Our New Area Rug

Last week I shared with you that I decided on the Pottery Barn Chunky Wool & Jute Rug for our main living space. After finally coming to the decision, my neutral loving heart really wasn't surprised (and you may very well not have been surprised either).

The more panned out view (keep in mind the room is just starting to come together now).

Buying a rug is a commitment, so I thought I might dive into my process of how I came to this final choice. 

First off, there are so many rug options out there. It can straight up be overwhelming to choose just one. My first step was identifying the size that I needed. The last two big area rugs that I've purchased, I've been left feeling they were just a tad bit too small, but I also know that was due to the rugs I wanted, the size options available, etc. Because this rug would really be the grounding factor in our main living space, I wanted to ensure that I had the proportions correct. So prior to beginning my hunt, I taped off measurements for a rug. An 8' x 10' didn't look like it would provide the coverage we needed, so after then taping off a 9' x 12' I had a winner. I wanted to ensure that the front of all of the furniture legs would be on the rug with space to spare. 

Moving along. I had an idea of my price range, which would help guide me while shopping. You can purchase rugs that are thousands of dollars and you can find them on the cheap, but I wanted a good quality rug and I figured I should be able to land one in the $500.00-$700.00 range. 

So then, I began scouring all of my favorite sites to see if there was anything that I just absolutely loved and couldn't live without. This included my favorite budget rug site, rugsusa.com (they run crazy sales all of the time and have a big variety to choose from) all the way up to spendier retailers like Serena & Lily. I considered striped options, ikats, you name it, I thought it over.

I loved this Zig Cotton Dhurrie Rug, however

they are expensive and they didn't have the size I needed.

Over the course of designing our home, I've learned that I really prefer living in spaces that are low contrast with lots of texture. That's certainly not to say that I don't appreciate a home with color and contrast. I also know how finicky a person I am. By purchasing a rug in a great colorful pattern, I would no doubt tire of it in a year or so. Yep. I would be ready for change. Because a large rug isn't an expense I want to have every year, something that would be more timeless for me was what I was looking for. 

In an attempt to push my comfort zone a bit, I first considered, and nearly purchased the Knotted Diamonds Wool Rug - in Horseradish from West Elm.

It had texture and pattern. I also thought the yellow would work well with some other yellow in our house. But, in the end I was afraid that I would tire of the pattern and that perhaps, it would limit other textiles that I want to bring into the space. 

While on West Elms site I really liked their Mini Pebble Wool Jute Rug as well.

It was neutral, to say the least. But again, I liked its knobby texture, and I liked their how the rug looked used in spaces.

It was priced at $749.00 for the large size that I needed, plus tax and delivery. Yes, it was expensive, and I really thought that I needed to be a little bit more dramatic with my choice. I was feeling a bit guilty for wanting a neutral rug. So, I decided to look over some of my favorite living rooms on pinterest to see if I could help get some inspiration.

Emeraldcoasthomesonline.com

Ericolsendesign.com

LaurenLeissInteriors.com

Southern Living Idea House 2012

Houzz

The decision seemed pretty clear to me. I love rooms with neutral, textural rugs. I don't think there's anything boring about them. I think they create a great layer upon which to build a room.

In an effort to  beat the price on the West Elm pebble rug that I liked, I checked in over at Pottery Barn. That's when I discovered the Chunky Wool & Jute Rug and realized that it was on sale for $549.00. Because the percentage of wool to jute in the rug was pretty great, I figured it would be soft enough to meet our needs. 

But I'm not done yet…

One thing I always do prior to making an online purchase is to search for the item in google images and pinterest. This allows me to see it in a different (not professionally photographed and styled) setting. What I found was a blogger who had purchased the rug and wrote about it. Her reviews that it was super soft and cushy had me sold. 

TheSunnySideUpBlog.com

So that my friends, that is how I came to my decision. 

Short and sweet right?

I never over think anything right?

We are completely pleased with the purchase, so now it's time to jump into the next project in this space!