from that, but maybe a few accents will help bring it back on track!

Hi andyman. I think you would have to contact them about a price as you can order the carpets in different sizes, by the look of the website. I have never dealt with them so I don't know how pricey they are. We went shopping for carpets a few years ago with my niece and saw carpets in all price ranges (up to 80,000 dollars!!!) I personally do not know anyone that could afford that! They were antiques, taken out of palaces, mansions, cleaned and sold. Unreal! She was looking for something for her musicroom/library. I said "Don't get something for the sake of having carpet in the room. Get something that says.. I love that carpet!" She put feet under the baby grand so it would not mark the hardwood and it still sits without a carpet! The room looks wonderful, though. Your home looks good, too, so take your time choosing. It is a big investment!

@Door1, wow $80,000 for a rug. I know people that could afford it, but alas it ain't us :) I agree comepletely on doing it right vs. just throwing a rug down. We have agonized on every decision here so far, which only makes each one harder -- we don't want to undo any of our successes!

I've been looking for a chandelier over the small table for 5 months before I finally chose one, the rug and a floor lamp are still elusive :) Also the artwork is starting to come together. I'll post an updated pic later today...

OMG look at your VIEW! What is that and when can we have a GW Decor get together at your place? :)

We just got 2 shaggy rugs for our new place. One is a Flokati, which is super fun but takes a LOT of work to keep looking nice - I like mine as it's in the area where we watch TV but it doesn't have a lot of traffic passing through.

The other one I got from Overstock and LOVE is a wool, thick chunky shag. I also saw it on their site in a color that looked kind of greige - not sure if you'd like either color but thought I'd suggest it as the texture is fabulous (the pieces of shag are felted and about 3/4" thick) and it seems relatively easy to maintain with regular vacuuming - no/low shedding.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sage wool rug

A big splashy modern art painting very colorful above the sofa would really bring in a modern vibe.

@gr8day - we added the poppy picture over the weekend, was this what you were thinking? Wish it were a little larger, but I was foolish and ordered it a bit too small (we wanted all of our art to be photos that I took).

@clubcracker - thanks, I do think shag is the way to go...but I am worried how my poor roomba will cope with it (heaven forbid I actually have to clean the joint).

All -- we did settle on a light too, here is how it looks:

Also, a not great reverse view, but you can get a feel for the entertainment center. The TV will be hung on the wall one of these days...You could also see the "not modern" kitchen cabinets :( What I wouldn't do for some walnut slab or frosted glass doors :)

Up next, we lose the fan (way too much action on the ceiling in there, plus we don't need a fan like that in the kitchen).