I like the room as is. You could change up accessories and art if you're looking to freshen up. I should mention I like color and contrast. My first thought about a sisal rug is it could blend too much with your furniture. If you were keeping the braided rug (sounds like you're taking it up) my first thought was a pale blue or pale green gray paint like how the photo Onedogedie posted looks on my monitor. I also really like the rooms Oaktown posted (first set). I like your furniture, horse pic, and the ironstone! Are you honestly tired of your braided rug? Whatever you end up with, just remember to be true to your style. You could also take up the rug for now and maybe just use it in the winter months to change it up. It's very nice looking. I'd take the rug up and see how you feel and consider painting going the painting direction first since it's cheaper than a new rug.

I went out one last time today, and found another rug. Now I have 2 "finalists", neither being without faults! The new choice has a mostly very light golden oak background a little lighter than the floor for both the main field and the main border--in other words, it seems to be a bit too much of the same thing. It has a black edge, black in the background of the two 1-1/2" borders on each side of the main border, and black scattered about in small doses throughout some of the rest of the design, including part of the medallion. Most of the medallion is a rust color that is close enough to the henna in my other rug that it looks ok. There's very little green in this rug. It's a beautiful densely knotted rug. Negatives-- this rug doesn't look good with the paint (we're not repainting!) or the furniture, and when the sun shines, watch out!-- it really looks like a bright gold, and it costs more. Other than the intensity of the light colored background, this rug seems to balance with the other two rugs as far as the overall look, and it looks better at night. So if we never had the money to replace the 9x12, I wouldn't feel like the room is out of whack. The "black" rug--the other colors in it look good with the paint, the coverings on the chairs that go around the table on it, the present sofa, the other rug in the same room, and the floor. The only negative is that it makes that part of the room so dark, especially at night, that I can almost feel the floor tilting down over there! Also, it seems to be too much for the blue (which looks gorgeous in the daytime, and dark at night) in the DR. If I choose this rug, it seems like my only choice to balance all three rugs would be to get a dark rug to replace the 9x12, and I really don't like the idea of 3 dark rugs. annz, the design of all of the rugs is somewhat related. The experienced daughter of the owner of the decades old place where I got the one rug has been very helpful, given the various constraints I have in choosing this rug. If you could see the color this floor makes the rugs appear, you'd probably understand why I'm giving it the importance I am. Your email did not show up on the screen, BTW. sujafr, thanks for the explanation for posting pictures. DH said he'd try to help me get some pictures loaded some time tomorrow. ideefixe, I'm not looking for antique tribal rugs, just handmade ones with traditional designs. Your suggestion to have a carpet company make a rug for the time being is a good one, except that I need the rug by Sunday! Thank you all for your posts. I hope I'll have the pictures up tomorrow. Anne

Just wanted to let all of you know their decision. We tried out all kinds. She liked a lot of them, but they both liked the Joya best for their room. The size and style fits them and it is a little firmer than many of the others which she liked as well. They are getting it in navy. Mtn, in re your comment about the child's rocker, there was one chair at Crate and Barrel that she tried out and her feet did not touch the floor. She looked liked Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann. I thought of you! Ha. So, thank you all for your ideas, suggestions, and kind words. It gave the search some direction, so she wasn't overwhelmed with way too many possibilities-they all seem to blur into a mishmash after a while, don't they? It was also such fun to read all your posts. What a generous group you all are!

Don't move the credenza then. Get an area rug, center one group of seating around fireplace and conversation and then maybe get a tea cart or something and put a small chair or two around that near the doors/windows to the outside. You can sit and sip your tea and watch the birdies outside there in the winter! When the weather gets nice you can carry the chairs out to the deck to sit in the sun! Then roll the cart out there with some cocktails later in the day!