I own two silk (all silk) rugs I bought when travelling in Turkey. I bought them whilst with a colleague who grew up there, and who took me "where his Mom shopped". Mom was doing okay, it seems. : ) This was a very high end shop, and I had thought id get some great bargain. I fell in love with a small silk prayer rug that was way over what I'd planned to spend. I agonized and decided to splurge. Then, I also bought a larger, 8X10 rug, too... The credit card slip could not fit all of the digits, because the exchange rate was 240,000 turkish Lira to the dollar, so the transaction was in the billions of Lira. Crazy. At any rate, I was told it was best to hang them up and NOT use them on the floor. So, of course, I used one in my entry hall for several years, and the little one I now have in front of my pedestal tub. I have had no issue getting them cleaned, but have done so only twice for the large one, and never for the small one (more on that in a bit). A tipsy guest spilled red wine on the large rug once, and it came out. One of my kids tipped over their bottle another time, and, that stain did not come out 100%. You can see it in certain light. Recently there was a mysterious leak in my BA and my small silk rug was drenched through. I was on my way out the door for a school trip w one of the kids, so I asked DH to try to address it. This rug is one of my fave posessions so I was so distraught. I was so delighted when I came home and it was in place, perfect, looking especially clean and new. I was so delighted with DH! I asked him how he did it. "I hung it up, it dried". The same leak occurred a few weeks later. The rug once again was fine once it dried. Short answer: get it, enjoy it, be a little careful. PS Make sure everyone puts the "telephone" back the right way on tub hardware. The cleaning person would use the hand sprayer to rinse the tub, and replace it horizontally, causing it to drip onto the floor.

Since you are willing to paint, I would consider the color that is in the background in your beautiful drapes, as the dark walls make it feel cave like, your lovely wood is not noticed and if the walls are lighter, the windows and view may take more prominence. In regards to a rug...I think an overdyed raspberry colored rug would feel traditional, yet modern and also elegant. Room is not quite what I described but may give you a feel for the look with lighter walls and an overdyed rug.

I'm not saying you shouldn't paint the walls, but simple changes such as a larger chandelier and centerpiece, curtains or art may be all you need. Have you looked for inspiration pictures?

So part of the appeal of RH style for me is they incorporate rustic, organic, industrial, or antique elements into a space that is mostly monochromatic but full of textures. Some characteristics of their style are oversized pieces, as large as the space allows. Large artwork over the sofa, often in black or white or an abstract. The largest rug the living room can hold. Statement light fixtures in every room. Natural fibers and neutral tones. Decorative elements that are large but fewer of them on display, often incorporating wood or metal. What about something like this for a coffee table?