Anne - this one is 100% wool and altho my daughter is concerned about spills with a light colored rug, I told her that 100% wool should clean up well. You've just confirmed that. Thanks.

I'm a sucker for pretty florals like what you have here but I think it's still too "old" for a 20-something. I would instead consider a more geometric modern pattern like a chevron, trellis or ikat. I know those patterns are considered trendy by the group here, but they still seem to be loved by 20-somethings in my area.

Here are a few as ideas (the chevron stripe is pretty bold but something like it would pick up the red in her lamp)

Does she love the pillow fabric? I'm not seeing 26 y.o. in that combo. My 25 y.o. daughter says no. The pillow fabric goes well enough but it's a bit old.

Have you checked "0" for wool rugs and pillows? Here is one idea.

lisad82 - The lamp in the picture is definitely not staying. It's just a source of light for now. I probably should have mentioned that before. I did look at ikats when I was out, but I'm looking for something to brighten up the sofa.

missymoo - My daughter says she does like the fabric, but I think she's not as invested in this decorating project as I am.

justerrilynn - I like that rug. I just took a quick look on Overstock, but couldn't find it. Could you give me the link?

The fabric is the wrong demographic for a generic 26 yo, by far. It is not at all youthful.

Of course you have access to an actual rather than hypothetical 26yo. Take a cushion, and her, to Pier 1 or world market or Ikea, to get ideas that suit her tastes.

Hi Bac, I think the rug was called Seafoam Chevalier or something like that.

I have that fabric!! I LOVE that fabric....and when we first moved in this house my sofa was sort of a golden color not unlike the color of yours! The fabric looked fine with it! I have since reupholstered it to a chocolate brown, and the pillows still look fab. :) Here are pics:

mtn - I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but we did pick up a pillow cover at Ikea that coordinates with the leafy fabric. Maybe this is the fabric we should be working around. Not the best picture, tho. The circles that look kinda grey are really a seaglass color.

justerrilynn - Thanks for the info. I found it on O, but the largest I see available is 5 X 8. She needs closer to 8 X 10.

nini - Thanks for the pictures. What a coincidence!

I love the original fabric with the sofa, but not sure about the last pillow cover. It's not my room though. Great looking sofa! Are the walls already seaglass? It's hard to tell in the photo.

If you get a lighter rug, the brown sofa/brown floors issue will go away. Sorry, I skimmed the responses, but I agree ikat or chevron might appeal more to the younger demographic. I don't think that floral print for the sofa is right for a 26 yr old at all, but have you asked her?

I like the light rug w/ the sofa very much. I like initial pillow fabric very much too and I would have picked that fabric in my mid-twenties too. I do not like it w/ the IKEA circle pillow cover. I don't care for that pillow cover much at all. I don't know if IKEA still has the pillow cover but they do have a few really nice cream ones w/ detail interest that would coordinate quite well w/ the fabric that you picked and the rug. I think that a glass coffee table would work well w/ a gold thin base.

BTW - I have IKEA rugs that have been holding up quite well w/ my kids and pets.

Why are certain patterns better or not for a 26 year old? If she likes it, so what. I lived for years with inherited stuff from my grandmothers, I've always liked Victorian and Depression era florals. But then my decorating style is "1930's Granny." (Mixed in with a whole family of IKEA).

I agree, I would have chosen that fabric at that age as well. I probably wouldn't choose it now that I am more "mature" :) Probably the opposite of most. I think it is a great selection! Ultimately it is up to each of as far as what we like.

Eager to see what she ends up with.

justgotabme - the walls are apartment white and as a rental, have to stay that way.

lolauren - my daughter likes the fabric, but she hasn't had the time to look at fabrics with me, so maybe there's something else out there for her.

foxes - Thanks for your vote of confidence (and your endorsement of Ikea rugs). I'm thinking glass coffee table, too. With the gold being a muted gold, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

pinkmountain - I agree with your question about certain patterns being better or not for a 26 year old. I guess I started that whole focus when I said I wanted the room to look like a 26 year old lives there. Actually, decorating is not as important to my daughter as it is to me. She definitely lets me know if she doesn't like something or thinks it's too "old".

anne - I'll definitely keep everyone posted on the selection.

LOL BAC, when I was 26, my biggest decorating challenge was to make my parents, grandparents and aunt's old hand-me-down stuff look "hip." I guess that's what started me down the path of "thrift store chic!" Now some of them are precious MCM antiques and I see them cropping up everywhere in the style sections. BTW, a nice, classy/classic wool rug does wonders to "tie a room together." (Esoteric movie reference, :)

Of course, it's been eons since I was 26, but I had very traditional decorative leanings at that age. I too don't think that a pattern is necessarily right or wrong based on age. If she likes it, it's great. I think you're headed in a very nice direction, and especially love your introduction of the sea glass color into the scheme. That's one of my very favorites as evidenced by my own recent bedroom decorating endeavors. :-)

Why can't I post pictures all of a sudden? Has something changed here? EDITED: Finally picture went through! I did find the rug in the size you want but it is PRICEY. Shame because this is the only rug I could find in the colors you like where it was fun putting a spin on it all for a younger person.

testing...

pinkmountian - so would you call the IKEA rug I posted a classic wool rug?

auntjen - Thanks for you vote of confidence.

justerrilynn - Wow, look what you put together! I like the tables, the lamps and the chairs. I would love to find a second hand chair like the one on the right. It would be so easy to recover just the seat. Last night, before you gave me the name of the rug, I did a Google search and did find it on another website and you're right, it was very pricey in and 8 X 10. Around $1,200 as I recall. Thank you SO much for all the ideas you put together. It's a great inspiration.

i actually like the white rug, but agree that the pillow fabric is a tad "old"; if your DD likes it, maybe coordinate with some solids or geometrics.

Or add some black and white.

Or a favorite color, like lime or fuchsia or yellow.

Or maybe even pumpkin

I think you can use either the circles or the floral for pillows, especially if you add a contrasting piping, but I am not seeing them as working together. Either way, I think the rug decision should come first.

I like the light rug, but I don't think I'd want to live with it. I'd be more concerned about traffic soil that spills, but I have always had pets and raised two boys. I prefer some pattern in a rug so both traffic wear and any spills that don't clean 100% -- or those that do clean 100% and leave a lighter spot in the traffic soiled areas, blend in more. Your daughter may be a different story.

I like the one that is $$ in the larger size. I found this one that looks like it might have similar colors but an overall light feel like the IKEA one. It looks like the circle pillows might work with it and then you could look for something textural in a solid to go with them -- a chunky knit, faux fur, or something with some beading, perhaps? Mix them up and make it fun and feminine. You can make it work.

Nosoccormom, I like that black white and brown room.

Bac, those chairs plentiful on my craigslist. The side tables are cheap on "0". Sometimes you can find lamps close to those above at the Habitat Rehoming store or thrifts. Do you have a Homegoods near? If you can find something you like you can't beat their rug prices. Have fun and keep us updated. When I was doing my son's place I got all stressed out, sometimes it seems harder when it's a relative.

That is a great sofa find and perfect for a 26 year olds first apartment. I think you can find a very nice rug for much less than 1200. Try looking at home goods and stores like that for a nice carpet. Also Home Depot and lowes have some very reasonable carpets. Since this is a rental I would not spend big bucks now. As she gets older she will know more of what she wants and that will be the time to spend more. Just my 2 cents.

I'm another fan of HomeGoods for rugs. I bought 4 new rugs and got three of them at HomeGoods and the other at Pottery Barn. Saw some we liked at Pier One and on Overstock too. The two wool rugs I was replacing both came from Home Goods (we are getting new furniture and each of my sons got one of the old ones for their new apartment).

We have been looking at Home Goods for a rug. We also looked at Home Depot. Haven't tried Lowes yet. I think she's better off spending her money on a basic rug. I showed her the rug justerrilynn used in her post with the tables and chairs, but she said it's too busy.

Bac have your daughter check out 8 x 10 Safavieh rugs on "0". There are a bunch of sales in wool. I narrowed it down to blue green color picks but she might want to branch out on a few other colors.

Sorry, I didn't mean the rug color was wrong, just that it is such a light color that will get dirty so easily. IMO that makes it less practical than a patterned rug. I also think the pillows alone are not enough pattern for that strong a color sofa.

"My daughter says she does like the fabric, but I think she's not as invested in this decorating project as I am."

Given the post title I am confused- is this her first apartment or yours?

You keep saying "we" as in "we have a brownish sofa."

I mean if she is happy to let you make all the decisions then so be it but most of me thinks there is a post somewhere on another board saying "Help! My first decorating opportunity and my mother is taking over!"

I so enjoyed decorating my first place by myself- I would have been upset had my mother horned in and made decorating decisions.

I would let her live in whatever style and/or disarray happens so that she makes all her own choices- this is how personal style is discovered. I paid for many things for my daughter's first place but she chose everything 100%. I could not have lived there given some of those choices but they were hers to make.

I don't mean to be harsh, but it may be time to step back, take a breath, and realize that this is her nest to feather.

"I said I wanted the room to look like a 26 year old lives there."

IMO that is best accomplished by allowing her to furnish it.

Wow

I'd go with a cheaper rug and probably one that's patterned to hide spills. No reason to invest in an expensive rug at this point. The site that aktillery posted has a huge selection at reasonable prices --- and we know they are nice.

http://esalerugs.com/

Or look at auctions or ebay if you want an inexpensive antiquish oriental, but that may be too much fuss.

Oh, and my DD, who just moved into her first place, has very definitive ideas about decorating but "we" decorated it together. In fact, "I" did a lot of the painting, buying, etc. because she's super, super busy.

Same here Nosoccermom, some of us are “asked” for help and
do not fall in the “Mommy Dearest” category. My son knew what he didn’t like
but did not know how to put what he did like all together, plus his time was
limited. The budget was so small that it was mainly all from Cl, Habitat/thrifts
and garage sales which further complicated things. He learned a lot, like how
some of his ideas wouldn’t work after I taught him how to measure the room out
on graft paper to include walkways, windows and entry’s, and how there was
really only one small wall where the TV could go which also affected the
layout. He learned how to figure out a rug size for a room, how high a picture
should go on a wall behind sofa and a bit about size and furniture scale for
his space. He also learned how it’s ok to break some of the rules and how to envision
one piece into the whole. For my part, nothing was bought without his approval.

My son has a good eye and will be able to do it all himself next
time if he has the time. If not, I’m there for him.

I used to ask my mom for decorating advice all the time, she had great taste. But we didn't always agree, since I need stuff that holds up better to getting dirty in my line of work (landscaping). Mom was a librarian. IMHO, almost any type of wool rug is "classic" because back in the day, all rugs were wool, since synthetic hadn't been invented yet. I'm not totally against synthetic, but for area rugs, I just like wool, it seems to wear really well if well-made and cleans up well too. I have some ancient IKEA woven ones I have used in rooms and on the porch, they still look passably good, without much maintenance. So they have just held up well, that's the only point I was adding. But I'm sure there are tons of other rug options that are great too.

Wow is right, justerrilynn. And a big thank you to you, nosoccermom and I pinkmountain for having a better understanding of how a mom and daughter can work together on a decorating project. I don't know what else to say right now.

Have you considered a seagrass rug? I have one in the breakfast room and it seems to stand up well to use (including DD's dog barfing on it and the maid using the beater bar vacuum on it). I'm told seagrass is better than sisal or jute, because it doesn't stain as easily and is relatively comfortable on bare feet. 8x10 seagrass on O, $212 I got mine on sale (with free shipping) at Pottery Barn. At the time, O didn't have the neutral binding, which I prefer to colored binding.

My DD also asks for my opinion, advice, and help with decorating. I'm sure if she didn't like something I had chosen for her, she'd let me know in a heartbeat. But so far, so good.

Tuesday morning, if there's one in your area, has rugs at a good price - I found a perfect 5x8 there for my daughter for just $60 on clearance.

I'm going to show my daughter that seagrass rug, bbstx. It's a nice looking rug for a great price. Also, I believe you summed up the mother/daughter understanding my daughter and I have when it comes to decorating. There have been quite a few ideas I've presented that have been given a thumbs down immediately. I have not "horned in and made decorating decisions" with anything in her apartment.

I'll check out Tuesday Morning, starnold.

Check Lowes. My daughter found this rug at lowes last week on clearance. It is 8 x 11 and was $148. Small investment and it's really quite nice. We still need to paint, add pillows, etc, but with the rug in place we have a good start on colors now. Have fun helping your daughter feather her nest!

Thanks for your input, Amber. That print is still a strong contender.

tannatonk - I looked at the Lowe's website and showed my daughter the rug your daughter has. I like it, but she's not crazy about it. I did find another rug, tho, there that we may take a look it. It, too, is on clearance, but I'm not sure it's going to lighten up the brown sofa and hardwood floors. As my daughter said, we'll have to see it in person.

Costco has a rug sale going on online.

I second going to Tuesday Morning! They have some awesome rugs, high quality for very reasonable price, also some great pillows in very good prints and patterns for cheaper than making them. Excellent source for those on a budget. Sheets and towels there are also awesome.

I like the Ikea rug - it will provide a nice contrast to the floor and sofa and will wear well. I'm not a fan of floral prints myself but since your daughter likes it and the colors look good, go for it. Your daughter is lucky to be getting such quality furniture and assistance decorating, my first apartment was random free stuff and mostly hideously ugly and/or falling apart.

I think your original fabric is fabulous. I guess I have always been an old soul because I too loved a traditional look from. The time I was able to have a free hand with decorating.

Look at Pier 1. They have pillows on sale today. Maybe you can find something to coordinate with the Jacobean pattern.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ottomanson-Ottohome-Collection-Contemporary-Boxes-Design-Multi-8-ft-2-in-x-9-ft-10-in-Area-Rug-OTH2309-8x10/206286986

My daughter and I were out today and bought the original print fabric to make one large pillow for the sofa. She also picked out a solid color fabric in the darker green that's in the print for another slightly smaller pillow. I liked a stripe that coordinated well, but she says she wants to keep things simple. She has also decided to use the rug from IKEA. Haven't purchased it yet, tho. End tables, coffee table and lamps will be the next choices to make.

Could you convince her to use 2 large pillows on each end of the sofa with the solid in the middle? A lack of symmetry makes me twitchy ;-) Nevertheless, it is good to be moving forward. Look at the Vitsjo coffee table at Ikea.

Thanks for the update Bac! Sure hope we get to see the finished project.