We’re doing a little bit of happy dance boogieing on our new rug, hence this post’s title. Yes, it’s like High School Musical over here, lots of dancing and occasionally there’s even some ballad-y singing about our feelings. Feel free to click play and get in on it.
Now that we’ve gotten through that little dance interlude, here’s the new rug:
Oh happy day, we love it.
Here’s a recent shot of the space without it for comparison.
Isn’t it amazing what a rug – even a neutral and “safe” jute one – can do to tie things together and add balance to a 15 x 16′ bedroom (15 x 21′ if you count the sink nook’s depth). Well, there’s more going on when it comes to bedroom cha-cha-cha-changes, but we’ll get to those in a bit. As for the rug, we’re loving the horizontal placement in the space (which still frees up 3 feet of hardwood flooring on each side and 6 feet of it between the foot of the rug and the wall – actually it’s 11′ between the foot of the rug and the sink nook), which makes for some great “flow.” Here’s a more rug-oriented shot so you can see some of the hardwood floor around it:
Placing it vertically in our room (since it’s a vertical space) was our first instinct, but before ordering it we taped it off on the floor in either orientation and realized that we liked having more rug on each side of the bed to step down on and balance things out. So wide-ways it went. Here’s a wide shot of the whole room for ya:
We left our ubiquitous faux sheepskin rugs on either side of the bed, just because there’s nothing better than stepping out of bed onto them in the morning. And visually we like that pop of white on each side to sort of triangulate with the feathery white light fixture to create even more balance. Yes, Dad The Math Teacher, I worked “triangulate” into a post. How many Best Daughter Ever points is that? Oh and see that fluffy middle cushion on the bed? Target. $12.
We’ve always been huge fans of jute and this rug is softer than any other that we’ve owned. And just as we suspected, we love the subtle nubby diamond pattern going on. Not too obvious and compete-y with the patterned duvet, but not too flat and blah like some of the other woven jute rugs that we looked at. And we’re so happy with the color too. Not too orange or tan (which might make it disappear right into our floor, which kinda of defeats the purpose of a big rug to balance the room out and tie things together in the first place).
Now back to those other tweaks going on in that we mentioned. At first we were averse to the idea of removing Ed the Bed‘s top slats, but after living with things for a bit and the arrival of our new rug we decided to play around and give it a go. What’s the worst that could happen? And what do you know, we love his little haircut of sorts. Sometimes it’s just nice to take a little off the top. Removing those slats does nothing to compromise the sturdiness of the bed (they can best be described as 100% decorative) and we like how it opened things up and allowed us to move our new light up a smidge since we no longer had to worry about the petals bumping into Ed’s top rail.
We’re loving these little switcheroos for now, but who knows what else will change (or un-change) as we add other stuff into the room. It’s definitely still in progress (to do: add some wall art, bring in an antique dresser, eventually upgrade our nightstands, possibly change the lamp shades, etc). Oh and we might add little finials to the top of each bed post, just for a more finished look. We’ll see. The best thing ever is that even after raising the light a bit it’s still visible in the mirror when our heads hit the pillow in bed (see that magic, along with my hubby’s socks here). It’s a New Years Eve Miracle I tell ya.
Oh and about the absence of the bench at the foot of the bed in all the pics above. Such a short dark bench under the light was making the room look a bit top-heavy and unbalanced, but the one we’d like to someday upgrade to would ideally be as long (or almost as long) as the bed. We just thought removing it for some pics might help you guys “see” past that awkwardly small brown rectangle in the room. But for now it’s still in here since it serves a nice little Burger-related function (he hops on and off of it to get into the much-taller-than-our-last-one bed). So here’s how the bedroom actually looks these days, bench and all:
To go back to our post title (ah full circle, it’s like an episode of Family Ties) we, uh huh, uh huh, really like the new rug. And as for Clara and Burger, they love it too. Oddly enough for semi similar reasons: traction for Burger and texture for Clara. She likes to pet it and “pinch” the nubs, and he loves to run circles around it (which he can never do on slippery wood floors). Ah sweet rug victory. There’s nothing like it.
And now, just for fun, we’ll leave you with a shot of the room as it looked a little over two months ago. It really feels a lot more like “our room” than it did back then.
Gotta love that Christmas tree in the background.
Paula/adhocmom says
It looks super swell! I seriously can’t wait to experience the joy that is buying a LARGE rug. So exciting. .
Kate says
I have very similar faux sheep rugs on either side of my bed. Any tips on how to clean it? I’ve had some luck with shaking it and striking the rug outside, and then using vaccuum attachments — but neither is truly perfect. What do you do to maintain yours? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Ours are from Ikea so they can be laundered (we wash them on delicate and tumble dry low or air dry). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Nina says
I have to admit, I was nervous about the new lamp and how in seemed to overlap and tangle with your bed frame. The “haircut” combined with the raising of the lamp looks great now! I have the ikea “Fillsta” in my living room and love the drama it adds!
Lynn says
Clearly, the light was in charge the moment it entered the room. Ed never had a chance. Love it!
Angela (Oh She Glows) says
Wow what a GORGEOUS bedroom! It looks so warm and elegant. great work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Angela! We saw your amazing work over at your place and would LOVE to House Crash you if we’re ever in the neighborhood – and if you’ll have us of course! Haha.
xo,
s
Casey says
Looks so good! Removing the slats was such a good call! Love the rug, love the tar-jay pillow, love everything!
Jenny says
Your new rug lends me to change my mind about disliking the new lighting fixture. I think the rug helps to balance the room somehow. I’m really liking it!
Kiran says
Just showed the photos to my Hubby and he loved the transformation! I love it too, naturally :)
Kaylyn says
Ahh, it looks so much better with the light moved up and Ed’s haircut! However, I’m not crazy about the sheepskins on the jute… that will take some time to grow on me.
Love your blog. We gutted our basement and refinished it recently (the whole thing DIY’ed with 3 kids underfoot) and I’ve used some of your decor ideas as I *slowly* decorate down there. I wish you could come to my house to help me decorate our newly finished space, I have no more energy to devote to the basement! LOL!
Felicity @ our little beehive says
Loving the bed as a four poster, it’s perfect with the giant poof! I’m super impressed with the softness of the pb jute rugs. I have two round ones for my office and was so pleasantly surprised at how silky they feel. All coming together so nicely over there!
Ling says
Love. This. And bonus points for the Family Ties reference. You two are the funniest. If you ever come to DC, can we please please meet? I live right near the Room and Board :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, sure. We should have a big blog meet up and go shopping as a huge chatty group in Room & Board.
xo,
s
Wendy says
This might look good: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Brighton-White-Linen-Storage-Ottoman/4783823/product.html
YoungHouseLove says
Love that! So swanky and long and best of all- full of storage!!! Thanks for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Ling says
Also, does this rug anchor things? I want it for under our cheap Ikea dining table because currently our 5-month-old can push it with his feet and send it sliding across our bare wood floor.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it would work with a rug pad for that I think! Good luck!
xo,
s
Nikki says
So pretty! Your house makes me smile : )Oh and whenever you post songs it’s guaranteed to be stuck in my head…forever. Remember The Thong Song? Ya, it still randomly makes it’s way into my conscience…thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we’ll have to work that back in somehow soon!
xo,
s
Robin says
BRAVO! I love this room. I don’t usually really super love a room but this combination works for me. The rug is so earthy while the chandelier is so outspoken. Fantastic job guys. Also, for Krysta, do you have a store called “Tuesday Morning” around? We have them here in Indy and they have really good deals on things like rugs, high thread count sheets, and pretty much anything decorative. If you ever get a chance it’s a great place for things like that for dirt cheap.
Jenn says
I’ve got to say that I love the new rug. You can tell it brings a lot of texture to your room by just looking at the pictures. Another thing, and this is just my opinion (which doesn’t really matter), is that I wasn’t a big fan of your light fixture at first. It thought that it competed too much with the rails or “extra hair” from Ed the Bed. And I thought that it was a little too low, even though you had the bench below it. I think of those things because my husband is tall, like John. Now that you have given Ed the Bed a “hair cut” and raised the light fixture, I totally love it! To me, it looks like it has a defined space now. Anyhoo, just my little meaningless opinion!! Keep it up, you are on my list of must read daily!
kristina says
The light looks MUCH better up higher, and with the bed toprails removed. Before, they competed with each other, but now…it looks gorgeous! And a wonderful rug choice too!
Eric says
Can we see a side shot of the bed and rug? I’m not sure if I like the half rug half fur meeting right where most get in and out? Let me know if I’m mistaken.
YoungHouseLove says
We step out onto the fur. No half & half action. Full fur underfoot. Haha. We’ll try to post more room pics from lots of angles as we go!
xo,
s
Amy says
Wow! I was quietly “anti-IKEA light” before because, it’s your style and your bedroom so I hated to be negative Nellie, but taking a little off the top of Ed has COMPLETELY changed my mind. The rooms looks fantastic. Classic and calm, but still whimsical and fun. That’s a hard feat to accomplish – great work!
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
I heart that rug! It’s one of my absolute faves from P-Barn!! But let’s get to the goods…I can’t wait to see what rug you find for our dear man, Karl!
Lookin’ good!
Lindsay
Jessie says
Hey guys!
It’s not related to this post but I have great news to share! I am not sure if you have noticed it or not, but you are one of the contenders in “Top 25 Home Design Moms”. I just voted for you and I hope all your readers here will, too. Oh, by the way, the website to go for the voting is http://www.circleofmoms.com Good luck and all the best!
Jessie from http://www.mixandchic.com
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet Jessie! Thanks for the heads up.
xo,
s
Oona says
The rug looks great! Nice choice.
I really like Ed with the top rails removed. It’s a good look for him. It really makes the light fixture look more intentional.
Joanne says
I think you need a little more color. Too blah
YoungHouseLove says
Art should help with that! Naked walls = room for improvement. Haha.
xo,
s
elle C. says
Like! What if, for Ed the Bed, you left the header and footer slats off, but put the right and left slats back on? Did you already try that one? I’m curious about how that would look.
elle C. says
Just realized how “’80s valley girl” those first 3 words sounded on my comment. They were meant to go separately, as in “I like it!” and “What if…” Haha! Who knew you could type an accent?
YoungHouseLove says
I love it. Haha. How California of you! As for the slats, we had a little Ed fashion show (with just the front one off, the front and back ones off while the sides remained, and all of them off). Surprisingly we liked all of them off the most (we thought we might like keeping the side slats, but it felt kinda sleigh-ish- like the New Years Ball was meeting Santa’s sleigh, haha).
xo,
s
HudsonHero says
I love all the photos that give a rich feel of where you’ve been. I kept going back and forth between the first two – it really was amazing how a little detail really tied the room together.
Our (Hubby & I) bedroom is pretty bleak & you gave me some great ideas. Looking forward to learning more from you!
Sadie says
I LOVE that rug. You’ve got a thing for PB rugs, huh? :) This is completely random, but did you guys take the shelves that used to hang above the desk in the old place (the ones you put postcards and pictures on)? I thought those turned out amazing, so I hope you can find a spot for them in this house!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that funny about PB rugs? They’re just about the only thing we buy there! We feel fancy when we do, but they’re always on sale. Haha. And as for the postcard shelves, we brought them with us and plan to hang them in the playroom. Should be fun!
xo,
s
Sadie says
Woo! So happy to hear that! I’ve heard PB rugs are amazing; my sister in law has 3 and they still look brand new years later (despite her 2 chihuahuas and nearly 2-year-old). They must be really well made!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah we’ve had great luck with PB rugs in general, come to think of it. The one in our current office, nursery, and living room are from there (and now we have one in the bedroom). Anyone sensing a theme? Haha.
xo,
s
Lindsey E.Childress says
Any bedding ideas for an uber-traditional bed? I’m talking king-size sleigh bed, dark wood with leather insets on both the headboard and footboard. (Matching bedside tables as well.) We’re trying to go more traditional-contemporary (if that’s even a style) and I AM PULLING MY HAIR OUT trying to find bedding & curtains that would work with that style of furniture and won’t break the bank. Oh yeah, it also needs to be lighter in color due to the fact we have two white dogs that shed llike crazy. I’ve got an 11 week old baby girl who also doesn’t allow for much online shopping either. Any ideas would be amazing!!!!!!!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
I always love a big white fluffy duvet with some pop of color in a blanket at the foot of the bed and in a long bolster pillow. Looks traditional but still fresh. And you could do any color (navy, chocolate, gray-blue, lavender, sage green, etc – so many possibilities!).
xo,
s
Chloe says
I think Ed looks very good with his top off! ;) Loving the new rug too!
Ling says
We should totally have a meetup in R&B. They would probably love it because it is always eerily quiet and empty in there, which I do not understand. But it makes for a great place for me to push Owen around in his stroller!
YoungHouseLove says
Seriously, we could sit on all the sofas and have a little pretend dinner party in one of the showroom dining rooms.
xo,
s
Ling says
One last thing–did you see my prized cobalt blue ceramic rooster on my blog? I think he’d love to meet your ceramic menagerie one day.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we’ll have to make it happen someday!
xo,
s
Thelma says
I’ve been going back and forth about whether or not to buy a jute rug. As you say they are a bit safe. But now after seeing them in your bedroom and in this space http://www.aliceindesignland.com/blog/inside-look-maya-and-michaels-cincinnati-loft.html. I think they can anchor a room without making it look dull depending on what else is in the room. Great job!
Kim says
LOVE the room guys!!! I can’t believe how much you’ve transformed it! And although I did like Ed’s ‘hair’ I think the light fixture looks so much better without the bars. But hey, it didn’t look terrible before either. And I think finials would be awesome! I had never heard of jute before reading your blog, but I’m really starting to fall in love with it! I just love your style :)
Kristen says
Looks great! And I really like topless Ed and the higher light.
vanessa says
wow mercy! that ikea light is wayyyy too big for your bedroom space. scale, darlings, scale dowwwwn! it’s stealing the focal point! not good.
YoungHouseLove says
We love it! It IS the focal point! We know it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s so ours. Mmmm.
xo,
s
Kristen says
Your room is definitely coming together! I’ve been waiting to see what you’re going to do with the extra space to the left side of the bed…I love that little alcove-type spot and wish it was highlighted a bit more.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re actually thinking of making some sort of built-ins there someday. Should be interesting…
xo,
s
Kate says
I’m so glad you took Ed’s top off. For some reason it was really bugging me! Looks awesome now!
Janette @ The 2 Seasons says
The bed is so much better with the slats removed. Now the light gets the chance to be a feature back-up singer rather than someone relegated to the chorus.
Chandra M says
I’m in love with that lighting fixture! You make me want to go buy one.
As far as Ed, I was considering buying one for my oldest two years ago. I like the idea of it “topless”. :-)
Erin says
I know you said this jute rug is extra soft compared to what you’ve had previously but I’m wondering if you know of anything you can compare it to?? I’m rug shopping. I want to paint a rug, actually, so I want it to work well for this, but I want something soft and comfy under my feet too. Whenever I think of jute rugs I think of something similar to an outdoor door mat. Rough and scratchy.
Also, I really like Ed with his new do.
YoungHouseLove says
Some feel like woven straw, and this one feels kind of like woven twine. You know how a ball of twine is sort of rustic but almost like yarn and not straw? It’s really hard to explain. I’d recommend just trying to get to a Pottery Barn to feel it for yourself. That always seems to be the easiest thing when it comes to rugs. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Samantha says
Noticed the print leaning against the wall. Excited to see how you guys may incorporate it in the room! Also, just have to give you a virtual high five because you floor me with how well you field reader critiques (and criticisms). I’m sure it gets hard sometimes (and you’ve been at it for a while) but you do an amazing job staying positive. Love the room, love the blog and love you guys! Thanks for the constant inspiration!
Gena says
I love seeing that light fixture from IKEA in your bedroom. I have also had my eye on it, but my husband was convinced that it would not work with our 8 foot ceilings. I now have proof to show him otherwise, score!
Ling says
Chiming in to second what Samantha wrote. I’m new to blogging and you are one of my role models for Decor Chica. You rock. And you are taller than I am. I say 5’1″, but I’m really an even 5 feet. My husband is only 5’7″ though. I don’t know how you and John do it.
Ok, that came out SO wrong.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. Comment of the day goes to Ling. Not for the sweet compliment, but for the innuendo. Haha.
xo,
s
BethanyB says
We’re 5’2 and 5’6 and my hubby has flat (and I mean flat) feet. I call him my hobbit. Its good to see that more short people rocken the design world.
Ling says
Do I win a prize? How about that $300 gift card? (wink, wink)
YoungHouseLove says
You get 500 YHL points!
xo,
s
BethanyB says
The new rug looks great but THANK GOODNESS you guys got rid of those top posts on the bed. It looks so pulled together now.
Pam says
Fabulous job, Youngsters! The new rug is perfect. And I like the bench at the foot of the bed — the dark color coordinates well with the frame of the full-length mirror.
Thanks so much for your inspiration and motivation! I’ve learned so much from you guys, and my home looks better all the time as a result. I just wish the wheels of progress turned a little faster at my house.
alison says
love the transformations that continue to take place.
I’ve had my eye on that rug for our dining room. I was wondering if it would be scratchy – thanks for the review.
jessica says
the room looks great! I think taking the top rails off the bed and making the light shorter completely changed it – in a good way. I like the light alot better now.
J&J says
Your room is looking great. I love how it’s all coming together. You can DIY a bench for the foot of your bed. I made one using the legs of a coffee table and I love it. You can make it to the exact specifications that you need. Here’s the one I made. http://jandjhome.blogspot.com/2011/02/diy-bench-project-complete.html
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- amazing job! Love the legs and the fabric choice!
xo,
s
L says
Question: When you guys got the yellow flower rug for your last living room I thought you mentioned your jute rugs wearing down and leaving dirt/debris on the floor underneath and that you were thrilled to be moving on to a wool rug. Why the change in tone about jute? I thought you got rid of the jute in the living room and kitchen for this reason? I know the seagrass one in your bedroom was different.
Must say, I like the light fixture and bed better now, and I think all of the readers who shared their opinions are awesome because the end results is definitely better than it was!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! That den one was a cheap-o $70 one from Lowe’s that had worn down after 3+ years of use (it was getting super dusty which didn’t feel ideal for a baby who plays on the ground). But we still had a jute rug in the kitchen and the seagrass one in the bedroom that never had that issue (we still love them and use ’em here in this house – the bedroom one’s in the sunroom and the kitchen one was in our bedroom before we upgraded). We manly wanted a wool one for Clara to crawl around on for hours in our living/den area (when people as about the softness of this new PB one I’ve described it as “ok for 20 mins of crawling with pants on, but not good for hours of crawling with bare knees, for which we’d definitely recommend wool”). That’s why we plan to keep wool in the living room & her bedroom. For ours we went natural fiber all the way since we’ve only had one cheap rug that semi-let-us-down (it still lasted 3+ years) and we figure Clara won’t play in our bedroom as much as the living room or her nursery (so the not-as-soft-as-wool thing isn’t an issue). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Wrenaria says
Where did you find that fabulous black-framed leaning floor mirror? I’ve been wanting one just like it for ages.
Your room is coming along beautifully.
I magically stumbled upon your site today for the first time. It’s been wonderfully distracting perusing your projects. I’m looking forward to seeing the work on your new place evolve and living vicariously through you while I continue saving up a down-payment for my own house to transform.
YoungHouseLove says
That mirror was actually a surprise wedding present from John from West Elm (so I could see myself before I walked down the aisle in our backyard). They may not still sell it, but Ikea has a cheaper version that looks identical (for $99 I think!).
xo,
s