I will probably hear many voicing disapproval, But I have purchased some rugs that I consider to be nice from Home Depot. They are not hand made many 1000's of dollars nice but they are very nice for production rugs. They carry several brands and several price ranges. We have purchased 8 or 9 for in our 112 year old home. I have had many comments how nice they look, and they have been holding up well. HD often runs rug sales with free shipping to boot. I have purchased one or two that were store stocked, but most have been ordered on line. I have also purchased rugs for one bedroom from Amazon, and the ones I purchased were not the quality level of the ones i purchased from HD, how ever for the price they were and the lighter foot traffic in this bedroom, We are pleased with our purchases there as well!

@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!

I chose Target brand Threshold microfiber rug. I wash rubber backed bath rugs in the tub and air dry. Machine washability didn’t factor in my reviews. Reviews Threshold Signature microfiber rug (Target) - the winner Thick, plush, highly rated by buyers. Dark gray color is 100% true. No blue, purple or green hue to it. Matte not shiny fibers. Modern squared off corners. Looks nice. Generous sizes. Hated how it felt at first but now I like it. Microfiber might take take some getting used to. $30 for 24 x 40, $20 for 21 x34. Mohawk Home Royal rug (Home Depot) - second runner up Highly rated. Not as thick or plush as the Threshold microfiber. Neither thick nor thin. Nylon fibers are very soft, not slippery, feels great. Has a sheen. Looks like it could hold up to daily use. Great selection of colors. The granite color is a very dark gray. It can be perceived to have an ever so slight blue hue to it but not a dealbreaker. I’m keeping as back up. Actual rug sizes are narrower than stated by an inch. Free shipping for over $45 purchases. $36 for 24 x 40, $23 for 21 x 34. Charter Club nylon bath rug (Macy’s) Supposedly the best but my last purchase a year ago was disappointing. I ordered 2 white rugs in 2 sizes. The smaller rug felt thin with soft slippery fibers. The larger rug felt denser, thicker and fibers felt more substantial. Both were nylon and supposedly the same. Generous sizes. The larger one was so nice, I kept it. If it came in a dark gray color, I would have purchased on the chance I get the better version. Pricey but you can get 50% off if you wait for Macy’s sales and free shipping promotions. I paid sale prices of $33 for 25.5" x 44" and $21 for 21 x34. Garland Serendipity shaggy rug (Amazon and various online retailers) Descriptions say nylon but tag says polyethylene. Feels thick, plush and cushiony. Garland’s colors are based on stock photos not actual product. Based on reviews, there’s a good chance you’ll be unhappy with the color. I was happy with mine when I purchased the linen color four years ago. Product hasn’t changed since then. The linen color is not as pictured and is more like a cool light beige. Washed up clean looking like new. I’m not interested in a shaggy rug at this time. I don’t remember what I paid. It’s $27 for 24 x 40 on Amazon. If you like shaggy and not picky about colors, this is a great rug. Home Collection (Home Depot) is made of nylon. Medium thickness similar to Mohawk Home Royal. Fibers felt comfy and good underfoot. The charcoal gray is not dark enough for me. It also has an obvious light blue hue to it. Sizes are an inch narrower than other brands. Colors are limited to three. It’s an acceptable rug. I returned because of the color. I looked at Bed Bath and Beyond and Ikea; there were no rugs that fit my criteria for sizes (24x40, 21x34) and dark gray color. The IKEA bath rugs look great especially the highly rated Almtjarn 24” x 35” rug $16.99. I passed because I needed a bigger size. For people looking for smaller sizes, IKEA is definitely worth a try. I hope this helps save people time and money.

Carpet samples are common, but I don’t think rug samples are. It’s also hard to suggest rugs without knowing your budget, preferred fiber content and texture. I’d look for the rug that meets all your criteria and order their smallest rug (be sure to check return policy), as colors on line can be deceiving. A larger size will provide a better sense of the rug’s design, shade, etc. The one below for example comes 2x3 and I’m sure you’ll find many with that size. https://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-braided/Off-White/200CB01-P.html?clickid=RRzWK5WQsxyJRw3wUx0Mo38zUklW7kVPIzLTRc0&irgwc=1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=impact&utm_campaign=rewardStyle&utm_content=Online+Tracking+Link&utm_term=mediapartner&cl_a=click&cl_aid=rugsusa&cl_asid=impactradius&cl_ch=affiliate&cl_vend=impactradius&cl_camp=9280&cl_crtv=555367&cl_site=116548&cl_sz=&cl_id=RRzWK5WQsxyJRw3wUx0Mo38zUklW7kVPIzLTRc0&cache=5674394&epik=dj0yJnU9Sm1TMHpxZUNTZ0xndXNQa3NsaDR6ZEZnMk5KMDZUX0cmcD0wJm49QnVLeWxUekF1dENucEhVQ2l3cGtidyZ0PUFBQUFBR001dHBB