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Should I replace this blue rug in our living room?

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

So I finally seem to have the living room coming together after quite some time. I bought the rug before I put the curtains up. Now after the curtains are up, the rug seems to bring too much pattern to the room. I am not sure whether I should keep the rug or replace it. I like the bright navy color, I guess its the large pattern that's bothering me...any thoughts/suggestions?

Thanks!

Cooks.

Comments (56)

  • 8 years ago

    On my monitor the blue of the rug misses the hue of the other blues in the drapes and art. It should be more greenish/turquoise. If it works with the drapes then disregard how it looks from here.

    cooks thanked User
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The problem isn't so much the color of the rug which works well with the chairs but that the rug is too small. I would use a larger rug that goes under the furniture so it anchors all the pieces. If the rug were larger so the furniture was sitting on top of it, you wouldn't notice the rug first thing.

    cooks thanked cpartist
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  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I would. It's too small.

    cooks thanked User
  • 8 years ago

    I think the blue rug could work if it were the size of the one beneath it, but it's not, so I'd remove it. Its size makes it feel extraneous.

    cooks thanked User
  • 8 years ago

    I don't think the room needs the blue rug at all. I'd leave the bottom rug and call it done.

    cooks thanked k9arlene
  • 8 years ago

    Honestly, I love this room....refreshing, colorful, energetic & balanced. I see what others mean about rug size, but I look at it as almost an accent in the room, since you have the other rug underneath.

    cooks thanked lizzie_grow
  • 8 years ago

    I find that the rug just misses the mark of suiting the room. I don't know if it's the pattern, size or colour (or perhaps a mix of those elements) but it's just slightly off. I don't think it's needed.

    I do love the room however but someone else mentioned the curtains - I want to walk into the room and just spread them out a little more to show the colours and the patterns. They're so squished up and they don't seem to really be a part of the room. Could you get slightly longer rods and have them hang over the windows a little. I don't know how much fabric you have in the curtains so don't know if that's possible and don't worry if it isn't.

    Your room is really working. Your time has been well spent.

    cooks thanked blfenton
  • 8 years ago

    I like it. If you pushed the furniture up a little more into the room and had a coffee table I think it would be perfect!

    cooks thanked amykath
  • 8 years ago

    I think the room would be great without the rug. I love all the other colors and patterns in the room and think the foundation rug is just the restful piece the room needs.

    cooks thanked vpierce
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I agree with aktillery. I like the rug. I also love the room and your choices for furniture and collar. Can you take a pic of the room without the blue rug?

    cooks thanked rockybird
  • 8 years ago

    I love your colors in that room! I agree with a few comments, esp about seeing more of the curtain pattern fabric, widening them a bit.

    Could you try the rug running the opposite direction? So it kind of is an accent in front of the fireplace? Maybe centered on the light sofa. Just to see.

    cooks thanked Olychick
  • 8 years ago

    I would not use the rug.....for some reason I feel it does not look good with your curtains. Is there blue in your curtains.....on my monitor it looks more green with yellow background?

    cooks thanked erinsean
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Thanks everyone for your comments/ suggestions!!.

    Curtains:

    They are 25" width and meant to be stationary panel curtains. I have gone ahead and opened them a little, the rods I have are extendable, so also extended the rods a little. I agree they look much better now, before they seemed thin and scrunched up.

    Do the curtains look better now.

    The fabric does have a little bit of the navy /jean blue. I have also attached a stock picture of the fabric they were made from.

    Furniture:

    I did pull the furniture in a little, but I can see now that the width of the rug seems too small in terms of the furniture. Pics below:

    thanks!!

    Cooks.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I did take a few pics without the rug. The reason I would like a rug there, is the larger rug is more thinner and not as plush and soft as the smaller wool rug on top. I would like a rug which has more pile height and softness of wool in the center of the area.

    How does the area look without the rug??

    Now that I am looking at this picture above, maybe a center table would anchor the furniture together and bring it together, rather than a rug. Though maybe a plain/simple larger rug would also not make the center area too plain. I liked the idea of layering two rugs :)

    Cooks

  • 8 years ago

    Honestly without the rug I think the room looks a bit bland. Can you find a larger version of the rug?


  • 8 years ago

    Oh, I like it without the rug! It looks so fresh and pretty. Very summery!

  • 8 years ago

    It's a really nice room.

    Now, what I think is happening-there are even amount of cool tones and warm tones, and they seem to fight with each other for attention. It was not going on until you put the curtains up (btw love the curtains!)-because you had balance-mostly warm furniture, two cool rugs, some accessories that nicely tied them together.

    The moment the curtains went up-the balance scale went down, because warm became more powerful, and started fighting with cool instead of complementing it.

    In my opinion, in order to restore the balance, you need to decide which element-warm or cool-you're willing to let go. Or-to bring another element, add to the color you love the most, so it's a main player again.

    While I love that blue and orange together, the curtains took away from this striking contrast, simply by being a new kid on the block.

    The size of the rug bothers me less, since I think it could be remedied with pulling furniture closer to it, etc.

    cooks thanked aprilneverends
  • 8 years ago

    Looking on the cpartist's pic-yes, that would be better..would let the blue being more important again.

  • 8 years ago

    I would forget the rug and find a nice large square black coffee table to anchor the furniture. You could accessories the table top with some blue.

  • 8 years ago

    Please please consider a coffee table. It needn't cost an arm and a leg. Not only will it anchor the room, but you'll have a place to set your drink or munchie down. I wouldn't worry about your little one making a mess on the table. At least it's a defined spot, easier than rounding up stuff spread all over the floor. Besides, it connects the people sitting down.

  • 8 years ago

    I like the colour that the curtains bring into the room.

    What would happen if you put the area rug back in but turned it the other way? I have no idea if it would work but maybe just try it and see what you think.

  • 8 years ago

    My take, love it without the rug...so clean and refreshing and it allows the eye to be attracted to all the elements in the room. With that rug, it's so stand out that everything else kind of takes a back seat.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I really like it without the rug too. And, as you mentioned, you can get a coffee table further down the road when your toddler is older.

  • 8 years ago

    I remember when you first posted the room when the furniture just arrived and I am so impressed how it has turned out! Wonderful use of color! So uniquely beautiful!

  • 8 years ago

    I like the rug. I think the bigger version is too overwhelming. I also love your curtains! Are your flower pots light pink? I think you did a great job with this room!

  • 8 years ago

    Your curtains really are beautiful and I like they way they connect with your orange furniture and your throw pillows. Everything became connected. I didn't notice your plants and orange vase until you opened them up either.

  • 8 years ago

    I love love love this room! With and without the rug. I do think a nice square coffee table, or an oversized square ottoman with a tray would look good. Hard to say how the blue rug would look if some of it was covered with a coffee table or ottoman. Wish someone could do a mock-up with a coffee table (hint hint) :)

  • 8 years ago

    First of all, I love your curtains! I also like that you're not afraid of color. Your room is great! I haven't read all the above comments, but my first thought was that the rug didn't really go well with the curtains. I'm thinking maybe a rug that pulls some of the gold from the curtains would look better. Happy decorating!

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    It looks so much better without the blue rug! Not that it couldn't use something else there but the blue rug, IMHO, does not look right at all!

  • 8 years ago

    Much better without the rugs. Just one opinion, but the clean lines of the sofas, begs for less on the floor? I'm really loving it without anything. Although, a nice table could be good.

  • 8 years ago

    @cpartist: Yes, I agree without the rug, its too simple for
    me. But the blue rug seems too much if it covers the whole area. Will look into a slightly larger rug.

    @aprilneverends: Thanks so much for that observation!!, you
    are spot on, I most probably will be gravitating towards the warm colors. I
    love those curtains too. When the sun shines in…they just glow and the whole
    room looks lovely, colorful but calm too.

    @roseabbey, linelle, john, rob333 : Yes, will definitely be
    hunting for a square coffee table for the area.

    @blfenton: Will be posting pics of the rug the other way
    around.

    @roarah: Thanks a lot!! And yes you had really helped me
    with the furniture placement ideas. At that time the room was bare and had
    nothing in it except for the furniture!

    @rockybird: Yes, the flower pots are pink, I spray painted
    them with krylon, they were normal brown plastic pots! The framed quotes on the
    wall also have pink cardstock paper as matting, bought from michaels, along
    with the frames too. The frames have family pictures with some of my favorite
    quotes, made in powerpoint, had them printed at Target. They kind of went well
    together with the pots and the rectangle oil painting which I did on canvas from Michaels too !!.

    I couldnt find any art that I liked with pink/orange colors and I saw a version of this in a magazine and thought let me try this. I started with pink/orange and added the red/green/blue colors from the curtains. I havent painted anything in years and it turned out ok for a first try, even with my toddler running around the canvas and trying to dip her fingers on the canvas.

    Thank you everyone else for your suggestions/comments!!

    Cooks

  • 8 years ago

    I have a similar set up in that I have a 10x14 Seagrass rug with a 5x8 rug on top. But I have the 5x8 rug off center in front of the couch with an ottoman on top of it so the smaller rug defines one seating area.

    We are currently in process of packing up to paint land list house so the room is in chaos right now. I will look to see if I have a pic on file somewhere.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks annette!, my rug is 11x15 with a 5x8 on top. Would love to see your pics.

    Cooks.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    ok, so I replaced the blue rug with the one I
    had originally purchased for the area (before the curtains). I thought it was
    too dull, so bought the blue one, but now the curtains up, this rug seems to complement
    the area. Its also slightly larger then the blue rug. The same rug also comes in a larger size too (8x10). Sorry the dull pics, today's a cloudy rainy day.

  • 8 years ago

    Here are 2 pics, sorry you can't see the placement of rug better. The rug is under the ottoman and is framed by the sofa and a big side chair.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks Annette, yes, I get the idea, the furniture is pulled away from the rug slightly and the ottoman sits on top. Love the smaller rug, lovely bright colors and pattern seems pretty too!!

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    What if you flip the 2 couches? Then put the white couch facing the fireplace with the blue rug under the front feet of the white couch. I like the idea of the orange chairs facing the orange sofa.

    You could do an ottoman like I did. I didn't do a coffee table for the reason you don't have anything, I had small kids in and out. I do have a wooden tray on it for grown up gatherings. Or nothing at all could work.

  • 8 years ago

    Just my opinion of course but you may have stepped into the land of too much orange with that rug.

  • 8 years ago

    haaa haaa thanks blfenton!!, yes its still in my living room, so I will give it a day and see how I like it.

    Cooks,

  • 8 years ago

    I really don't care for that orange rug at all, and agree with blfenton - it's just too much of a good thing now. I think you should go back to using only the plain rug. It really makes your furnishings and artwork pop, while those colorful rugs layered on top are detractors.

  • 8 years ago

    I used to have a seagrass rug under my top rug but my cat kept peeing on it. I got another one for cheap as a place holder until I could figure out what I really want.

    Hope this helps!


    cooks thanked amykath
  • 8 years ago

    I don't have a rug at all. Still waiting for when I'd be smitten with The Rug to the point I'll pay what it costs. And I'm..well let's say I'm 39. For um, couple years already))

    No need to rush-that's my point)).

    Your room is pretty adorable.

  • 8 years ago

    Don't think the orange rug adds to your beautiful inviting room. Function over form seems to dictate you want the softer blue rug in there for your toddler to play on, etc. Go back to the blue rug rather than that orange one (but I like the blue one, anyway, you know :)

  • 8 years ago

    Thank you everyone, yes I seem to like the blue one too than the orange one. I guess first hunches are the right ones. Anyway, the blue one is back, until I decide what to do.

    Thanks @aktillary9....yes, love the placement of your top rug, it does complement the lower one and also makes the room look a nice size with the furniture just touching the edges.

    Cooks

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks Cooks. I like your blue rug. So they sell one is a slightly larger size? I think you should use it and add a large coffee table to ground the space. Check your CL. I always find amazing deals on mine!

    Just looking now I found these two


  • 8 years ago

    The blue one looks like a Christmas ornament. I don't care for it in that room at all. I just don't think it goes. I'm thinking part of the problem with both rugs is the giant design/patterns. I think it translates into "too much".

  • 8 years ago

    Here is a quick mock up of adding the second table to your space.

  • 8 years ago

    Wow both tables are nice, especially the round one. I will surely check craigslist, haven't been on there in a while!

    cooks

  • 8 years ago

    You are very talented to have painted that artwork! I like the blue rug much better than the orange one. I would personally just add a coffee table, but not much else. I think the room really looks fabulous!