Indoor/ Outdoor Rugs

Hi Christine,

What's your take on an indoor/outdoor rug in the family room (under couch and coffee table.) Good rugs are so expensive, as a first time home owner I have other expenses to worry about. Would using something like this give a totally cheap feel to the room?

- Pam

Hi Pam,

I think the rug you selected was great.  The only time I am not a fan of outdoor rugs inside is when they are shiny looking.  The Ballad Designs rug you selected doesn't look shiny to me at all. 

What makes it an indoor - outdoor rug?  Most are made of polypropylene or polyester.  It is a solution dyed synthetic material that is known for good colorfastness.  Technology has really come a long way, and they are able to make it look more and more like wool.  Traditionally (even just 10 years ago) it was a shiny/ plastic looking fiber.  The rug you are looking at appears to be a more advanced generation fiber.  More inexpensive polyester rugs are still that shiny/ cheap look.

I really like Dash and Albert for inexpensive rugs too.  I feel like when you are going inexpensive, it is also a time to be more daring and colorful if your decor can lean that way.

Does anyone else out there have good sources for inexpensive rugs? 

Help Selecting a Rug...

I have a client that found this great photograph above.  We are going to have it made into a painting.  I know a great graphic designer that is also an artist.  She will take the photograph, make it look like a painting on the computer, have it printed on canvass and then add oil paints.  It is much less expensive than a piece of original artwork, but will certainly look like the real deal.  Anyway- I am asking for your help in finding a rug for her.  I have some below- I want to know what your favorites are.  The sofa is a forest green- solid color. 

#1.  Chandra Rug. I loved the colors that some of the new Amy Butler rugs had.  They bring in the forest green, and are so fresh and fun.  What a great statement. 

#2 Poppy Fields by Amy Butler

 #3 Temple Garland by Amy Butler

#4  Stripe Rug.  I wanted to give her a variety of looks as well as prices.  This is made of Derclon.  I am a wool snob myself, but synthetics are looking more and more like wool all the time.  This is also going to be about 1/4 the price. 

# 5 Lyrical Rug.  Here is another less expensive option, this one made of polypropelene. 

#6  This is a vine blue/green tufted wool rug from Dash and Albert.  It falls right in the middle with pricing.

Just a little reminder what that picture looked like...

#7  This is the Coventry Rug by Amy Butler.  I love how it brings in a punch of the gold from the bottom of the photo.  Certanily one of my favorites.

#8-  Just in case I am totally scaring Carey, here is a conservative stripe that would also work just fine.  Also from Dash and Albert.

#9  The Lyrical rug from above came in two colors and both actually work with the color pallet from the photo. 

So- there we go- After hours of searching, these were my favorites.  Anyone out there have a favorite of my favorites?  Have any other rugs to show her that I didn't list here?  We'll select drapery fabric after this that can help to unify everything.

Christi's Living Room

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Hi Christine:
Need your expertise.
Living Room is 19 x 21
Want it to be comfortable but have a WOW! factor is it's right of the foyer and my largest room for entertaining.
 
Questions:
1. Let me know what you think of current arrangement
2. Do you have recommendations on how to make it a bit more comfortable. Should I change out sofa's/seating?
3. How can I make the room look complete? Draperies? Rug? Suggestions? I can not wed to blue theme shown in pillows
4. Any way to create multiple conversation areas?
 - Christi

Christi- Let me start by saying that you have a beautiful home.  I love the lightness in the room. 

         Let's discuss 4 things:

1.  Furniture arrangement.  Move your coffee table to be square- not set on a diagonal.  It is possible that the table is too small for the area.  You have a very large room- consider more of an oversized, or set of two coffee tables.  In the meantime, set it straight and center it with your fireplace.  Your fireplace is your focal point.  Frame it as you would a painting, with your furnishings.  Your sofa and backless sofa are great- except- switch locations.  Having the backless sofa closer to the view optimizes the view.  Your windows are beautiful.  They are a secondary focal point.  Have the sofa with a back facing them.  Have the two pieces of furniture equidistant from the center of the fireplace.  Be more symmetrical in your arrangement.  I would do this by widening the furniture arrangement.  Put two chairs opposite the fireplace, where you currently have one.  You could use larger chairs in this space.  I still like your smaller chairs in the corners, where you have them. 

2.  Wall decor.  I have been staring at your mantle.  I like the topiaries.  I like the two candles.  I don't like the line-up using all of them.  Pick your favorite of the two- and find a new home for the others.  I would also add a piece of wall decor above the fireplace.  Make it even more of a focal point.  The metal trees below are from Uttermost, and are 32 x 53- I am just guessing your dimensions- but this is probably a good proportion for your space. 

 Don't worry about having a bit of overlap with your upper moldings.  Also- overlap the decor on your mantle (the topiaries or candles) with your wall decor, i.e.  don't keep those candles way out there on the end.  If you keep them, bring them in to overlap a bit. 

Your set of four botanicals are hung too high.  Bring the center of them to about 5'5" from the floor.  I love your other piece of art and it is hung at a great height.

3.  Your room needs a rug to feel more grounded and finished.  You don't seem to be terribly committed to your blue.  Perhaps you want to maintain the neutral nature of the room, allowing you to change it up with the season.  Keep that neutrality in your rug.  The rug below is from Room and Board.  A sisal rug would also work very well.  Get a nice large rug- like a 10 x 13 for your size of room.  It is always tempting to go smaller, for a smaller price- but it shrinks the room, and is a bad idea.   

4.  Drapery panels will help to finish off the space.  If you want some sun protection, or privacy, layer them with some roller or Roman shades.  I would look for unique textures, but keep the softness of the low contrast in the room, selecting a light neutral color like the drapes below.  This also keeps the eye on the prize- the view.  The drapes add texture and such a great finishing touch.

 Thanks for writing in, Christi, you are off to a great start.  In addition to what I mentioned above- add more greenery - some nice large floor plants with uplights. 

Becca's Before and After

Hi Christine,

You probably don't remember, but I emailed you back in February of 2009 for advice on my living room  (here. and here and here and here and here)  I thought it was so fun to get on your blog and see my pictures and get some advice from you.  Great advice, by the way.  Well, I never sent you "after" pictures because I didn't exactly follow your advice.  I've had some serious guilt issues about that.  How rude of me not to respond with my finished room.  Well, I wanted to send you some after pictures because I've been following your blog/new site and although I didn't follow your exact advice for my room, I have tried to apply the principles you talk about and I'm pretty happy with the end result.  Thought you might like to see it.  Thanks for all you do.  I love to hear what you have to say!

Rebecca

ps - I'm so embarrassed when I look back at the before pictures.  How did I have any friends???

pps - big chunky crown molding makes the biggest difference in a room.  So worth it.

 

Hi Rebecca,

You really did a beautiful job!  It's a good thing that good friends don't care about how well we decorate.  :)   They do make great before and after photos!  I LOVE the lighter paint.  I love how you took care of your TV.  Your use of scale on your wall decor is infinitely improved!  Good Job!

Do you want to take it to the next level?  Consider a lighting plan.  Check out the advice I gave Cara on her dining room.  A rectangular shape on your light would be so much nicer.  While I was replacing the light, I would move it.  (Even if you just use a chain and hook)  Move the table 90 degrees to face the other direction.  Center the table with your new fabulous wall decor, as well as the window-  then hang the light above the new location.  I see that you have a vent near where that location might be, but you can make it work. It might require shifting your set of nine perfectly hung pictures.  But- the most important thing is that we get it right, right? ;) Then I would put a nice large plant in the corner with an uplight.  Consider also adding an eyeball light accenting your art, and a sconce between the window and door.  Look at the advice I gave Kim on her lighting plan.  Use the advice in both of your rooms. 

The last bit of advice I have is to finish it off with a rug.  (You might use this table every day and have small children and prefer the hard floor for practical purposes)- but I will tell you that from a design standpoint, the space would benefit greatly from the softness of a rug. 

Be sure that the rug blends nicely with the rug in the family room.

I found the rug above on homedecorator.com.  Rebecca, I can't thank you enough for sending in after photos.  It makes me happy even if you didn't do every thing exactly- you did a fantastic job.  There are many good ways to decorate a room- and you did very well! 

Thanks again,

Christine

Kimberly's Windows

 This post is a continuation of this previous post.

Kim wrote:

So about the living room.  Feel free to offer advice about anything, but I think I want to concentrate on window treatments and the mantle next.  After reading your blog I can see I probably should have gone for some more exciting blinds, but we barely put these up and they're here to stay.  We tried to match the trim since I never want to paint trim again.  Basically they're just supposed to blend in. 

Right now we have all brown leather furniture--a couch and loveseat that go together (which are really comfy and, since we bought them new, I'd like to keep them), and another sofa (the one against the bay windows) that can move if it needs to.  We really do need a lot of seating since we have to seat nine without company.  I love the idea of using chairs with different patterns and colors of upholstery but am deathly afraid they wouldn't last long with babies spitting up, kids eating where they're not supposed to, etc.  Any hints or tips?

I have a stepped ceiling in the entry, and a double stepped ceiling in the living room.  Can I do something fun with paint on those?

Hi Kimberly,

I love the picture that you are putting over the fireplace, and thought that I would use the gold from the straw combined with the brown in the leather, as well as in the picture, as a basis for a color pallet.  On your window, I would add six drapery panels.  Let me start by telling you what not to do.

Look at this drapery add from Bed Bath and Beyond.

Notice the height at which the drapes are hung.  Now, I would like you to be appalled.  Yeah- shocking that a professional advertisement has drapes hung too short!  They should PERFECTLY hit the floor.  In your case the drapes will be purely ornamental- and you have limited space- so you will want a corner rod that allows you to have one drape round the corner- the Cosmopolitan hardware from Smith and Noble is one example.  I had a hard time finding other examples that were easy to purchase.  High end hardware lines are more likely to carry such items- but cost more- and not be as easily accessible over the internet.  Has anyone seen any around?  I know that my sister Debbie has simple hardware like this in her home- but she's out of the country right now... 

So- now for the more decorative part.  I suggest some pattern.  Your art selection tells me that you are not going for stark modern- so where is the pattern?  I will, like you suggested, start with the drapes.  Do not use a solid.  You will be able to do a solid less expensively- but don't be tempted.  Go with a pattern.  Your room needs it.  I selected one for you from Pottery Barn.

Let me tell you why I chose this one- so if you elect to do a different pattern you can look for the same important elements. 

#1  It had white in it.  If you were to go with a fabric without white in it, it would add to the disconnect of the room.  You can get away with this type of thing more in a large room with lots going on- but you have very little going on- so we need to be more particular.  Include white.  Make it look like the white blinds are all part of a beautiful master plan- not a decision you made because you wanted to play it safe-.  :)

#2  This fabric also brings out the brown from the leather.  This fabric can act as a unifier with your elements that you have in the room. 

#3  Like I mentioned before- you need some pattern.  This bold pattern is a great start.

However- one pattern is never enough.  Regular readers of my blog know that I have a minimum requirement of three patterns per room.  Let me help you add a couple more.  One way you can do this is by adding an area rug.  Some may think of area rugs as an item you would only use with hard floors- but I would feel free to add it right on top of the carpet.  The rug below is from Rug's Direct.

I did say three patterns- so let's add another.  Throw pillows are the obvious selection.  Add some pattern to the furniture. Dwell Studio had the perfect collection. 

I can't see your room quite well enough to help with furniture arrangement (you can send me a floorplan for more specific help).  You did mention that you would like more seating, but were afraid of upholstered furniture with small children.  Do I have any fantastic ideas?  Well, let me start by saying that I have a combination of upholstery and leather, and we haven't had any disasters yet.  At my kitchen table I have upholstered chairs with slip covers.  The designer in my wanted upholstery-the softness the pattern- textural variety- there are so many advantages over an all wood set.  However- the mom in me is a little frustrated that my five year old slip covers need to be replaced.  The nice thing is that they can be washed.  But- they don't last forever.  You could get a chair like this one from overstock.  It is an easy design to slipcover.  (classic frames with arms can cost as much to slipcover as to replace.)  But I'd start by simply waiting for it to get stained.  (That is what I did with my kitchen chairs) It might last longer than you think.  Aslo- it is not terribly expensive- so heart attacks won't be necessary when one of your adorable children spills or decides to paint...  After it gets too much use- you have slipcovers made- which will lengthen its life.  The slipcovered look is a terrific look too.  Have one made with a little skirt like this one.

I said in my last post to add the reds golds and blues that you mentioned- but notice that as I gave it more thought- I would focus your pallet more on the golds. 

Don't forget to add plants, and your photos look dark- consider the advice I gave to a different Kim.

XOXO

- Christine