Rugging Out! PART II.

#1. This was the first rug I purchased for the Cross House parlor. It worked but was too…somber. Ross and somber is not a good combo.

 

#2. Y’all never saw this image before. This rug lasted ten minutes. It SHOULD have worked. But didn’t.

 

And it is now in the dining room, where it DOES work. The eventual colors of the room will complement the rug. The rug was, amazingly, $189.

 

#3. This was laid down yesterday. It’s lovey. But too matchy-matchy. Ross and MM is not a good combo. I plan to return the rug.

 

#16. The above, and all the following images, are photo-shopped. This is my favorite from yesterday’s post. It gives the room the jolt I have been seeking. But it’s like $800, more than I want to spend.

 

#18. This WAS my favorite from yesterday (and $319!) but I now see that it will not provide jolt. Ross craves jolt.

 

#19. I love this. But it’s $1800! Yikes!

 

#20. Love this. Plenty of jolt! Including the price: $1500.

 

#21. Interesting! I kinda like this! And but $440!

 

#22. Even better! This jolts the room. But the teal picks up the teal frieze and curtains. The darker color picks up the two tall chairs. And the white picks up the center table and the huge white-framed Hillary picture. At the moment, this is my favorite.

 

Ross excited. The rug has a fresh quality which I really like. It’s like Palm Springs deciding to chill in my Victorian-era parlor. This was also a popular pattern in the 1950s, the same decade the Knoll center table is from.

 

As is obvious from my favorites I am NOT looking for a rug which might have been in the room in 1894. From the very beginning, my goal has been to give the parlor a youthful, hip kinda vibe. I want to show that people can have a contemporary look in an old house without knocking down walls, painting all the trim white and the walls taupe. And punching a million can lights into ceilings.

I have now looked at 3,856,922 rugs. I may continue. But I likely will not.

 

25 Comments

  1. Barb Sanford on March 2, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    I really enjoy watching you go through the process of elimination. And I really love and covet that red rug. If you decide you don’t want it, I would be happy to take it off your hands 🙂

    Have you thought about buying a solid color rug and stenciling on the design you want? I wouldn’t try this myself, as I would probably end up hospitalized from the stress of attempting (and failing) to be crafty. But I bet you could make it work. Something like this.

    Love how the room is turning out. Can’t wait to see it in person.

  2. briana on March 2, 2018 at 5:42 pm

    That $1800 rug is perfect! I will cross my fingers for an incredible sale for you.

  3. B. Davis on March 2, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    I’m still holding to #3. It anchors the room, pulls everything together, without distracting or pulling away from all the hard work that went into focusing the ceiling and walls.

    A jolt just starts to look like mish mash, garage sale gone wrong. Unsettling.

  4. Doug on March 2, 2018 at 5:50 pm

    Here is an affordable solution which meets all your criteria. Modern, but not too modern, a classic, and yet very affordable: Wall-to-wall teal shag carpeting.

    • Ross on March 2, 2018 at 5:53 pm

      Doug! Now why didn’t I think of that!

    • Alex on March 3, 2018 at 10:07 am

      I think this is the correct approach, Ross needs to just go all in on shag carpeting for this room rather than trying to compromise with the historical correctness of exposed wood floors.

  5. SEB on March 2, 2018 at 6:10 pm

    #22 certainly gave me a jolt at first glance! (heehee) Actually, I think it could work.

    • SEB on March 3, 2018 at 11:37 am

      #16, too. It really vibes with the zapping energy and glowing orb on the ceiling. I associate the ceiling medallion (pupil and iris) and surrounding crackle (popping veins) with the crazed eye of genius.

      • Sharon on March 8, 2018 at 11:34 am

        For some reason, I have to agree. #16 is daring. Of all the options here, it’s the one that surprises and pleases me the most.

  6. Sandra Lee on March 2, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    #22! Fresh! Electic! This looks great! I never in a million years could imagine this working! #3 pretty but agree MM! Ross anathema! 19 & 20 exquisite w exquisite $$$ prices! Yep #22 yippee!

  7. Rachel M on March 2, 2018 at 6:37 pm

    I really like the last two you posted (21, 22). Have you thought about something more organic/abstract like this.

    Though from your preferences you seem to favor more geometric shapes! Personally, while I really like the color of 3, I think the rooms needs a print or graphic in the rug. A solid makes the sitting area feel a little too heavy since the sofa is a solid color and the chairs have a small print but read pretty solid (at least in the pictures). Rugs are so hard to shop for but they really are the finishing touch on a room to make it feel complete and pulled together!

    • Ross on March 2, 2018 at 6:47 pm

      Hi, Rachel!

      I also like #3. It’s elegant and the perfect color. While it does have a pattern (it gradates in color from dark to light) this is quite subtle.

      I agree, the room needs a rug with an obvious pattern. If the sofa had a strong pattern, I would be thrilled with rug #3.

  8. Cindy Belanger on March 2, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    I agree with B. Davis, #3 grounds the room and pulls in the teal frieze and curtains. #22 colors are good, but seems too busy in the room. But then again I like Victorian style, and you want something fresh and hip, so go for #22, I won’t hold it against you. HeHe

  9. june on March 2, 2018 at 7:01 pm

    Same thing as yesterday… So for 2 cents…. I really like 3#. Why… because it balances and grounds the room AND.. with those lovely open rooms that open into each other, you will be adding character and pizazz all round this. Since #3 is there, keep it until the surrounding room take on their personality too. So does all that add up to 3 cents? Seriously… do the next room over and start to see what you want to do so you don’t end up needing even more rugs, at ridiculous prices. And DOUG… cover those floors?! Put down carpet tack strip against the wood trim?? Why oh why??? No, no. no, let most of that beauty show.

    • Ross on March 2, 2018 at 7:07 pm

      Hi,June!

      Doug is a friend of mine, and he has helped on restoring the house.

      But he loves to tease me. So, his comments should never be taken seriously.

      I, of course, never tease Doug…

  10. Sharol on March 2, 2018 at 10:10 pm

    Yep, #22 is a winner!

  11. Suzanne on March 2, 2018 at 10:59 pm

    Too distracting for me. I am looking at this like you look at a good photograph. With carpet 3 all the lines lead to the framing of the gorgeous windows. Wacky patterned rugs just distract me….busy cluttered composition.
    Although I am intrigued by the mid century modern rug…I would put it where it doesn’t compete with other patterns.

  12. aLynne on March 3, 2018 at 2:12 am

    Ross you tramp, how could you break your engagement to that amazing Rug? I understand you were afraid of commitment… you got cold feet. That Rug was intimidatingly attractive, smart, good looking, liked your friends, laughed at your jokes, and he was willing to let you walk all over him. This has been a ridiculous show of bravado, parading these one-night-stands through your house when we all know your heart must be breaking. None of them are worthy of your time and attention. Go back to Rug before you do something you will regret, and he is draped across someone else’s floor forevermore.

    • katie kofemug on March 3, 2018 at 7:12 am

      Now that you’ve pointed it out, totally obvious Ross is going through a mid-rug crisis! Someone needs to sit down w/them, Ross-n-Rug and help them talk it out, remember and renew what made them such a strong couple. That Doug might be leading him astray, feeding the crisis, w/ his fast talk of wall-to-wall … every one knows about Those Kinds of Carpeting.

  13. Cindi M on March 3, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    Ahh, number 20 is perfect, except for the price. So, 22.

    • SEB on March 3, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      Ohhh yeah! Now I can see #20 too. I often have this experience at this blog — where I don’t like something at first, and then my perception slowly grows to loooooove it.

  14. Cody H on March 3, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Price tag be damned, #19 has my vote.

  15. Isa on March 3, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    Personally, this is just my opinion, i think any pattern is just too busy. I would go with a solid stone grey, it just completes everything and is always a nice addition to a colourful furniture. I have it in my appartment (sadly only built in 1989) with walls in teal, aqua and yellow and it really gives the eye a quiet counterpoint to rest.
    Whatever you choose, i’ll be excited about what your choice will be 🙂

  16. djd on March 4, 2018 at 7:19 am

    What about something silvery?

  17. Sandra Lee on March 6, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    #22 perfection! Forgot about #16 being $800.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply





Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.