Ok, we know we said our sunroom’s mini makeover was next on the agenda but we just had to share this fun rug switcheroo first because we often get reader questions about how we choose room-making things like the right art or the perfect rug. Our reply is always that there’s no such thing as “the right” or “the perfect” formula or item because there are multiple ways to finish off a room that you’re sure to love. Think of it as a buffet with more than one delicious meal to choose from. So the good news is that there’s not just one “solution” when it comes to polishing off a room and calling it done.
Another pretty common misconception is that deals just fall into our laps when we’re usually doing some pretty major legwork to sniff things down that we love. In fact, just to demonstrate that the best deals (and the items that you’ll love for the long haul) usually have to be seriously stalked, we thought we’d share the play by play of our loooong rug pilgrimage.
Why the need for a new rug in there? Well, let’s just say we were living with a dirty little secret:
The $70 Lowe’s rug that we scored four years ago was, well, dirty. The natural jute fibers were somehow breaking down and shaking loose underneath the rug every time we walked on it (which is definitely not par for the jute-rug-course, we have other jute rugs in our kitchen and bedroom which never give us the same problem after years of use). And with a tiny human around, we weren’t willing to stand for those dirty little could-be-inhaled particles anymore. So it was out with the old rug and in with the new.
But which new 5 x 8′ rug would we be taking home? When we began our rug search it was much like the first episode of The Bachelorette. So many options, so little time (not to be confused with the smutty new show Bachelor Pad- there was no skimpily clothed Twister game). But after “courting” over 30 rugs and imagining them in our lives for a few decades, we were left with five finalists so to speak. Let’s meet the contenders.
First we came across this celery and beige beauty at a local lighting and rug outlet (pardon the terrible iPhone pic).
We loved it for the 100% wool construction (we like our rugs to be made from natural materials like cotton, wool, or jute without any rubber backing so we don’t have to worry about synthetics, offgassing, or unnecessary chemicals). We also liked the soft and serene colors. We definitely wanted to replace the shedding jute rug with something cushy and soft (since we know Clara will appreciate that once she’s a bit more mobile) but because our den has two storage ottomans that sit in the center of the rug, we didn’t know if the design, which was raised about a half inch, would make those ottomans sit oddly on the rug. So we asked for their best price ($200 on sale down from over $550!) and snapped this photo before leaving to “think things over.” Ideally our new rug would come in under $150, but we know how hard that is to accomplish when you’re looking for something so big made from a cushy & natural material like wool.
With rug number one still on our minds, we hit up a slew of other stores (including TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Lowe’s, Target, and Home Depot). No dice. Everything was either too pricey for our taste, made from something synthetic like acrylic, too rough and un-cushy (remember part of the criteria was that we wanted something softer underfoot for the beanette), or just not our style. So then it was time to let our fingers do the walking. We checked out overstock.com to no avail and also took a look around CB2.com and crateandbarrel.com – just in case they had something we hadn’t seen in the C&B store. Nada. Insert sad emoticon here.
Then we remembered that we had a $100 gift card to West Elm burning a hole in our pocket, so we reasoned that if we saw a 5 x 8 rug on their site that we loved, it probably wouldn’t be as cost prohibitive after we applied our gift card towards the purchase price. And it was there that we found our next three contenders. First there was this guy, who was full of interest and just enough color to be on the fun side (much like our yellow living room rug). But unlike the plush wool rug in our living room, this guy was a bit thinner and not nearly as soft. Happily though, it would only be $129 with our $100 gift card, which really wasn’t bad for such a large area rug. It was definitely something to think about.
Next we flirted with this guy, who also scored major points in the pattern & interest category. Our only fear was that since our house has dark mocha hardwood flooring throughout, it might blend in a bit too much with the brown wood floors instead of anchoring and defining the sitting area in the den as we hoped. And this option was also not as plush and cushy as we would have liked. Although the price wouldn’t have stung too much since it would have been just $129 after our $100 credit.
Then we considered giving the rose to this plush and lovely alternative. We really liked how soft and squishy it looked, and the fact that it was made from natural and undyed wool had us at hello (doesn’t get much more pure than that). But this one was a bit more costly ($179 after our $100 gift card) and although the subtle ribs were gorgeous, it didn’t really offer as much in the personality department as the other rugs with more hue and pattern. And the last thing we wanted was to replace our texture-rich woven jute rug for something that just looked like a blah brown rectangle on the floor- no matter how soft it would be on the ol’ feet.
At this point we were feeling a bit woe-is-me about the whole rug hunt. We had visited a ton of stores (both virtually and in person) and each “finalist” that we had hand-picked still felt like it was missing one crucial personality trait (either some cush-factor or some pattern & interest to keep our neutral toned den from feeling to yawn-inducing). Then inspiration struck. I had heard that it was possible to redeem West Elm gift cards at some of their sister stores, and after some quick google research I learned that they could be redeemed at Pottery Barn and even PB Kids and PB Teen. First we flipped through the options on PB Kids and PB Teen without seeing anything that fit the bill, and then hit up big poppa: Pottery Barn.
We had already visited our local Pottery Barn in person a few days back, but we reasoned that the online store probably had a lot more than the actual brick & mortar store had on hand. And we were right. In fact, we stumbled upon an 100% wool 5 x 8 rug that was both cushy & soft underfoot and full of pattern & interest. The big floral pattern was definitely modern and fun enough for our tastes, and the colors would really work perfectly in our cream, tan and chocolate toned den scheme.
We braced ourselves for the dealbreaker as we scrolled down to look at the price. Happily, it was on clearance (yessssssss) and would only set us back 130 beans after we applied our $100 gift card. Things were looking up. And speaking of looking up, when we scrolled back up to have another peek at the might-be-it rug, we noticed the name. Are you ready for this? It was called the Clara Rug. Not kidding. So of course that pushed us over the edge. Within ten minutes we had redeemed our West Elm gift card online and paid the remaining $130 while victoriously high-fiving and gleefully explaining to Clara that we just added a rug named after her to the family.
So here’s our new favorite rug living it up by the fireplace. Oh and we sprinkled in some already-owned accessories in a soft lime hue to tie things together and add a hint of freshness without spending another dime:
We definitely wouldn’t describe our hunt as easy (things that are worthwhile rarely are!) but we’re so glad that we searched our brains out both in person and online to find the best rug for our family- one that that scored high marks for price, material, softness, color, and pattern (thanks to our insane must-have list). Are there other rugs out there that would look great in our den? Definitely. But we love that we found our sweet new Clara Rug and we couldn’t wait to share the not-always-easy process with anyone else out there who’s still waiting for the table/lamp/print/mirror/chair/bed/sofa of their dreams. Don’t despair! Just keep your chin up and look like crazy and the right thing just might find you. And since there’s more than one right thing, the odds really are with you as long as you don’t give up or settle for something that’s not exactly what you want. No matter how crazy your criteria may seem…
Psst- Wanna know more about our (admittedly very subjective) rug rules? Check out this post and this post.
Blair says
The rug looks good and all, but that camera does really amazing things with taking pictures of rooms! Wow!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Blair,
I know! Isn’t it such a difference?! We also are learning the best time of day to take pics and the white sheers in the windows also add softness that the initial before pic didn’t have. Love our camera though- it’s so great to have for Clara pics too! The girl, not the rug.
xo,
s
Cait @ Hernando House says
The new rug looks great, and too funny about it being named the Clara Rug!
We didn’t really stick to rug rules in our dining room, out round jute rug is big enough for all the chair legs when the chairs are pushed in, but only the front legs when pulled out. We couldn’t pass up the good deal at World Market though.
Kasey at Thrifty Little Blog says
Great choice! I love the way the additional green looks in your space.
erinc says
I have also been on a rug hunt.. Funny–I was looking for something similar to the rug in your living room, and the yellow west elm rug was a top contender for me, too. I did think it might be too thin though, and from your description, it sounds like it is.. boooo. The hunt continues. I love the rug you chose though!
Janna Lion says
Ohhh, I love that rug even more in your space then I did when I saw it on PB online! It really make the room look brighter!
Erin N. says
Sounds like it was meant to be!
Jenni says
*sigh* I have such a hard time choosing a rug. It took me almost a year to put a rug in the nursery after my first daughter was born. I was stalking pottery barn rugs and finally found one on clearance that was perfect. It was lavender and off-white with birds and branches. We still have it in the nursery and it inspired the re-decorating we did for our second daughter. Now birds are a trendy thing! Who knew!
Robin says
I just bought a lovely brown 8 x 10 rug at Ikea yesterday and it is offgassing (100% polypropylene) so badly I had to stick it in the garage. It may have to go back to Ikea. It’s hard to balance the natural rug I want with the reality that dogs+husband+high-traffic area means I need something that can be cleaned (pet accidents/food spills) and at a price that if it is ruined I won’t cry. Any advice for a rug that can take a beating and be cleaned easily?
YoungHouseLove says
Jute! Our experience with them (we have one in the bedroom, had one in our third bedroom at one time, and also have one in the kitchen) has taught us that the shedding issue we had with the one in the den is not normal, and they’re so easy to clean and shake out that they’re by far our favorite material for durability. I mean we have one in the kitchen!!!! They’re like straw brooms, which as you can picture are great with stains (imaging sweeping up a juice spill with a broom, the fibers are sort of waterproof so they don’t absorb stains very much). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica B says
Looks great! I really love that rug!
Although I love my PB 100% wool rug (we have the Emma- I don’t think they sell it anymore), after 2 years we still have the same shedding problem as Emily. However, we just vacuum everyday (we would anyway since we have an 11 month old crawling around) and it still looks brand new! Wouldn’t buy a rug anywhere else!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s true- they definitely stay mint looking don’t they? The one in our living room is light yellow and cream and I thought it would look dirty and ruined after a while but it’s still looking like new! The funny thing is that it was a discounted floor sample – so I should have known how well they hold up since it looked so good after being used on the floor of the Pottery Barn store for a while!
xo,
s
Jessie (Bites and Pieces) says
Love the new Clara rug! How fabulous is that name? The rug works beautifully in the room and really brightens it up, especially with all the cute green and yellow accents everywhere. Beautiful!
Amber says
I didn’t think your den could get any better than it already was, but you guys have proved me wrong! It’s gorgeous and so summery!
I have been searching for an 8×10 rug (for a very large room) for months, to no avail. Any tips on where to find large rugs without spending crazy amounts of money? I do prefer natural fibers as well.
YoungHouseLove says
Overstock.com has the most options (and some of them are amazingly priced). Places like HomeGoods and Marshall’s are also great resources as well. Good luck!
xo,
s
shevon says
Beautiful!! But then again I’m biased because I have the same rug :o)
Katie says
Pottery Barn and West Elm are the same company and both of them make really poor quality shedding wool rugs. My husband and I had an 8 x 10 100% wool wood grain pattern rug for 2 years and it shed constantly for 2 years. This is not a fluke thing and so many people have complained about this. It left tufts of hair all over our hardwoods that looked like dog hair and we don’t have pets. Terrible!
YHL, you said you had a $100 gift card for West Elm. Since they are the same company did they let you use it on the Pottery Barn website? If so that is good to know.
Good luck with your rug! You may want to invest in a Dyson like we have…it survived the 2 year horror that was the rug until we replaced the rug!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
Yup, as we mentioned in the post, they allow West Elm gift cards to be redeemed at Pottery Barn and even PB Kids and PB Teen. Love that! As for the shedding issue, we’re so sorry that you had such a struggle with your rug. We actually have another Pottery Barn rug (also 100% wool) in our living room, which we’ve had for over a year and a half. Actually almost two years. We love it! Other than needing to vacuum it a bit more frequently in the beginning due to shedding (just as the paperwork that came with the rug mentioned) it quickly slowed down and we no longer have any issues with excess fluff or shedding. The same seems to be true for the Clara rug (it shed a bit in the beginning but we vacuumed it frequently for about a week and it has slowed to nearly no shedding already (this one is looped wool pile which might explain why there’s even less initial shedding with this guy). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Teresa says
love how much it changed your den! it even brings out more yellow in your paint color. really pretty and fresh.
nikki says
Okay, please don’t hate me. But, I’m not a big fan of the rug. It’s just a little overpowering for the room. But, I ADORE the den! It’s so beautiful! Light, airy and comfortable. It’s a great gathering space!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries Nikki! Decorating is definitely a subjective thing, so we just share the ways that we switch things up around Casa Petersik. We never expect everyone to agree with every choice that we make- but the beauty of having a home and decorating it the way you like is that whatever tickles your fancy is all that matters!
xo,
s
barb says
hi guys! i have to admit i am NOT a fan of rugs. with pets it seems a dust and hair collector. but you might have changed my mind! that rug transformed the whole look of the room. i am amazed. i look at rugs at the store for “decorating” and i can’t envision them in the space. but wow..just wow. i never would have picked a floral but it looks soooo modern. great job!
i am a huge fan….and a new diy decorator since finding your blog :). i only found out about blogging a few months ago after clicking a link (not computer savvy over here…lol) and it was your blog. i haven’t stopped reading since…but you guys are keeping me up nights because i love this blog so much i totally loose track of time while i am reading. i also want to thank you for linking everything in your new posts to your old one’s. it helps soooooo much. keep blogging and inspiring us all.
Tisha says
Thanks for this post. It often takes a long time before I find the right rug, couch, or other accessory that I am looking for. Usually it is complete serendipity at work–I’ll be looking for one thing and find something that fits perfectly that I spent hours looking for at one point and gave up on.
Anna says
Love the new rug!
We have three young kids, and two dogs. We have hardwoods and tile throughout, and I can’t wait until we can feel safe adding color and texture with rugs!
Have you ever posted about the light fixture hanging in the room? It looks like a shade w/o the bottom diffused. I really like the way it looks for our 1930s house. Can you point me in the direction of a post you’ve made about it, or tell me where you guys bought it?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anna,
That’s actually just a pendant shade that we added to the ceiling fan that came with the room. It was a quick and easy makeover. Here are those details: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/01/fan-tastic/
xo,
s
Debra says
LOVE IT!! Its awesome how much more “Happy” it makes your living room look :-)
Erika W says
The new rug is great. I do have once question since I have been looking at a few rugs at PB myself. How has the looped pile held up (i.e. versus cut wool pile)? I don’t have animals, but I am looking for a rug that would be played on by an active 2-year-old everyday and don’t want the loops to pull out. Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
So far so good! We’ve noted that it initially sheds a bit less than unlooped pile – at least when compared to the other Pottery Barn wool rug that we have in the living room. Both rugs stopped shedding profusely after a few weeks of frequent vacuuming, but the looped pile one shed less and now sheds hardly at all (we’ve only had it about two weeks). We did worry that Burger’s little claws or the vacuum might pull the rug but we haven’t had that issue and Burger flies around on that rug like the wind. We also have a super strong vacuum but no pulling at all. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Roshni says
Oh! That rug looks just amazing!
Natalie says
I’ve been thinking about replacing the rug in our kitchen, and it’s really helpful to see your thought process and the options you considered– and to hear about the issues you’ve had with other rugs. I love the colors in the one you picked– it’s not something I think I would have been drawn to personally, but when I saw the picture of it in your den I loved it! I think it push me to think about pattern or color that I normally wouldn’t consider when looking at rugs myself.
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
OMG – I just have to comment because my hubby and I *are*doing*the*same*exact*thing* right now!!! And great minds must think alike, Sher – I have been looking at *every*single*rug*you*have*listed!!!! I even bought the swatch for the Clara rug and have been eyeing the Andalusia rug from WE – glad to hear you say that it’s not as plush – that’s a BIG deal for me, too! Still love the Clara rug, but we’re more on the green/blue palatte in our room as opposed to the yellow/green. Too funny! I love it! So glad to see it in action!!!
xoxo,
Lindsay
Mary Ann says
I love how that new rug really pops some fun color into the room. This gives me hope that all the tons of “perfect” things I’m waiting to find will be worth the wait!
jbhat says
What a lovely find. It really freshens up the room. Thanks for sharing your shopping tips too, Youngsters.
jbhat
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
Oh, and I LOVE the way the rug looks in your room! Very springy and fun!!! Let me know if you run across a beautiful blue/green rug a la P-Barn. I have a few of their rugs and I truly love them!
Heather says
Hi,
I was wondering why you guys didn’t consider using the rug you took out of Clara’s room and stashed away? Also, the white side table next to the chair, is that the tabel from the sunroom?
Rug looks great and gives the room a whole new look!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Heather,
That rug is just a 4 x 6′ rug, and we think rugs should be longer than the sofa to ground the living area so it would have looked too teeny. Plus we wanted something plush underfoot so the Clara Rug was the winner! As for the side table, it’s not the one from the sunroom. It’s another one that we made a while back and moved into the den. Here’s one post and another post with those details.
xo,
s
Linda. says
LOVE the rug!!!! It is absolutely perfect.
Susan says
WOW– I liked the room before, even though I thought it was a little um, bland. Now though, with the pops of colour it looks warmer and so much more inviting!
Stephanie says
Your rugs adds so much color to your den…I absolutely love it! (Perhaps even more than your other rug?)The colors pop against your neutral walls and furniture-it’s fabulous!
Jenny G. says
Whew, I am right there with you on the “Olympic Event of Rug Hunting”. We’ve been searching for the right rug for our living room for over a year now! I don’t know if you know the answer to this, but you said you used a West Elm gift card at PB. Do you know if you can use PB gift cards at West Elm? Or Crate & Barrel cards at CB2? We’ve got lots of gift cards laying around (we just got married), and I’d LOVE it if we were able to branch out with those!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenny,
Our guess would be that you can! Just call a store near you to see what they say. Good luck!
xo,
s
tess says
love what you’ve done with your room, as always. thank you for walking us through the rug hunt. i’m currently in that process as well. it’s taking forever! can’t make up my mind. my question…there are so many beautiful indoor/outdoor rugs out there. do people actually use these indoors? like in the kitchen? i have two boys, 5 and 7, who love wrestling, and playing star wars and indiana jones in our living room. is this a good option for us or just plain tacky? any advice anyone? thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tess,
We’ve definitely seen people using indoor/outdoor rugs inside for the durability! The only complaint we’ve heard a few times (once even in the comments of this post!) is that they can smell pretty bad since they’re made of synthetics. Maybe you can buy one and return it if the smell bothers you? Good luck!
xo,
s
Erin says
maybe I am a weirdo but that rug looks ‘seasonal’, like it’s appropriate for spring & summer and not fall & winter. Ya, I think I am a weirdo.
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s certainly a valid thought! We love that decorating us totally subjective so nobody’s a weirdo! We just love big patterns and prints and actually have faux clam shells and other beachy accents like breezy white curtains around the house all year round, so we don’t mind that cheerful spring look in the fall and winter.
xo,
s
Jenny G. says
Sweet! I absolutely will! Thanks for posting this, I never would have thought of that!
Emily says
Lovely!
Cristina says
This post hit the right spot! I’ve been on the search for a green/green accented rug for over a month for our master with no luck :( But you just gave me the perfect amount of hope to keep using my days off to hunt around :)
Amy says
A nice, fresh look! And before this post, I never realized that west elm and pottery barn were “related”. This is good to know!
Angela N says
I have a small jute rug (in red!) that sheds those little fibers too. UGH!
I was on a rug hunt for a few months too and finally found a steal of a rug at my local Pottery Barn store. I ended up getting their wool zebra rug on clearance for $85! I am very happy!!
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/zebra-rug/
Claudia says
I LOVE that yellow west elm rug, someday I hope to win a GC and get it!
Ashley says
The rug looks great guys!! In no time, it will be filled with toys galore when Clara gets to moving around. I love it!
SweetTxMama says
I don’t know how you guys read my mind but I just started my hunt for a rug too, so this post was just perfect. I love your home and your taste is so similar to my own that I look forward to each and every post. Keep it up!
Jessica Tenberge says
I AM SOOO GLAD YOU PICKED THAT RUG!!! We found it at a PB outlet for $180 and passed on it because it was a final sale and if we hated it, we were stuck with it. Now that I see it (pretty much with my identical couch that you own) I LOVE IT. The colors are subtle but still make the room feel so warm. Thanks for this post. So since I am already designing my kitchen close to yours…hope you don’t mind if my living room looks like your den as well!!!
kyla says
I think the new rug is an upgrade even though it was a practicality based switch! It has “an awesome connection” with the space…(see how is slipped in that bachelor reference) Love the new punch of pattern in the room.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yeah there definitely was a spark when we introduced the rug to the den. Tee hee.
xo,
s
Lyndsey says
What a great post! And what a coincidence your new find shares the same name as your baby girl! The room looks beautiful.
A side question, I just got a padded bench similar to the one you’ve got at your dining table. The height of the bench is the same as the seat height of my dining chairs, but if an adult sits on the bench, it sinks a little. Do you have the same problem? Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lyndsey,
We actually found that the first bench we got was a smidge too low, so we returned it and got one with small feet on the bottom to give it a bit more height (from Bed Bath & Beyond instead of Target). Now when everyone sits down we’re all at the same level. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Michelle says
I can’t BELIEVE it was called the Clara rug!!! It was meant to be.
Paige says
It’s amazing how different the room looks with just the new rug and a few pops of green!
Lisa in Seattle says
HELLO NURSE!!! I love the new rug. It’s quite a ways out of what we assume is your comfort zone – did that give you any momentary qualms? I’m as proud of you guys for taking the leap as if I’d personally picked this out for you!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
Aw thanks! It actually didn’t give us any qualms because as soon as we saw the name of the rug we figured it was meant to be. Of course we made sure we could bring the rug back to the store for a full refund if we didn’t like it, but even before we got it rolled out we knew it would probably be the one- and it was! We’ve actually found that since getting prego we have been a lot more experimental and have been embracing bold patterns and more saturated colors. What can we say, Clara brings out the fun in our house!
xo,
s
Lyndsey says
Thanks! I’ll check that out. Love your blog!!
Jocelyn Stott says
Looks great! I find buying rugs really daunting for some reason. I think I have a hard time ‘seeing’ the rug in a room. One of my little design hurdles I am dealing with :)
Amy says
hey YHL! I like your new rug but am heartbroken to see your jute rug gone. I was INSANELY jealous of your jute – haha, that sounds funny :) – and have been searching for an exact 5×8 replica, for as good a price as you paid, for our family room. But it’s been no avail :( Can I ask what your plans are for your old rug? Would you consider selling it second hand?
Thanks,
Amy
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
Oh no! So sorry you can’t hunt down a similar rug. We’ve seen them on overstock.com from time to time so that might be one place to look. As for ours we actually debated donating it or craigslisting it but it was just too shaggy and nasty- it went in the trash. It didn’t feel right passing along something so run down and defective to someone else. So sorry!
xo,
s